Sirmione

June, September and early October give warm weather with fewer crowds than midsummer. July and August are hot and humid, and the old town is very busy, especially at weekends. Spring is mild but often rainy. Winter is cool and grey, and some hotels and restaurants close until spring.

For a special date, plan around the Mille Miglia, the famous classic car race. It passes through Sirmione each year in June.

Scaliger Castle guards the only entrance to the old town. It is surrounded by water and keeps a rare fortified harbour inside its walls. Climb the walls and the main tower for the best views over the rooftops and the lake.

Grottoes of Catullus are the ruins of a huge Roman villa at the tip of the peninsula. Paths lead through arches and olive groves to cliff-top views, and a small museum shows finds from the site.

Jamaica Beach lies below the Roman ruins. Instead of sand, it has smooth slabs of pale rock in shallow, light-blue water, and entry is free.

Chiesa di San Pietro in Mavino stands on the highest point of the peninsula, among cypresses and olive trees. It is the oldest church in Sirmione, and its walls keep frescoes from 1321.

Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore is the 15th-century parish church, set right by the lake. Look for the portico with five arches in front of the entrance.

Aquaria is the town's thermal spa. Its warm pools use the local sulphurous water, and an infinity pool looks out over the lake.

Lido delle Bionde is a free beach in a small cove on the east shore, with a jetty and a bar. It is a quieter place to swim than the old town shore.

Most of what makes Sirmione special happens on or in the water.

• Circle the peninsula by boat: Small motorboats leave from the jetties near the castle for a short tour around the tip. You pass the Roman ruins, the rock slabs and the villa where Maria Callas lived.
• Soak in thermal water: Spend a few hours in the warm sulphurous pools at Aquaria. An evening ticket is a good way to end a hot day. Book online in advance.
• Swim from the rock slabs: Go to Jamaica Beach early on a summer morning, before the crowds arrive. Bring water shoes, because the rocks are slippery.

The southern shore of the lake is full of easy trips, and Verona and Mantua are close enough for a day.

• Desenzano del Garda — about 20 minutes by boat or 15 minutes by bus. A lively lakeside town with a harbour, a castle and a Roman villa with fine floor mosaics.
• Peschiera del Garda — about 15 minutes by car or bus. The old town sits inside star-shaped Venetian fortress walls, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Lazise — about 25 minutes by car, or longer by boat. A small walled village on the Veneto shore, with a castle and a lakeside promenade.
• Borghetto — about 25 minutes by car. A tiny medieval village of water mills on the Mincio river, in the municipality of Valeggio sul Mincio. The area is famous for handmade tortellini.
• Verona — about 40 minutes by car, or by bus and train via Desenzano or Peschiera. See the Roman Arena, where an opera festival runs every summer, and the old town on the river.
• Mantua — about 1 hour by car. A quiet Renaissance city of lakes and palaces, listed by UNESCO.
• Malcesine — about 1 hour 15 minutes by car along the east shore. A castle above the water and a cable car up Monte Baldo for mountain views over the whole lake.

Lake Garda has its own guide, with the whole lake and all its shores.

Nearby on the lake, Desenzano del Garda and Peschiera del Garda are the closest towns. Further north on the west shore are Salò, Gardone Riviera and Limone sul Garda. On the east shore, Malcesine sits below Monte Baldo.

For city breaks, Verona and Brescia are both under an hour away. Bergamo and Milan are a short train ride further west. Other lakes in the region include Lake Iseo and Lake Como.

• By air: Verona Villafranca Airport (VRN) is the closest, about 40 minutes by car or taxi. By public transport, take the airport bus to Verona Porta Nuova station, then a train and a local bus. Milan Bergamo Airport (BGY) is about 1 hour 25 minutes by car. Verona Airport
• By train: Sirmione has no station. The nearest are Desenzano del Garda and Peschiera del Garda, on the Milan–Venice line. Regional and some high-speed trains stop at both. From Milan to Desenzano takes about 50 minutes by fast train or about 1 hour 20 minutes by regional train. Verona is about 15–25 minutes away. From either station, take a bus or taxi to Sirmione. Trenitalia
• By bus: Arriva line LN026 runs between Brescia and Verona and stops in Sirmione. It leaves directly from Verona Porta Nuova station. FlixBus also serves the town. Arriva Brescia
• By boat: Public ferries link Sirmione with Desenzano del Garda (about 20 minutes), Peschiera del Garda and other lake towns. Services are frequent from spring to autumn and reduced in winter. Navigazione Laghi
• By car: Leave the A4 motorway at the Sirmione exit. See the driving section for parking, because the old town is closed to most traffic.

• On foot: The old town is small and car-free. The walk from the castle to the Roman villa at the tip takes about 20 minutes, mostly on a gentle slope.
• Shuttle bus: From April to October, a shuttle bus runs from the Colombare car parks to the old town. Buy tickets in the Arriva app, at machines at the main stops, or on board at a higher fare. On the shuttle you can also tap a contactless bank card or phone on the validator. Sirmione public transport
• Cycling: A lakeside promenade links the old town with Colombare and Lugana and is good for an easy ride. Do not cycle in the crowded old-town lanes.

• Is a car worth it?: Not for the old town, which you explore on foot. A car is useful for wineries and lake towns that boats and buses serve less often.
• Parking: The main car park for visitors is Piazzale Monte Baldo, just before the old town. In summer, the Colombare car parks are a calmer option, with a shuttle bus to the castle. Expect to pay, and the SirmioPark website shows free spaces in real time.
• Restrictions: The old town is a limited traffic zone (ZTL). Only vehicles registered in advance may enter, such as cars of guests at hotels inside the walls. On some busy days the centre is closed to all traffic in the afternoon. Ask your hotel to register your car before you arrive.
• Traffic: The single road onto the peninsula gets jammed on summer weekends. Arrive early or come by boat.

Look for fish from the lake, such as whitefish (lavarello) and trout, often grilled or served with pasta. Garda olive oil is light and mild. The local white wine is Lugana, made from vineyards on the clay soils just south of the peninsula. Tortellini from nearby Valeggio sul Mincio appear on many menus.

Restaurants in the old-town lanes are busy and often expensive for what they serve. For better value, eat in Colombare or Lugana, just outside the old town, or at a wine estate in the Lugana countryside.

Sirmione is very safe. The main risk is pickpockets in the crowded lanes and around the drawbridge on summer days, so keep bags closed and phones out of back pockets.

When swimming, the rock slabs at the tip are slippery and the lake bed can drop quickly. Stay inside the buoyed swimming areas, because motorboats pass close to the shore. In July and August, carry water and avoid long walks in the midday heat. Mosquitoes are common on summer evenings near the water.

The Romans called the peninsula Sirmio. The poet Catullus, born in nearby Verona, praised it in his verses, and his family owned a villa here. The great villa at Grottoes of Catullus was built around the end of the 1st century BC. It is named after him, although no proof links him to this building.

In the 8th century, under the Lombards, Sirmione was an important local centre. Chiesa di San Pietro in Mavino dates from this time and is still the town's oldest church. The della Scala family, lords of Verona, began building Scaliger Castle in 1277 to control the lake. The small church of Church of Sant'Anna della Rocca stands beside the castle, at the old gate to the town.

Venice ruled Sirmione from 1405 to 1797, followed by Austria, before it became part of Italy in the 19th century. Later, the hot spring in the lake bed was piped ashore, and Sirmione grew into a spa town. In the 1950s, Maria Callas owned a villa here, and the town still celebrates her memory.

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