The life and economy of the city and the province of Verona have always been linked to its river, the Adige. A navigation link in the past centuries which artiginal and commercial activities thrived on. Pescantina, the village which marks the border between the Valpolicella and the Adige was in the past an important river port and a well known ship yard as documented in the local ethnographical museum.

The Alzzaia road, running along by the river, linked the villages of Ceraino situated in the north to Nassar and Parona in the south. The road allowed the "burchi" (the typical boats), after they had been unloaded at Pescantina, to be pulled back upstream to the Val d'Adige by horse and rope. Today the Alzaia may be followed on foot  from the centre of Pescentina through Arcè, which should be mentioned for its Romanesque church S. Michele Arcangelo, to Sega di Cavaion.

From the opposite side of the River Adige, the hamlet of Pol may be seen from which the name Valpolicella is derived. The neighbourhood experienced a period of particular importance during the centuries dominated by the Venetians when it was the river port of the so-called "salt-river".

The precious ingredient used for preserving food was brought here from the Adriatic. From Pol the loads of salt were transported overland to the port of Lazise from which, this time via lake Garda, the salt was then taken to Desenzano to be transported then onto Brescia and further a field to the province of Bergamo.