La via dei Crinali

Arriving from Solferino, the first stop is Grole, followed by Belvedere: these two areas represent interesting examples of wooded areas present within the PLIS of Castiglione delle Stiviere. Mainly coppiced and made up of narrow strips of land, they are the habitat for some plant species that prefer shaded limestone slopes, such as black hornbeam, downy oak, manna ash, hackberry, turkey oak, hazelnut and wild cherry. Once past the Belvedere areas, you begin to glimpse the historic center of Castiglione delle Stiviere: known for being the homeland of S. Luigi Gonzaga and the Red Cross, Castiglione is also nicknamed “the town of fountains”, given the good presence of wash fountains. The castle, the historic squares, the museums and the churches make Castiglione a city rich in history and culture. Once past the historic center in the direction of Desenzano del Garda, on the left you can glimpse the walls of the Gonzaga family castle. The next stop is the Ghisiola Hermitage already illustrated previously. This route also sees Monte Merlo as the last stop. Halfway along the two routes you can arrive at the Convent of Santa Maria (near the castle and the Astore area). The Convent of Santa Maria is the former country residence of the family of S. Luigi.