Passing through the fortified village of Arco, past a splendid olive grove, one eventually arrives at the Castle of Arco.

Built in a crag, it barred and guarded the narrow northern section of the Valle del Sarca, once a route for invading armies from the North towards the plain of the Po river. Its most amazing feature is that the castle and the village are all one, connected by increasingly serried walls. The village has four gateways: today one may see the Transfora Gate, once provided with a drawbridge, thus confirming the existence of a moat. The entire fortified complex was probably built no earlier than the 12th century. The connection between the ruins of the Lower Palace and the castle proper are very suggestive; this is surrounded by the centuries old cypresses, which one finds everywhere, and the blue waters of Lake Garda. High up, the watch tower, surrounded by low walls, contains a cistern cut into the rock, which was filled with rainwater conveyed from the roof by means of "lead pipes". The diagonals of the tower have an unusual layout: one is parallel to the valley, the other perpendicular, acting as a wind barrier. The castle is first mentioned with regard to the title disputes between the Sejano and Arco families. The latter prevailed towards the end of the 12th century and held on to the castle until the end of the 16th century, when the Lords of Arco moved into the more comfortable palaces in the town. The castle was abandoned and then sacked by the General Vendôme´s troops.