Sirmione
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By Dion Protani
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Latest update: 22 September 2023
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Lakeside Sirmione is one of the jewels not only of Lombardy but of the whole Lake Garda area. Located at the southern end of the lake, Sirmione is a small town that's bursting with character.
Visitors flock here not only for its thermal water but also the Castello Scaligero, also known as the Rocca Scaligera, a 13th century turreted fortress that marks the town's entrance. As far back as Roman times, Sirmione was a tourist hot-spot, evidence of which comes in the form of the Grotte di Catullo. |
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Named after the Roman poet Catullus, the Grotte di Catullo was a first century Roman villa and now a fascinating archaeological site that sits at the town's northern tip. Another, much later famous name is also synonymous with the town, the Greek-American opera singer Maria Callas used to have a villa here and there are various references to her name adorning cocktail bars, restaurants and of course the villa itself.
Sirmione lies on a thin peninsula of land which juts out from Lake Garda's southern shore, right into the heart of the lake. A road leads along the peninsula until a certain point when it reaches the Rocca Scaligera. Walk across the stone bridge of the fortress and you reach the medieval centre of the village with its pretty churches and scenic little piazzas where you can climb the castle steps to admire the views across the lake's azure blue water.
The medieval centre of Sirmione is completely pedestrianised, but car parks are situated just a short distance from the fortress. Another popular way to reach the town is via the Lake Garda Ferry system which takes you directly to the beautiful Piazza Carducci, the most important square. From Piazza Carducci you can explore the cobbled streets, climb the ramparts of the castle, or visit the pretty Chiesa Santa Maria delle Neve.
As you head further north into the centre of the lake, you may feel as if you have left the main part of the town behind but plough on from here and Sirmione takes on a completely different aspect. The buildings start to thin out and the surroundings become noticeably greener with just a sprinkling of grand villas and historic churches. As you reach the very top of the peninsula, the sight of the Grotte di Catullo overlooking the lake's shallow water just gives a hint to how glorious it must have looked back in Roman times.
There are various shingle beaches around the fringes of the peninsula, including the Lido delle Bionde and Jamaica Beach which are above and below the Grotte di Catullo. Many visitors however, come for the famous thermal water of Sirmione with the Aquaria Thermal Spa one of the town's main visitor attractions.
Whether you plan to use Sirmione as a holiday base from which to visit Lake Garda or just as a day-trip, there are plenty of things to see close by. The lake is split between Lombardy and Veneto at its southern shore (as well as Trentino Alto-Adige in its northern section), and on the Lombardy, western side of the lake the town of Desenzano del Garda is one of the most interesting. Across in Veneto on the eastern side is the town of Peschiera del Garda and the Parco Giardino Sigurtà slightly further afield.
Certainly the best airport to fly into if visiting Sirmione is Verona Airport which lies just 35 kilometres away and is reachable by car in around 45 minutes. Sirmione doesn't have its own train station; the closest nearby are Desenzano del Garda (10 km) and Peschiera del Garda (18 km), both towns of which have ferry ports allowing for access to Sirmione via the lake.
Sirmione lies on a thin peninsula of land which juts out from Lake Garda's southern shore, right into the heart of the lake. A road leads along the peninsula until a certain point when it reaches the Rocca Scaligera. Walk across the stone bridge of the fortress and you reach the medieval centre of the village with its pretty churches and scenic little piazzas where you can climb the castle steps to admire the views across the lake's azure blue water.
The medieval centre of Sirmione is completely pedestrianised, but car parks are situated just a short distance from the fortress. Another popular way to reach the town is via the Lake Garda Ferry system which takes you directly to the beautiful Piazza Carducci, the most important square. From Piazza Carducci you can explore the cobbled streets, climb the ramparts of the castle, or visit the pretty Chiesa Santa Maria delle Neve.
As you head further north into the centre of the lake, you may feel as if you have left the main part of the town behind but plough on from here and Sirmione takes on a completely different aspect. The buildings start to thin out and the surroundings become noticeably greener with just a sprinkling of grand villas and historic churches. As you reach the very top of the peninsula, the sight of the Grotte di Catullo overlooking the lake's shallow water just gives a hint to how glorious it must have looked back in Roman times.
There are various shingle beaches around the fringes of the peninsula, including the Lido delle Bionde and Jamaica Beach which are above and below the Grotte di Catullo. Many visitors however, come for the famous thermal water of Sirmione with the Aquaria Thermal Spa one of the town's main visitor attractions.
Whether you plan to use Sirmione as a holiday base from which to visit Lake Garda or just as a day-trip, there are plenty of things to see close by. The lake is split between Lombardy and Veneto at its southern shore (as well as Trentino Alto-Adige in its northern section), and on the Lombardy, western side of the lake the town of Desenzano del Garda is one of the most interesting. Across in Veneto on the eastern side is the town of Peschiera del Garda and the Parco Giardino Sigurtà slightly further afield.
Certainly the best airport to fly into if visiting Sirmione is Verona Airport which lies just 35 kilometres away and is reachable by car in around 45 minutes. Sirmione doesn't have its own train station; the closest nearby are Desenzano del Garda (10 km) and Peschiera del Garda (18 km), both towns of which have ferry ports allowing for access to Sirmione via the lake.
Comune di Sirmione
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Province: Brescia
Region: Lombardy Population: 8,257 (source: ISTAT 1 January 2023) Size: 33 km² Elevation: 68 metres Highlights: Castello Scaligero, Grotte di Catullo, Piazza Carducci Close by: Desenzano del Garda, Peschiera del Garda, Salò, Brescia Recommended accommodation: Hotel Marconi |
