The Porto Vecchio in Malcesine

The small fishing port "Porto Vecchio" on the square Piazza Magenta was the former center of the place Malcesine. Today only small (fisher) boats set sail from here.

Where once the boats were pulled ashore on a ramp, a rest area framed by old houses and decorated with contemporary stone sculptures now awaits the Visitors.

Detail of the Porto Vecchio in Malcesine

Incidentally, the shallows of Lake Garda are home to a unique species in the world: the sardine, otherwise found only in salt water. This unique natural phenomenon is due to the fact that thousands of years ago seawater from the Mediterranean Sea, which at that time was elevated at much higher altitude, sloshed into lake Garda. The "sardine of Garda", which was brought with it, subsequently adapted to the fresh water environment, which was gradually desalinated. Today it ranks on the delicacy list of lake Garda.

By the way, one peculiarity of its ancestors has not been discarded by the Garda sardine until today: Unlike all other fish species of lake Garda, it still goes on migration in closed shoals. Therefore, it can be found in different areas of the lake during the year.