One Of Italy's Most Visited Sites Is A Well Preserved Castle Right Out Of A Storybook

You may have an idea of what a castle is from the fairy tales you read as a kid. While not every real-life castle visually compares to our imagination, there is one in Italy that absolutely does. Around 20 miles west of the romantic yet overlooked city of Verona and 100 miles west of the slowly sinking Venice is Lake Garda. On a small peninsula on the southern side of the lake is the town of Sirmione and its Scaligero Castle, one of Italy's 30 most-visited historical sites.

Commissioned in the 14th century by the Veronese Della Scala family (also called the Scaligeri), who ruled the area from 1259 to 1387, it was built to protect Sirmione. It was then used as a garrison until Italy's unification in 1861, after which it was restored in 1919 and converted into a museum. The castle's name is sometimes written as "Scaliger" or "Scaligero."

Today, you can tour Scaligero for around $9 per person. For this modest fee, you'll get to cross the drawbridge, visit the patrol walkways around the pretty swallowtail battlements, walk to the dock (which is built into the castle's design), climb the highest tower, and even see a museum inside the inner portico. Do note that there are 146 steps up at the entrance, and the site is not wheelchair accessible. 

Tickets can be purchased at the castle's entrance. When you enter the building, you'll walk over the drawbridge, into the keep, and see the Scalier coat of arms. There isn't a lot of typical castle-like decor because Scaligero was used for defense rather than entertainment. However, there are plaques inside that display information about the castle in several languages.

One reviewer on TripAdvisor said, "Beautiful views from the top of the castle, well worth the walk up to the top. Really well preserved and interesting and worth the 8 euros to get in." Another mentioned flood lights around the castle at night, which make the setting look even more magical. There are also some stunning outlooks of the lake from the tower. If you choose to visit, note that you will have to park outside the city walls. Wear some good walking shoes, something that's worth splurging on, and make sure you bring sunscreen.

We did mention storybooks, and while this might look like the site of a romantic love story between a prince and princess, we'll leave you with its far darker legend. According to the tale, Scaligero was once the home of a young aristocratic couple, Ebengardo and Arice. One night, during a storm, a knight named Elaberto del Feltrino requested a place to stay and, upon first sight, madly fell in love with Arice. He attacked her, and when she fought him, he killed her. Ebengardo showed up, and he killed Elaberto, too. To this day, the bereft husband Ebengardo wanders the castle in ghostly form, still searching for his wife. Spooky.