Sights and Places to See in Malcesine

Malcesine is a bustling town half-way up the eastern shore of Lake Garda. It attracts plenty of day trippers looking to take the cable car up Monte Baldo, but the town itself has plenty to see and do.

Here are a few images to help give visitors what a visit to Malcesine might look like...

The Old Port and Harbour at Malcesine

The main port and harbour at Malcesine is located to the south of the fortress. The rectangular harbour with its small yachts and colourful fishing boats is a busy meeting point for visitors and locals alike.

The harbour at Malcesine

There are plenty of restaurants and cafés for those looking to sit and people-watch. The main Lake Garda ferry service leaves from the stage on the outer part of the port.

Looking out onto Lake Garda from the port at Malcesine

The Scaliger Fortress

The fortress is at the northern end of the 'old town' and sits on a wooded promontory overlooking the lake. The fortress also houses Malcesine's Natural History Museum, which gives an interesting look at the flora and fauna of the lake and the mountains behind Malcesine.

The Scaliger castle at Malcesine

The Scaliger fortress is open every day and the climb to the top is worthwhile for the view out over the roofs of the old town. The panorama of the tightly-packed houses and the narrow alleyways gives an idea of the way the town's inhabitants have lived over centuries.

The rooftops of the historic centre of Malcesine

Monte Baldo

Monte Baldo is one of the top destinations for daytrips around Lake Garda and, as such, the wait for the lifts to the top can be long in high season. The larger white buildings in the photo below are the bottom, mid- and top stations of the Monte Baldo cable car.

The cable car to Monte Baldo at Malcesine

No matter how long the wait or how many people there are on the top of the mountain ridge, the views from the top on a good day are simply magnificent. More information about the cable car is available on our special Monte Baldo page.

Looking to the north from Monte Baldo