From the province of Verona, visitors drive down the eastern shore of Lake Garda to the next tour stop, Malcesine castle. The building is set in an elevated position on a rock spur with a view of Lake Garda.

It seems to have been built on a pre-existing Lombard fortification, which was destroyed and rebuilt various times until it was acquired by the Scaliger family in the 13th century. During the following centuries and after Scaliger rule, Malcesine and its castle fell into the hands of various rulers: the Visconti, the Republic of Venice, the Holy Roman Empire, then again the Republic of Venice up to the beginning of the 19th century, before experiencing an extremely short-lived French and then Austrian rule.

Access to the castle is via a courtyard with a barracks on its left. The courtyard reaches to the balcony, a lake terrace with a stunning view. Via a staircase, visitors reach the powder magazine built by the Austrians, better known as “Sala Goethe”. From here, they can access the second courtyard which offers a splendid view of medieval frescoes, a castle and an open air theatre. A third, higher courtyard leads to the entrance of the Della Scala residence; a 70 m defensive tower stands guard behind it, above the lake. Not far away are the frescoes of a building that appears to have been a chapel.

Malcesine castle is easy to reach on foot. There is a carpark nearby.