Situated between Peschiera del Garda (VR) and
Goito (MN) the upper stretch of the river Mincio crosses the moraine amphitheater of the Garda and its typical gravel terraces of the upland.
Despite an environment which is strongly shaped by human beings, the moraine hills still have an incomparable charm thanks to the presence of the river and of the many thermophilic woods, karst springs, peatlands, wetlands, scrublands and dry meadows.
The
forests extending on the slopes mainly consist of downy oaks, turkey oaks, hop hornbeams, which are also a fertile ground for orchids and fire lilies, as well as for mushroom species such as the Boletus aereus and the Caesar's mushroom. The forests also house many bird species, especially common blackbirds, common nightingales, common chaffinches, golden orioles and hoopoes. The
dry meadows are ecosystems of very high botanical value consisting of gramineae and orchids, typical elements of the alpine flora, where the European green lizard and the Etruscan shrew, the smallest known mammal in Europe, live.
The mild climate - due to the presence of the Garda Lake nearby - and the hill slopes' nature also made the development of high-quality vineyards possible, thanks to which well-known wines with controlled designation of origin and typical geographical indication are produced. Spontaneous Mediterranean elements, such as the olive tree and the almond tree, also settle in this area.
The
Castellaro Lagusello Nature Reserve is an area of high environmental value, which includes a small lake, the surrounding wetland and the hill area of the Mount Tondo, on a surface covering 138.6 hectares.
