Experience the Magic of a Night in Sirmione on Lake Garda
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The tiny town of Sirmione on Lake Garda in northern Italy is truly magical. Stay overnight and you’ll have the stone-arched streets and cypress-dotted parks to yourself.
I spent 21 hours there in April and loved every minute of it.
Where is Sirmione?
Located at the south end of Lake Garda, cute-as-a-button Sirmione occupies the very tippy tip of a long peninsula jutting into the lake. Lake Garda is new to us and it certainly lives up to its reputation as one of Italy’s premier lakes. It is also the biggest lake in a country that has a lot of lakes.
Later in our trip, we plan to tour the lakes west of Milan—Como, Maggiore, Lugano—but at this point, Lake Garda’s location en route to Venice makes for a perfect stop.
Arriving in Sirmione
We drove up the peninsula toward the old town of Sirmione and sensibly snagged a parking place alongside the lake which at three o’clock in the afternoon was an unearthly shade of turquoise blue. Even in the tropics, I’ve never seen a color like it. A strong wind was sweeping the lake into a riot of whitecaps that splashed sparkling billows of water against the shore.
We walked to the harbor and crossed the bridge under the shadow of Sirmione’s iconic castle. With its square towers with crenelated tops, the castle resembled exactly the kind of castle a child would draw.
Visitors packed the streets of the old town. If it was this crowded in April, I’d hate to see what it looked like in the summer. I had read that summer crowds could make Sirmione almost impossible to visit. Fortunately, while large, the crowds were not ridiculous. We easily navigated our way past souvenir shops and gelato places (note to self – return after dinner) to find the Villa Flaminia.
Villa Flaminia
The three-storey Villa Flaminia had old-world elegance and, although gorgeously situated right on the lake, was not unreasonably priced at around 200 euros for the night. A highlight was the terrace that jutted out into the lake. In summer, you could jump right in for a swim. Although the sun was warm in April, no one was swimming so I presumed the water was not yet toasty enough.
After checking into the Villa Flaminia, we returned to our car and moved it to a gated parking lot. From there, we and our luggage rode a golf cart back into the town. Very efficient!
Here’s a view of the Villa Flaminia from Lake Garda–snapped the next day while on our Lake Garda boat tour.
Wandering Around Sirmione
After getting settled in our lovely, high-ceilinged room, we went out in search of a quick sandwich to stave off hunger (having not had much lunch). Gregg then returned to the room to recover from the six-hour drive from the French Alps and I did my favorite thing when first arriving in a new place—wandering. I set off through the old town to see what was at the end of the peninsula.
My walk took me past a number of interesting shops. The usual tourist dreck packed a few of them, but several sold really nice-looking items. I stopped to covet a lemon-patterned salad bowl with matching salad tongs. If they could ship it to Canada, I just might buy it. Unfortunately, they didn’t offer shipping to Canada, so I made do buying a ceramic lemon to put on my desk to remind me of Sirmione.
Maria Callas
The shops soon gave way to ever larger villas, including the Termi di Catulla where I found a plaque honoring Maria Callas, the great opera singer. I’d recently finished reading Diva by British author Daisy Goodwin about Callas’s life and had interviewed Daisy for The Art In Fiction Podcast a few weeks later, so I knew that Callas had once lived in Sirmione. Inside the hotel was a small display of some of her costumes and jewelry.
After admiring the Callas display, I carried on past Maria Callas Park to walk to the Grotto Cattalus. Along the way, I enjoyed stunning views of stately cypresses, snow-dusted mountains, and wind-whipped waves. I was smitten.
Dinner in Sirmione
Dinner that evening was a charming and tasty affair. The wind was sending cutlery and napkins on the outdoor tables flying, so we opted to sit inside. Also, the evening air in April was not warm even though daytime temperatures had been comfortable.
I ordered a shrimp tagliatelle that came with a sauce I’d be happy to marry. Service was efficient and unsmiling. I got the impression that the staff were weary after a long day of serving tourists. Can’t say I blamed them!
I snapped this photo of the setting sun as seen from the piazza just outside the restaurant.
Evening Walk in Sirmione
After dinner, we scurried back to our hotel to replace my optimistic capris and sandals with long pants, socks, shoes, and a jacket, then ventured out for an evening amble and to enjoy the glorious sunset over Lake Garda. Most of the tourists had disappeared, and we had the streets to ourselves. We walked as far as the Termi di Catullo to admire the Maria Callas plaque, then returned to our warm hotel room for the night.
Maria Callas was not the only famous person to maintain a villa in Sirmione. Former residents include writers Ezra Pound, James Joyce, Aldous Huxley, Tennyson and Goethe. Churchill also hung out for a while in Sirmione.
A Morning in Sirmione
The next morning, we decided to enjoy Sirmione right until the noon checkout when the golf cart was scheduled to arrive at the hotel to take us back to our parking place. The day dawned clear and warm—the complete opposite to the cloudy and chilly weather predicted on my phone.
After breakfast, we sauntered out into the still empty streets and strolled all the way up the peninsula en route to visit the Grottoes of Catallus.
Villa of Maria Callus
On our way, we passed the beautiful yellow villa that Maria Callas had lived in with her husband. What a place! Imagine being her neighbor back in the day and hearing her voice soaring out over the pines as she practiced her arias for a performance at La Scala in Milan, a few hours away. Talk about magical!
Grottoes of Catallus
The grottoes turned out to be a Roman villa built between the end of the 1st century BCE and the beginning of the 1st century CE. The ruins were rediscovered in the 15th century and at first resembled caves, hence the name “grottoes.” Over the centuries, archaeologists slowly unearthed a remarkable complex that must have been a Roman billionaire’s dream palace.
The grottoes were named after the poet Catallus because his poems had just been rediscovered around the time the grottoes/villa was found. In his 31st poem, Catallus described love of his beloved house in Sirmione. He wrote: Sirmio, jewel of islands, jewel of peninsulas, with what joy, what pleasure I gaze at you“.
Despite his raving about the place, there is no evidence linking Catallus to this particular villa, mostly because he died before it was built.
Anyway, the name stuck, and wow—the site is definitely worth a visit. The villa is situated on a promontory at the very top of the peninsula with stunning views of the lake and mountains On a warm and breezy April day with few other tourists around, the leisurely ramble among olive groves atop the ruins was an artsy traveler’s dream come true.
Video of the Panorama
Here’s a video that captures the sublime view above the Roman ruins.
We happily snapped many photos, then descended to the museum. Unfortunately, several school groups had just arrived, and despite the many attempts of shushing by the teachers, filled the small space with their chatter. How wonderful it must be to grow up in a country where school outings took you to a Roman villa! One little girl looked up at us as we passed and cheerfully wished us buon giorno.
We did a quick walk through the museum. It was small but filled with some good-looking frescoes and various finds from the archaeological dig.
Don’t Miss the Shuttle!
After our visit, we opted to catch the little shuttle that ferried visitors from the site back to the Termi di Catullo for a mere €1.20 each.
Our next stop—a lake cruise!
Cruise on Lake Garda
I’m a big fan of the Get Your Guide website that in my experience has always delivered excellent tours. I’ve booked through them several times and have yet to be disappointed. Our 25-minute boat tour around Sirmione was no exception.
We walked out to the tiny harbor at the foot of the castle and easily found the blue umbrella at the Lake Garda Tours kiosk. At the time of our visit, two tours were available—at 11 am and 5 pm. I’d booked the earlier tour the night before. We quickly checked in and promptly at 11 am, about 15 of us were taken to a spacious open boat with comfortable seating that ensured spectacular views of the lake and Sirmione.
Enjoying the Cruise
The tour really was delightful. We motored up the west side of the peninsula past the Villa Flaminia and many other gorgeous villas. The guide pointed out Maria Callas’s distinctive yellow villa that we’d seen earlier that morning.
Here’s a video taken from the boat.
We rounded the top of the peninsula and enjoyed the view of the impressive ruins at the Grottoes of Catallus that we’d just toured.
On our way down the east side of the peninsula, the skipper stopped the boat and pointed out the bubbles in the water. Apparently, they were the result of hot springs far below, gurgling away at 70 degrees centigrade which is pretty darned hot. One of the reasons that Sirmione has been so popular over the millennia is the thermal hot springs. Imagine all those retired Roman generals coming here to soothe their battle-wearied bones.
At the end of the tour, we all bent very low to cruise beneath a small bridge connecting the old town and castle area to the rest of the peninsula. The whole experience was thoroughly enjoyable on a breezy and bright April day. Highly recommended!
Farewell to Sirmione
After the cruise, we ducked around the crowds to return to the Villa Flaminia where, precisely at noon as booked, the golf cart rounded the corner into the Piazza Flaminia. Moments later, we and our luggage were loaded aboard and off we went to where we’d parked the car.
Our visit to Sirmione had been short but definitely worthwhile. I’d like to return in the summer when swimming in the lake is allegedly fantastic, although the crowds in the old town are even denser. However, even in summer, if you stay overnight you’ll likely have the streets to yourself in the evening and early morning, which more than makes up for having to dodge fellow tourists during the busy midday hours.
Choosing a Place to Stay in Sirmione
Sirmione has plenty of hotels to choose from. You can sleep in the old town like we did (recommended), choose a place along the lake shore that stretches either side of the peninsula, or select one of the many hotels located on the long road that bisects the peninsula to end at the bridge leading to the old town.
Most of hotels in the old town are pretty pricey, with rates at some of the five-star villas stratospheric. Here are some options:
Parking Considerations
If you choose a hotel outside the old town, you’ll either need to walk a long way or drive to the parking lots outside the walls that I should imagine in summer fill up very fast. Even in April, we had to park quite a long way from the entrance to the old town.
I’m so glad we chose a place in the old town. The Villa Flaminia offered parking for an extra 16 euros in a lot outside the old town and as mentioned, threw in transport via golf cart from the car park to the hotel. Before you book, check the parking situation. You definitely don’t want to book a hotel that requires you to drive into the old town. I felt sorry for the people inching their cars through the extremely narrow streets en route to their hotels.
Other Tours Around Sirmione
As mentioned, I’m a big fan of Get Your Guide tours. I’ve consistently found them to be good value for money, and have taken them in Rome, Venice, Paris, Madrid, and now Sirmione. Here are links to more Get Your Guide tours from Sirmione. Full disclosure: If you click on a Get Your Guide link and purchase a tour (any tour), I receive a small commission. Thank you.
Conclusion
Have you visited Sirmione? Where did you stay? What did you do? Share any information that may interest other artsy travelers in the comments below.