Malcesine sits on the eastern shore of Lake Garda beneath the imposing bulk of Monte Baldo (2,218 metres), a combination that gives it one of the most spectacular settings on the entire lake. The town is dominated by the Scaliger Castle (Castello Scaligero), perched on a rocky promontory above the harbour, which houses a natural history museum and a room dedicated to Goethe, who was briefly detained here in 1786 when his sketching of the castle aroused suspicion that he was an Austrian spy. A revolving cable car carries visitors from the town centre to the summit of Monte Baldo in just ten minutes, offering panoramic views across the lake and, on clear days, as far as the Dolomites and the Apennines. At the top, a network of hiking trails traverses alpine meadows renowned for their extraordinary botanical diversity (Monte Baldo is sometimes called the Botanical Garden of Europe). Below, the old town is a compact warren of stone lanes, small piazzas, and the picturesque Porto Vecchio (old harbour), where fishing boats still dock alongside tourist ferries. Malcesine and the stretch of coast toward Torbole are among the best windsurfing and sailing locations in Europe, thanks to the reliable Ora del Garda (afternoon thermal wind) that funnels down the lake from north to south.
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