Malcesine: Monte Baldo, Hiking Trails and History
Accommodation in Malcesine
Malcesine connects Lake Garda with Monte Baldo, challenging and easy trails, and historical landmarks in the town. This allows you to organize your stay according to different experiences when planning your trip: you can take the cable car into the mountains, compare hiking trails by difficulty, visit museums, or explore the history of Malcesine and Lake Garda.
From the Town to Monte Baldo
The Funivia Malcesine Monte Baldo takes passengers from Malcesine or San Michele to Località Tratto Spino at an altitude of 1,760 meters. A cable-car ride from Malcesine to Monte Baldo takes about 20 minutes. At the cable-car station in Tratto Spino, there are easy trails with scenic views. The Prà Alpesina nature trail on Monte Baldo leads visitors to discover the local wildlife, flora and traditions; numerous information boards provide interesting facts about the mountain.
Hiking trails also begin along the lakeshore: just a few meters from the beaches, some trails lead to the 2,218-meter-high Cima Valdritta. If you want to distinguish the routes according to their documented difficulty, the Sentiero del Ventrar provides a clear contrast to the easy trails near Tratto Spino. It is a difficult, 5-kilometer-long trail with 500 meters of elevation gain and exposed sections. The hike to Cima Pozzette reaches the summit at 2,125 meters, is 7 kilometers long and is rated as moderate.
Water, Nature and Unique Museums
At the historic site of Fraglia Vela Malcesine, the EasyKite kitesurfing school in Malcesine offers kitesurfing courses for beginners and advanced participants, as well as lift services for independent kiters. The Museo di Storia Naturale del Baldo e del Lago offers another way to experience nature: the multimedia, sensory visit engages sight, touch, smell and hearing, as well as interactive touchscreens.
The history of Lake Garda is also conveyed through specific objects. With historic boats, nets, hooks, original fishing equipment and historical photographs, the Museo della Pesca e del Lago di Cassone provides insights into the lives of fishermen on Lake Garda. The Museo del Lago di Cassone is located at the port of Cassone.
Historical Places in Malcesine
Historical landmarks include the ancient Pieve di Santo Stefano in Malcesine, which dates back to the 8th century. It has a single-nave layout, a vaulted ceiling and an 18th-century medallion depicting the Glory of Saint Stephen. The Chiesa della Disciplina stands in Piazza Cavour in the upper part of the town and is dedicated to Saints Benigno and Caro. Inside, there is a Renaissance painting depicting the healing of a blind man, as well as a Baroque altar made of red and white marble with an old crucifix.
The Palazzo dei Capitani was built by the Scaligeri between the 13th and 14th centuries over Roman and Romanesque remains. Another distinctive feature of the region is the Aril River in Cassone. It is 175 meters long, crosses three bridges and has a waterfall before flowing into Lake Garda. During the Christmas celebrations, a floating nativity scene is displayed at its source, set up by the Associazione „Amici del presepio“ di Cassone for more than 20 years.
Other Places for Orientation
For further trip planning in the regional context, you can also discover Calmasino, Ferrara Di Monte Baldo, Cariano, Monteforte D'alpone, Erbezzo, Povegliano Veronese and Costermano.
For the main travel overview: Verona.
More About the Destination
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