The 4 Best Fortress and Citadel Tours in Italy

1.Fortress: Prisons, Museum of Fortifications and Alps Museum

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 125 reviews · 90 days · from $17Our pick

Visit Bard Fortress in Italy’s Aosta Valley at your own pace with panoramic lifts, an audio guide on the Museon app, and entry to three exhibition areas. See the 24 cramped prison cells, explore Alpine life, and trace changing military technology. No live guide is included.

“Bellissimo il forte, sono rimasta un po’ delusa dall’assenza di una mostra sulla Marvel, dato che proprio nel Forte di Bard hanno girato una parte di ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’.”

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2.Lucca: Renaissance City Walls Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 104 reviews · from $17

Spend two hours with an English and Italian speaking guide walking Lucca’s tree-lined Renaissance walls and entering restored bastions. You’ll see huge brick cannon galleries, learn how the fortifications evolved, and hear local stories from guides such as Roberta and Paola.

“Good tour, a little slow to start but got better. Seeing inside the walls and learning the history of the walls was fantastic. Great history of Lucca. Would recommend this tour”

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3.Pastrengo: Lake Garda Wine & Food Tasting in Historic Fort

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 73 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $58

Meet at a brown iron gate marked by a golden eagle, then tour an 1861 Austrian fort before tasting six organic wines with Garda olive oil, ancient-grain focaccia, cheeses, and cured meats. Italian and English are offered, though language arrangements should be confirmed at booking.

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4.San Leo: Fortress Entry Ticket and Cagliostro’s Prison

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 38 reviews · from $11Best value

Visit San Leo Fortress in Romagna at your own pace with a one-day entry ticket. See Cagliostro’s cell, ancient and modern weapons, torture instruments, fortifications, a Vasari fresco replica, and the virtual Musleo ecomuseum.

“Fortress to absolutely visit. It feels like stepping into history”

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