Gardone Riviera
Western shore
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Western shore · Lombardy
Best Things to Do in Toscolano Maderno
A valley of ruined paper mills, the widest beaches on the west shore and the car ferry across
Toscolano Maderno is two villages joined by the delta of the Toscolano river, which over the centuries pushed a broad, flat promontory out into the lake. That flat land is why the town has the widest beaches on the western shore, a golf course, campsites and more lawn than anywhere else this side of the water. Maderno has the ferry landing, the Romanesque church and the livelier lakefront; Toscolano has the parish church, the Roman villa remains and the mouth of the Valle delle Cartiere, where paper was made from the 14th century until the 1960s.
It is our pick on the western shore for families and anyone who wants to swim, walk and take the car ferry across to the eastern shore without a two-hour drive round. It is less polished than Gardone Riviera next door, which is part of the appeal. This guide covers the paper mill valley, the beaches, the ferry, where we eat and how to get there.
Things to do in Toscolano Maderno
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01 Outdoors
Walk the Valle delle Cartiere
- Path starts on Via Valle delle Cartiere, Toscolano
- 2–3 hours
- Free
The gorge of the Toscolano river behind the town was one of the most important paper-making centres in Europe from the 1300s onwards, and the valley is now an open-air museum of ruined mills, chimneys, old workers’ houses and tunnels cut through the rock. A well-kept path follows the river from the edge of Toscolano up past the museum at Maina Inferiore to the abandoned hamlets further up, and it is shaded and cool even in August. The first stretch is flat enough for pushchairs; beyond the museum it gets rougher. Note that the valley is closed to walkers and vehicles when it rains, so pick a dry day.
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02 Culture & history
Visit the Museo della Carta at Maina Inferiore
- Maina Inferiore, Valle delle Cartiere
- 1 hour
- A few euros
The paper museum is housed in a restored 15th-century mill about half an hour’s walk up the valley, and it does a good job of explaining how rags became sheets, with working vats, moulds and presses and a demonstration of hand-made paper you can try yourself. Kids get to make a sheet to take home. It opens from spring to autumn and is closed on some weekdays outside summer, so check before you set off.
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03 Beach & lake
Spend a day on the promontory beaches
- Either side of the river mouth and along the Maderno lungolago
- A day
- Free (sunbeds €10–20)
The flat delta between Toscolano and Maderno gives the town a run of wide pebble beaches backed by lawns and trees, with room to spread out even in August and water that shelves gently for children. There are free stretches on both sides of the river mouth and a lido at Maderno with sunbeds, showers and a bar. The afternoon sun stays on this shore until late, which the eastern shore beaches cannot match. We rank the best in our guide to Lake Garda beaches.
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04 Beach & lake
Take the car ferry across to Torri del Benaco
- Car ferry landing, Maderno lakefront
- 30 minutes each way
- Foot passengers €7.50; car with driver €12.30 one way (2026)
Maderno is one end of the mid-lake car ferry, which crosses to Torri del Benaco on the eastern shore in about half an hour, roughly every 35 to 40 minutes on the summer timetable. It saves a long drive round the southern end of the lake, and even without a car it is the cheapest boat ride on Garda with a proper open deck. Torri has a Scaliger castle, an old harbour and a lemon house; our guide to Torri del Benaco has the details.
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05 Culture & history
Step inside the Romanesque church of Sant'Andrea
- Piazza San Marco, Maderno
- 20 minutes
- Free
Maderno’s 12th-century church on Piazza San Marco is one of the best Romanesque buildings on the lake, built partly from reused Roman stone with a striped façade, carved capitals and a lion-flanked portal. Inside it is plain and cool, with a painting attributed to Paolo Veneziano. It sits a few steps from the ferry landing, so it is easy to fit in while you wait for a boat.
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06 Sightseeing
See the Roman villa and the Celesti paintings in Toscolano
- Piazza della Chiesa, Toscolano
- 45 minutes
- Free
Toscolano was a Roman settlement long before it made paper, and the remains of a large lakeside villa with mosaic floors sit beside the parish church of Santi Pietro e Paolo. The church itself is worth the stop for its cycle of huge canvases by the Venetian painter Andrea Celesti, who lived in Toscolano in the late 1600s and left his best work here. The villa has limited opening hours in season; the church is open most mornings.
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07 Outdoors
Play a round at Golf Bogliaco
- Via del Golf, Toscolano Maderno
- Half a day
- €50–80 green fee
The oldest golf club on Lake Garda opened in 1912 on the flat land behind the promontory and is now an 18-hole course with olive trees between the fairways and the lake in view from most of them. It is not long or difficult, which makes it a pleasant holiday round, and green fees are reasonable compared with courses near Verona. Visitors are welcome with a handicap certificate; book a tee time in summer.
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08 Food & wine
Eat whitefish and casoncelli in Maderno
- Piazza San Marco and the Maderno lungolago
- 2 hours
- €20–40 per person
Maderno’s lakefront and the streets around Piazza San Marco have a good spread of family trattorias and pizzerias, most of them cheaper than in Gardone or Salò, serving grilled lavarello, lake sardines with polenta and Brescian casoncelli with butter and sage. For something more rustic, the agriturismi in the hamlets of Gaino and Cecina above the town do spiedo on Sundays. Our favourites around the lake are in our pick of the best Lake Garda restaurants.
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09 Markets & shopping
Browse the Thursday market on the Maderno lakefront
- Maderno lungolago and Piazza San Marco
- Morning
- Free
Thursday morning is market day, when stalls line the lungolago and the streets by the ferry landing with cheese, salumi, fruit, olive oil, clothes and beach kit. It is smaller than the Saturday market in Salò but easier to park for and pleasant for picking up picnic supplies before a beach day. It packs up around 1pm.
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10 Family
Cycle the flat lakeside between Maderno and Toscolano
- Maderno lungolago to the Toscolano promontory
- 1–2 hours
- Bike hire €15–30 a day
The promontory is one of the few places on the western shore where you can ride a bike on the flat: from the Maderno ferry landing along the lungolago, across the river and round the campsites and beaches of Toscolano, with barely a hill. Bike hire is available in Maderno and most campsites rent them. For longer rides, the climb to the villages above is a favourite with road cyclists; see our guide to the best Lake Garda bike rides.
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11 Outdoors
Hike to the hamlets of Gaino and Cecina
- Paths start from the upper edge of Toscolano
- 2–3 hours
- Free
A network of marked paths climbs from Toscolano through olive terraces to the stone hamlets of Gaino and Cecina at around 300 metres, with views across the delta to Monte Baldo. It is a steady, mostly shaded walk of two to three hours as a loop, and a good half-day alternative to the paper mill valley. Serious walkers can keep going from Gaino towards Monte Pizzocolo, the 1,581-metre peak that dominates this stretch of shore; that is a full day out. More routes in our guide to the best Lake Garda walks.
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12 Evening
Aperitivo on Piazza San Marco as the ferries come in
- Piazza San Marco, Maderno
- 1–2 hours
- €4–8 a drink
Maderno’s square opens straight onto the lake by the ferry landing, and the bars around it put tables out from about 6pm. Order a spritz or a glass of Groppello from the Valtenesi, watch the car ferry unload and the eastern shore go pink, then walk the lungolago while the light fades. It is low-key rather than lively, which suits the town. For livelier evenings, Salò is ten minutes away; see our guide to the best Lake Garda bars.
Our picks in Toscolano Maderno
Places in Toscolano Maderno that made our ranked Lake Garda guides.
Getting there
By car
We follow the SS45bis Gardesana north through Salò and Gardone from the A4 Brescia Est exit, or come up from the Desenzano exit on the SS572. We found no ZTL here; parking is paid on the lakefront, so check the meters. Note that the Valle delle Cartiere is closed to walkers and vehicles when it rains. Thursday is market day on Viale Marconi.
By ferry
Maderno is the western end of the lake’s only car ferry, crossing to Torri del Benaco in about 30 minutes. The summer timetable (16 May to 4 October 2026) runs roughly every 35 to 40 minutes from 8am to 7.15pm from Maderno, and a reduced winter timetable runs from October to March. From 1 April 2026 a car up to 3.5 m with driver costs €12.30 one way (€14.90 up to 4.5 m), extra adults and foot passengers €7.50, a bicycle with rider €9.20; returns are double. Passenger boats, including some fast SR runs, also call at Maderno.
By bus and train
Arriva’s LN027 stops at Maderno (Piazza San Marco) and Toscolano (the bridge), 11 to 17 minutes from Salò bus station; the S-Link 202 from Brescia stops at both too. The nearest station is Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione on the Milan–Venice line, then R-Link 204 to Salò and change.
Checked against the operators’ own websites on 28 September 2026. Timetables and prices change every season: confirm times with Navigazione Laghi and the bus operator before you travel.
Toscolano Maderno in pictures
Good to know
Is Toscolano Maderno worth visiting?
Yes, especially if you want beaches and walks rather than boutiques. The Valle delle Cartiere is one of the most unusual walks on the lake, the beaches are the widest on the western shore, and the car ferry to Torri del Benaco puts the whole eastern shore within reach. It is a working town rather than a showpiece, which keeps prices lower than in Gardone or Salò.
Is Toscolano Maderno good for families?
It is one of the best family bases on the western shore. The beaches shelve gently and have lawns and shade, the lakefront is flat for bikes and scooters, the paper museum lets children make their own sheet, and the ferry is a treat in itself. There are several large campsites on the promontory with pools; see our pick of the best Lake Garda camping.
How many days should I spend in Toscolano Maderno?
Two or three. One day for the Valle delle Cartiere and the paper museum, one for the beach and the lakefront, and a third to take the car ferry to Torri del Benaco and explore the eastern shore or ride up Monte Baldo from Malcesine. As a base for a week it works well, with Gardone, Salò and Gargnano all within twenty minutes.
Can you visit Toscolano Maderno without a car?
Yes. The Arriva bus along the western shore stops in both villages and the Maderno pier has both the car ferry and regular passenger boats, so you can arrive by public transport from Desenzano or the eastern shore and get around by boat afterwards. The paper mill valley starts a 20-minute walk from the Toscolano bus stop, and the beaches are all on foot from the ferry.
Where are the best beaches in Toscolano Maderno?
The free pebble beaches on either side of the Toscolano river mouth are the widest and quietest, with grass behind them and space even in August. The lido along the Maderno lungolago has sunbeds, showers and a bar and is closest to the ferry and the cafés. For a shorter, prettier bay, the beaches at Gargnano are fifteen minutes north.
Where can I park in Toscolano Maderno?
Parking on the Maderno lakefront is paid, so check the meters; the bays by the ferry landing and along the lungolago are the handiest for the beaches and the square, and they turn over as ferry traffic comes and goes. For the Valle delle Cartiere, parking near the start of the path in Toscolano is limited and fills by mid-morning on summer weekends, so go early, and remember the valley is closed to walkers and vehicles when it rains.
What is the best time of year to visit Toscolano Maderno?
Late May to June and September. The lake is warm enough to swim, the paper mill valley is green and cool, the car ferry runs a full timetable and the campsites and lidos are open but not full. July and August are fine if you like a busy beach, and the valley walk is a good escape from the heat. Most of the lakefront closes down from November to March.
Is Toscolano Maderno busy in summer?
Less so than the towns either side. The beaches are wide enough to absorb August crowds, and because many visitors are campers or families the evenings are calm. The pinch points are the ferry queue on Sunday afternoons and the limited parking at the start of the Valle delle Cartiere, so go early for both. The Thursday market brings a morning of extra traffic on the lakefront.
Toscolano Maderno or Gardone Riviera, which is better?
Toscolano Maderno for beaches, families, camping and the car ferry; Gardone Riviera for gardens, grand hotels and the Vittoriale. They are ten minutes apart by bus or boat, so you can stay in one and visit the other in an afternoon. If you are choosing a hotel rather than a campsite, Gardone has more character; our guide to Gardone Riviera explains what you get.
What day trips can I do from Toscolano Maderno?
The car ferry makes Torri del Benaco, Garda and Malcesine on the eastern shore easy day trips, including the Monte Baldo cable car. Northwards the Gardesana road takes you through Gargnano to Limone in about 40 minutes, and the mountain villages of Tignale and Tremosine are a spectacular hour's loop. Southwards, Salò is 15 minutes and Sirmione about 50 minutes by car or a long ferry ride.
When is the paper museum in the Valle delle Cartiere open?
From 28 March to 11 October 2026 the Museo della Carta opens daily from 10am to 6pm, last entry 5.15pm, then weekends only from 17 October to 8 November 2026. Adult tickets are €8, reduced €6 (ages 6 to 18 and over-65s), free under 6. The valley is closed to walkers and cars when it rains.
How much does the Maderno–Torri car ferry cost?
From 1 April 2026 a car up to 3.5 m long with its driver is €12.30 one way, or €14.90 up to 4.5 m; each extra adult is €7.50 and children aged 4 to 11 €3.80. Return fares are simply double, and buying on board carries a €1 surcharge per passenger or vehicle when the ticket office is open.
Photo credits
- "L00 096 Monte Pizzocolo, Valle delle Cartiere" by Falk2, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (licence)
- "Maderno, chiesa di Sant'Andrea vecchia 01" by Syrio, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (licence)
- "Villa Romana Nonii Arrii - 1" by Mediatus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (licence)
- "Bogliaco" by Cadria, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (licence)
- "L00 099 Monte Castello di Gaino" by Falk2, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (licence)
- "Lago di Garda visto da Maderno 03" by Marchetto da Trieste, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (licence)
- "Valle delle Cartiere, chiesa dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo 03" by Syrio, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (licence)
- "Lago di Garda visto da Maderno 01" by Marchetto da Trieste, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (licence)
- "Maderno, chiesa di Sant'Andrea nuova 04" by Syrio, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (licence)
- "Lago di Garda visto da Maderno 02" by Marchetto da Trieste, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (licence)
