From Arco over Monte Colt

Old Walls – New Paths
In and around Arco (96 m) there are plenty of walls: those of the castle, a few hundred years old, and the indestructible sunlit slabs at Colodri and Monte Colt, which have established the place's reputation as a climbing paradise. A three-kilometer-long ridge, falling off steeply over vertical cliffs, borders the Sarca Valley on its west side. The castle of Arco sits on the southernmost peak; to the north, the ridge descends toward the village of Ceniga (113 m). The highest point is Monte Colt (434 m), with the cross-adorned Colodri (370 m) offering a particularly beautiful viewpoint. The castle, so picturesquely built on its rocks, which inspired Dürer to pick up his sketchpad in 1495, has been extensively restored in recent years and is once more accessible to the public (April to September 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., October to March 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.). Initial fortifications here likely date back to the Migration Period. In the Middle Ages, the castle, from which Arco (arx = fortress) takes its name, was greatly expanded and considered impregnable. During the War of the Spanish Succession, however, the fortress had to surrender following a siege by the French Marshal Vendôme and was partly blown up afterward. Subsequently, the structure gradually fell into disrepair. On the ascent to the castle, intriguing views down onto the roofs of Arco offer themselves; the historic old town clings tightly to the fortress rock with its narrow alleys. Not to be missed is the far too large parish church, the Collegiata, which nearly overwhelms the main square. Next to it, the Palazzo Marchetti with its original chimneys appears almost delicate.