IN AND AROUND GARDA TRENTINO
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DRENA
Drena is a small medieval town buzzing with the energy of this area, set amid stunning scenery and with a spirit of adventure which makes it the ideal place for all kinds of outdoor sports. It occupies a strategic position overlooking the Sarca plain and Lake Garda while nestled beneath Mount Bondone, a popular destination for winter sports and summer hikes.
Although it suffered the recent collapse of the western walls, the CASTLE OF DRENA has beautifully preserved rooms and halls and
is a venue for exhibitions, gatherings and events year round. The
rocky outcrop on which the keep is perched has been inhabited
since at least the Bronze Age as can be seen from the remains of an ancient fortified village. During the Middle Ages the Castle belonged
to the Lords of Sejano and later to the D’Arco ruling family. It is in a strategic position overlooking the road connecting the valleys Valle
del Sarca and Valle di Cavedine and therefore any communication
with the North. The walls are still standing together with the palace,
a small chapel and some other buildings. A striking landmark, the
25 metre high tower dates back to the 14th century (info & booking
tel. 0464 541220).
Starting lower down in the village you come
to CAPPELLA DI SAN VIGILIO, commissioned by a citizen of Drena who had emigrated to America. As you enter the village you will
come upon a stone bas relief called the MONUMENT TO THE MINER sculpted by Arthur Alexandrè in commemoration of
the many sons of Drena who emigrated to Belgium to work down the mines. Beside it
is a metal trolley from the last coal mine in Wallonia. In the centre of Drena you can also visit the parish CHURCH OF SAN MARTINO built in the 16th century. Various sources report a chapel on this site as early as 1537.
A major renovation project was undertaken
in the 19th century when the original structure was seriously compromised. The work was entrusted to Giuseppe Caproni, father of Giovanni Caproni the aviation pioneer. From the village centre, head down via Roma to the short but charming path lined with flower beds and fountains which leads to the sanctuary SANTUARIO MADONNA DI FATIMA. This
was commissioned by the citizens of Drena in 1942 and built after the Second World War. The chapel was built in 1949 near the grotto created in 1943 by the miners who emigrated to Belgium.
Drena has many excursions and walks of varying levels of difficulty suitable for hikers or mountain bikers. One of the easiest trails is called the Roman Way or Strada Romana, a medieval mule track which connects the village with Lake Cavedine and passes through the Marocche di Dro. Head in the direction of Braila, a district of Arco, and you will come upon the trail called the OPEN AIR GALLERY, a trail which brings colourful, picturesque works of art to the woodland trails of Drena. There are also many trails leading to Malga Campo with the chapel of the Alpine Regiment and the Cammino dei Ricci trail which leads through ancient chestnut woods.
