Malcesine is a municipality on the eastern shore of Lake Garda, in front of the district of Limone del Garda. It is located only 54 km from Verona, less than 42 from Trento. The name Malcesine derives from mala silex (Pietra malfatta - defective stone).
Concentrated around his ancient Scaliger Castle and the historic Palazzo dei Capitani, Malcesine is a typical medieval village encircled by walls. Excavation proved evidences from the prehistory and the area was often invaded from the northern populations over the centuries. In the Middle Ages Malcesine was governed by the Church of Verona and when the noble family "Della Scala" took the power, they restored the Castle, named Scaliger Castle since then. At the end of XVIII century the area was occupied by the forces of Napoleon Bonaparte after which the Veneto became part of the French and then Austrian Empire. In 1860, Malcesine became part of the Kingdom of Italy.
Malcesine's most prominent landmark is the Castello Scaligero, which has been restored around 1300. Several populations owned it over the centuries and the German writer Goethe drew sketches on the Castle along with descriptions of the structure in his Italian Journey. A museum and a bust has been dedicated to the writer. Equally interesting id the bell of the castle, casted in 1442.
The first structure of the Castle was built under the Lombard Reign in the I century A.D, then it was the Frankish turn. The castle was the Scaliger's from 1277 to 1387 and in 1513 Malcesine was attacked from the Venetian Republic, guided by the warlord Scipione Ugoni. He conquered the Castle and made the German castellan prisoner in Salò.
Summer time is the theatre of a lively cultural activity, mainly thanks to concerts in the Lacaòr Arena, a natural area under the Scaliger Castle. Equally important are the Exhibitions of painting and sculpture.
The rotating cabins of the new cable car ""Funivia Malcesine – Monte Baldo “flies” up to 1,800 meters altitude within only a few minutes. It is a major attraction for those who love fascinating excursions in the nature. The structure of the cable car is composed by two sections. The first one goes up until San Michele station, 463 m of height. The second one goes up until the Monte Baldo, 1187 m of height. The rotating cabin offers a wonderful panorama and the impression of flying.
On 24th July 211 Malcesine hosted one of the races of Red Bull Cliff Diving, the World High Diving Championship: 12 divers from 8 nations took part at the competition, which took place from the Scaliger Castle, equipped of a trampoline of dizzy height, 27 meters.
