The castle is the symbol of the city of Arco north of Lake Garda and we visit it during a spring walk
Image gallery: Hike to the Castle of Arco
During a stay in Arco in 1897, also the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke noticed that nature in Arco reawakened earlier than in other places. Our visit to the city of Arco begins in the morning in its historic centre. From the park Giardini di Arco we follow Viale delle Magnolie until Via Porta Scaria where we take via Fossa Grande towards the hill. We reach the archducal park "Arboreto di Arco. The small botanic garden is a natural habitat for palm trees, lemon trees, cedars, bamboos and agaves and was realised by the will of Archduke Albrecht of Habsburg in 1872.
Our next destination is the Castello di Arco. We follow the signposts leading us steadily uphill first through the ancient part of the historic centre and then through an olive grove. The view of the city extends to
Lake Garda. We eventually reach the meadow below the Torre Grande, which also provides a small bar/restaurant. We buy a ticket to visit the castle. Here, you can admire water tanks and some rooms which are still partially intact. Information panels tell about the secular history of the castle, dating back to the 6th century AD.
The itinerary winds along the ancient walls to the Torre Renghera, the highest tower of the entire castle, from where you can admire the surroundings, including the still snow-covered Monte Stivo, the Paganella and the valle del Sarca in the north, Monte Brione with Torbole and Riva del Garda in the south. We descend along the path that takes us directly back to the historic centre of Arco. We cross the pedestrian area of Arco with its wonderful buildings from different historic eras and eventually return to the starting point.
Information: this walk is particularly recommended in spring and autumn and should not be undertaken on hot summer days.
Author: AT
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- Starting point:
- Arco (Giardini di Arco, city centre)
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- Overall time:
- 01:40 h
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- Total route length:
- 4,1 km
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- Altitude:
- from 90 m to 239 m
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- Altitude difference:
- +311 m | -311 m
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- Signposts:
- Viale Magnolie, Arboreto di Arco, Castello di Arco, Arco
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- Destination:
- Castello di Arco
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- Recommended time of year:
- Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
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- Download GPX track:
- Hike to the Castle of Arco
If you want to do this hike, we suggest you to check the weather and trail conditions in advance and on site before setting out.
