This summer I was lucky enough to spend five days on the shores of Lake Garda, this post takes a look at my day in Malcesine.
Malcesine is a small town on the eastern side of the lake and truly is a picturesque resort filled with cobbled lanes and a castle. In the summer months Malcesine is a hive of activity, packed with holidaymakers, sun-seekers, cyclists, walkers and para-gliders - who are all drawn to the heights of Monte Baldo. Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy, and Malcesine lies towards the narrow and mountainous northern end, often compared to a fjord. The town is situated at the edge of the Veneto region, in the province of Verona. ‘Malcesine’ is a good exercise in Italian pronunciation: the name is pronounced approximately MalCHESinay.
The symbol of Malcesine is its Castle, rebuilt by the Scaliger family around 1300. The battlemented fortress is open to the public as a museum, called the Museo Castello Scaligero. It takes a surprising amount of time to explore thoroughly, as it houses three small museums, including; a natural history museum, a room dedicated to the German writer Goethe, who visited Malcesine in 1786 and an interactive exhibit on the battle for Lake Garda between the Venetians and the Milanese.
There are great views from the ramparts and the chance to climb up the tower and gaze down at Malcesine’s huddled rooftops. The castle is open every day from 9.30 until 19.30 April to October and 11.00 to 16.00 in the winter months, costing just Euros 6 for adults.
The second tourist pull to the banks of Malcesine is the cable car which climbs the 1760m up Monte Baldo. This little trip is perfect on a hot day, as temperatures are lower than by the lake below. In winter this is a base for mountain sports. Once the snows have melted, energetic walkers and mountain bikers equipped with maps will find challenging routes to enjoy, while the less athletic can stroll along easy paths- although we went just for the views.
The cable-cars get busy so you should be prepared for queues. 45-person capacity cars run up to a half-way station called San Michele. There’s a restaurant here, road access (with a car park), and walks up or down the slopes. The cars which continue the journey up to Monte Baldo take 70 people and perform a slow rotation so all can enjoy the views over Lake Garda and up the mountain. A return ticket from Malcesine to Monte Baldo costs Euros20 and is well worth it.
Follow 360 Garda Life on Twitter @360GardaLife and on Facebook/360gardalife and you can visit the tourist infomation office www.visitgarda.com/en/garda_lake
Contributor & photographer: Alexandra Pinhorn
Magellan PR is on twitter: @MagellanPR / on Facebook: MagellanPR / on Pinterest: Sue Lowry / on Google+: Sue Lowry & MagellanPR and on Flickr: Sue Lowry. For more information on our company, visit www.magellan-pr.com. Follow our other blog focussing on travel in the South of England – A3 Traveller.
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