Italy 2023: Day 3 - Lake Garda to Malcesine (and Monte Baldo) to Trento

Following my MO, I got up early and walked around the harbor taking pictures without all the crowds.

As a result, I was able to observe the various local fishermen bringing in. their catch for sale and distribution for the evening meal.

More pictures of the harbor waking up...

On this sign, I read about the lake’s palio delle contrada which involved racing rowing boats instead of horses (like they do in Sienna). Seems fitting.

I asked about flags or scarfs or other souvenirs representing this water-borne palio, but was told this was the first year of the event and the promo merchandise hadn't arrived yet.

The lovely Villa degli Albertini. We'll have to visit you next time!

I returned to La Vittoria, packed and joined Kathi for a lovely breakfast inside the hotel's dining room.

The early bird gets the table with the view!

After breakfast, we travelled along the lake towards the town of Malcesine. Here is the Castello Scaligero in lakeside village of Torri del Benaco

More lakeside views as we drove along the Via Piaghen. The photos don't capture the vibrant blue hues of the water!

We stopped in Malcesine to ride the gondola up to the mountaintop of Monte Baldo. On the way up, we got a view of the Castello Scaligero di Malcesine.

Here's our chariot.

Climbing higher, better view of the northern part of the lake... Dirty windows suck!

Inside the gondola, it was pretty spacious. The gondola spins to share the views up and down the mountain.

Ascending selfie - not Kathi's favorite mode of transportation!

Once we arrived at the top, I wanted to go a little further up the mountain to see where the walking paths lead. Kathi waited at the Stazione Monte Baldo and read her book at the Ristorante Bar Baita Dei Forti while I explored around. The first place I came upon was this lovely little chapel. It was locked up but clearly gets used based on the fresh flowers inside.

Following the path to the Punto Panoramico Monte Baldo I could't resist taking pictures of these sleepy cows loafing high in the mountains.

The views were breathtaking! Here looking south...

And north towards Riva del Garda, a big destination for watersport enthusiasts.

Off one of the outcroppings, tourists were gathered around a group of intrepid paragliders.

I was more interested in the wildflowers.

and the cows...

Also along the trail is the little restaurant La Capannina, but I did not stop as Kathi was waiting form me and I had stayed away long enough for her to worry.

After reuniting and a short rest, we made our way down the mountain and continued on our journey north towards Trento.

The lakeside road went through many tunnels.

We went a little too far in Riva Del Garda, but our path took us passed a Lidl, so we stopped for snacks and provisions.

Once back on the right road, we started climbing out of the valley, through Rovereto, little Volano near the Adige River, Basenello and then arriving in Trento and checking into the Hotel Trento. It was large and with a very ornate lobby.

We felt a little underdressed, but our fears were allayed when we saw others with backpacks and in shorts and t-shirts. We parked the car in the underground garage and dumped our gear in the room. It was mid-afternoon so we decided to go out for a walk. We stumbled upon the Castello Buonconsiglio and decided we could squeak in a tour of the Castelvecchio part of the structure before it closed.

The Castello Buonconsiglio is made up of three different sections built inside 13the century walls. It was the residence of the Prince-Bishops of Trento up until secularization of the principality in 1803. The Castelvecchio is built on a hill around its cylindrical keep - the Torre d'Augusto. As you might guess, it was built for military and defensive purposes. Here's a view of the building's internal arcaded courtyard.

The "cortile porticato" or arcade courtyard with its open galleries connected by a stone staircase. The frescos are from the 15th century.

Ancient arches leading from room to room...

In 1973, when the responsibility for cultural heritage passed from the state to the Autonomous Province of Trento, Buonconsiglio became the seat of the Provincial Art Museum. Here are some of my favorites from the current collection.

The interior has many frescoes.

More favorite artworks...

The gothic Loggia Veneziana (Venetian loggia with views of the city and the Adige River valley.

Frescos on the ceiling, the cardinal Cles' coat-of-arms...

The connection between the Castelvecchio and the Magno Palazzo (built in the 16th century)

The Cortile dei Leoni (courtyard of the lions)

The remains of the 16th century fountain with lions sculpted by Alessio Longhi, a nod to the cardinal Cles' coat-of-arms.

The Magno Palazzo Loggia links the enclosed areas of the castle to the courtyard and gardens. The 15th century frescos are by Girolamo Romanino and depict Phaethon losing control of the Sun Chariot and allegories of the seasons.

Detail of the inlaid stone floor pattern...

While little remains of the cardinal's original giardino (garden) layout, I still found it to be a beautiful and relaxing space.

I particularly liked the arbor and covered walkway lined with flowers.

More arbors just inside the perimeter walls.

Beautiful frescos

After our lovely visit with the Castello del Buonconsiglio, we wandered back towards our hotel. When we crossed the Via del Suffragio, it was bustling with activity, so we walked down the street.

I love cities where the streets are reserved for pedestrians and that lends itself to outdoor restaurant seating and cafes. Apertivo, Italian cocktail hour + snacks, was in full swing, so it was here that we began a habit that would not only influence our whole trip, but carry over into our lives back home. Kathi had a traditional Aperol spritz and I opted for a local Ayinger beer. Both quite refreshing!

After apertivo, I think Kathi and I were both quite satisfied, so we just walked back to the hotel and prepared for our next day - me fly fishing and Kathi traveling to Verona for a food and wine tour.