Malcesine on Lake Garda

We spent 3 nights in Malcescine at mid-April a few years ago, after a longer visit to Venice. We loved Malcescine, with it castle, old town, and cable car up Monte Baldo for hiking. We stayed aat hotel Villa Carmen. Which was OK, but each time we walked into town we passes Hotel Castello whi h looked much nicer,. I will look into staying there next time. You want a hotel that has good half-board meals, as there are not Many restaurants in the town. We did have a very pleasant evening in a wine bar one night, talking to a German couple about everything under the sun. They came to Lago di Garda every year and had stYed many places, but felt Malcescine was the best.

We just stayed in Sirmione at B&B La Reve, which was right on the main square with the ferry stop in sight, and loved it. Avoided the hordes of day trippers by walking in the back streets and exploring. The grotto of Catullus is an amazing Roman ruin on the tip of the peninsula. We took the ferry to Malcesine one day (it took all of a gorgeous day, and the scenery was spectacular) just to do the gondola ride up the mountain. Malcesine was lovely, but the gondola ride was a disappointment: the windows were heavy plastic so views were blurry, the gondola was crammed with about 60 people who had nothing to hold on to when it dipped and swerved, and when we got to the top there was a view in only one direction (beautiful) because on this perfect day the mist was rising from the lake and you couldn't see it. We wished we had spent our time wandering around the town instead. Next time! But Lake Garda is wonderful.

We just stayed in Sirmione at B&B La Reve, which was right on the main square with the ferry stop in sight, and loved it. Avoided the hordes of day trippers by walking in the back streets and exploring. The grotto of Catullus is an amazing Roman ruin on the tip of the peninsula. We took the ferry to Malcesine one day (it took all of a gorgeous day, and the scenery was spectacular) just to do the gondola ride up the mountain. Malcesine was lovely, but the gondola ride was a disappointment: the windows were heavy plastic so views were blurry, the gondola was crammed with about 60 people who had nothing to hold on to when it dipped and swerved, and when we got to the top there was a view in only one direction (beautiful) because on this perfect day the mist was rising from the lake and you couldn't see it. We wished we had spent our time wandering around the town instead. Next time! But Lake Garda is wonderful.