The “heart” of the city 
The heart of Riva del Garda still beats today under the Torre Apponale, which towers over the town’s old harbour. Here, since medieval times, all kinds of goods would arrive, from wool cloth, to livestock and timber, destined then to continue the journey northwards, once it had passed through customs.  
The colonnade looking on to Piazza III Novembre was lined with money changers’ and freight forwarders’ stalls, traders’ shops and various inns, ready to welcome the travellers from the lower part of the lake.  Today, those same spaces are occupied by shops, bars and restaurants, and provides a popular promenading venue for guests and residents alike. In fact, meeting for an aperitif in the square is one of the town’s unmissable rituals. 
The charm of the port even captured the heart of Franz Kafka who, after a holiday in Riva at the beginning of the 20th century, set his story about Gracco the hunter right here.