Malcesine on Lake Garda
What to do in Malcesine for your holiday or outdoor trip
Come to Malcesine at any time of year: it’s a tranquil and typically Italian place – a mini paradise set on the Lake and protected by Monte Baldo.
But don’t think about finding a sleepy country.
Hidden down myriad lanes you will find shops, restaurants, bars and ice cream parlours.
You can visit the Scaligero Castle in the old town: beautifully preserved,the castle is used for many events such as theatre, music concerts, art shows, weddings and more.
Another place not to be missed in the centre near the Port is the Captain’s Palace overlooking the Lake with its evocative garden. A good place to take a memorable photo.
The Old Port is a small but fascinating place with two bronze statues beside the Lake and a view of the Bresciani side of the Lake in front of you. This is where the barges used to leave from to go to other ports on the Lake.
If you like the countryside here, there are many sports you can do here such as windsurfing, kitesurfing, sailing and SUP.
There is also the possibility to organise a trip into the mountains or to go up to the peak of Monte Baldo with the Malcesine Monte Baldo Cable Car – to go up 1800m takes about 30 minutes. Monte Baldo is a wonderful place to see the flora, fauna and panoramic views of the Lake seen from above. The cable car is the only rotating one in the world and lets you admire the 360° view as you quickly rise from Lake to Peaks. Not bad!
The Malcesine zone extends for about 9km north on the eastern coast of the lake and across the Monte Baldo slopes. From the centre of Malcesine start the walking and cycling paths along the Lake which are flat paths suitable for a spectacular walk. Easy walking too for those who are less energetic or who want to stroll along.
To the south of Malcesine stretches another beautiful path along the Lake which brings you first to the hamlet of Val di Sogno and then, walking for a further half an hour, you will arrive at Cassone. Cassone is famous for its river Aril, one of the shortest rivers in Europa, and a picture postcard Port.
To the north of Malcesine are the hamlets of Campagnola and Navene and the Lake gets narrower here and the mountains rise straight out of the Lake.
And if you feel like it, you can also do the Panoramic Road walk which goes around Malcesine and up almost to the halfway station of the Cable Car. This spectacular ring road with its hairpin bends offers breathtaking views and panoramic views … hence its name!