After admiring the beauties of the largest lake in Italy - Lake Garda from the shore, I strongly advise you to look at it from the height of Monte Baldo, which hangs over the old town of Malcesine, located approximately in the middle of the lake coast.
Monte Baldo over the town of Malcesine
About Mount Monte Baldo
Lake Garda lies in the foothills of the Alps, respectively, all the mountains around the lake belong to the Italian Alps, and Mount Baldo is the highest of them, reaching 2218 meters above sea level at the point of Cima Valdritta. All the other mountain peaks around the lake are quite a bit, but below Mount Baldo. For example, Punta Telegrafo (2200 m) is only 18 meters away from Baldo.
In 1962, a mountain lift was built. It was inaugurated on September 30 in the presence of the head of state and since then has been working without fail for the joy of tourists.
How to get there
If you travel by car, you can go directly to the lower cableway station, located a little away from Malcesine. There are several large paid parking lots here: both ground and underground; usually there are no problems with places.
From ground parking to the lift you just have to cross the road.
If you are without a car and do not live in Malcesine, it is best to get to Malcesine on one of the boats constantly cruising on the lake. So even more interesting.
The path to Malcesine on the lake is very beautiful
First, enjoy the views of the lake from the side of the boat, and then from above, from Mount Monte Baldo. From the pier of boats to the lower station of the lift for about 20 minutes on foot through the narrow streets of a wonderful town.
Useful Tips
Now a few practical points:
The lift is not year-round, the dates of its launch and closure each year are somewhat different, but on average it is from late March to early November. Current information is on its official website.
The top of the mountain is often hidden by fog or low clouds. It is clear that once in such a cloud, you will not see anything interesting from above. Therefore, you need to look at the weather forecast in advance and choose a favorable day. In addition, the cash desks of the lower station of the cable car have monitors that broadcast the online situation in the area of the upper station.
The lift on Monte Baldo is very popular with tourists. There are a lot of people who want to climb, and the capacity of the cable car is limited. Therefore, after 10 am, large queues line up at the cash desk and to the booths.
Lift line
You can ditch 1-2 hours to wait your turn. There is a way out - to arrive at the opening, at 8 in the morning.
The cost of climbing to the very top and the descent is 22 euros for adults, but if you buy tickets from 8 to 9.30 in the morning or after 16 hours, it will be cheaper by 5 euros. Not only that, save, but also rise out of turn. The proverb "Who rises early ..." is true.
For different categories of tourists there are various discounts. All information is here.
If you are traveling with a dog, then you can take it with you. The cost of a dog ticket is 5 euros.
About the cable car
In 2001, the cable car was completely modernized and is now considered one of the safest in the world. It carries out a climb of 1750 meters.
Go! Malcesine below.
The cable car is two-level, with an intermediate station San Michele, on which you can exit. Pedestrian paths are laid from the station, descending through thickets of flowering oleanders, olive and citrus trees. There are also special paths for mountain bikes.
White Building - San Michele Intermediate Station
An ordinary cable car cabin raises to 1 level, but from 1 to 2 - a large round cabin with a capacity of 80 people, which during movement slowly rotates around its axis, so you can see all the surrounding beauty. As written in the brochure, this is the only cable car in the world with a panoramic rotating cabin. During the rise, she makes a complete revolution.
Panoramic rotating cab
But only if you could not wake up early and did not get into the first two cabins, then it is unlikely that you will be able to photograph something along the way, because the cab is stuffed to the eyeballs, and there are few places near the windows.
The operating mode of the cable car is from 08.00 to 18:00. Cabins are served at 30-minute intervals. There are special flights for cyclists. People with bicycles are not allowed in regular cabins.
What to do upstairs
At the upper station there is an observation deck with a cafe and sun loungers for those who want to relax or sunbathe.
Observation deck and relaxation area at the upper cable car station
The observation deck offers incredible views of Lake Garda and the surrounding mountains.
White - these are not stones, sheep graze, there are a lot of them, sometimes there are cows, and around them the melodic ringing of their bells is constantly heard.
And here is the clean mountain air and a refreshing cool breeze with the smell of alpine flowers and grass heated in the sun.
From the top station of the cable car, hiking and cycling routes scatter in all directions. You can choose your strength and the availability of time.
It is interesting to walk along the very ridge of the mountains, when both to the right and to the left - only down.
Sensation as if it was a runway: you reach the edge and you can fly up to the clouds.
Do not take off. They reached the edge, and there is such a view of the northern edge of the lake and the city of Riva del Garda.
And such a view of the opposite shore. The lake in this place is not wide.
The summit of Monte Baldo is a favorite destination for hang gliders and parachutists. They always have a lot of spectators: multi-colored canopy of parachutes soaring above the lake looks very beautiful. Such a flight is available not only to the pros. Anyone can make a hug jump with an instructor for money.
For children, entertainment is also provided. You can, for example, ride a pony.
And we also saw (I don’t know what to call correctly) micro-horses. It is doubtful that they are also riding someone, at least we have not seen. These are adult horses, but they are very small, people knee-deep.
If you are not aiming for long hikes, then 1-2 hours at the top should be enough to take a walk and enjoy the views from above. And when you go down from heaven to earth, I strongly advise you to devote at least another hour to get to know the wonderful town of Malcesine.
Visit the city of Malcesine
The city is located at the foot of Mount Baldo on the eastern shore of Lake Garda. Cute multi-colored houses descend on the ledges to the lake, and around the eternal greens of olives, oleanders, cypresses. The city is very small and compact. It is quite possible to get around it all in an hour.
The permanent population is about 3,500 inhabitants, in the season there are much more tourists in the city than local residents, Malcesine is especially popular among German tourists.
The city has a long history, it was first mentioned in 15 BC, when a small settlement came under the protection of the Romans. In Malcesine, literally everything breathes antiquity.
Narrow curved streets, steeply going up, neat pretty houses, a wide variety of restaurants and small shops, mostly with local souvenirs and wines. It’s so nice to wander through the streets, look at the shops, sit in the street cafe.
It is very pleasant to take a walk along the promenade, repeating all the bends of the shoreline of the lake. The whole promenade is simply buried in lushly blooming roses.
The main attraction of the city is the Skaliger Castle, whose high tower is visible from almost anywhere in the city and its environs. Images of the castle are everywhere - on numerous magnets, souvenirs, postcards.
The castle was originally built in 568, and was soon destroyed and rebuilt. Throughout his history, he has changed owners many times. In the XIII - XIV centuries it was owned by the Venetian family of Scaligers, it was they who rebuilt the new castle on the ruins, the general appearance of which has survived to this day. The castle gained fame at the beginning of the 19th century, when the poet Goethe wrote about it in Italian Travel.
You can enter the castle through these gates.
There are several museums on the territory: fishing, the natural history of Lake Garda, the Goethe Museum. You can still climb the tower, which offers a very beautiful view of the lake.
To this day, the battlement around the castle has been preserved, in the lower part an ancient amphitheater has been preserved, in which performances are sometimes arranged.
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