A day in Sirmione

 

The first time I visited Sirmione was during June 2020, during Covid, so this post today will mostly describe my second visit on 28th October 2023, much more representative in terms of crowds.

Sirmione is a tiny village with a castle bigger than you’d expect on a narrow promontory on the southern shores of Lake Garda. It’s famous for the narrow streets with gelaterie full of outsized gelati, the thermal baths of Catullo and the ruins of the Roman villa called Grotte di Catullo.

It’s no surprise that Sirmione attracts hordes of visitors. It’s in the middle of the densely populated area between Milan and Venice and an ideal day trip for local people, and on Lake Garda which is a major attraction for Italians and foreign tourists. However, especially since I pride myself on visiting popular destinations as well, but in low season, I was not expecting to find so many people on a average weekday at the end of October.

I also found one of the very few free parking spaces along the western side of the promontory just before the castle, just to prove that surprises are not always negative.

Sirmione is pretty, picturesque, almost too good to be true as soon as you walk over the drawbridge and through its ancient gates. We avoid the crowds by heading off to the right towards Spiaggia del Prete after the castle and walking all along the eastern side of the promontory. It’s very pleasant here, right by the water, a nice place to stroll. We then go up through the gardens of the Tomelleri public park to the Grotte di Catullo – the ruins of a Roman villa built between the end of the 1st century BC and the 2nd century AD. So why are they called grottoes? Because by the 15th century the ruins were covered in vegetation and so local people and travellers thought they were natural caves. It’s earlyish morning so there’s no queue to access the area. Many people walk as far as the tip of the peninsula but don’t actually go into the archaeological area. The alternative is a bar just below.

Once inside, first, we look at the archaeological museum but the nicest part of the visit is wandering the olive groves with views of the ruins, and the lake in the background. There are fine opportunities for photos. Such as from the trifora del paradiso, although the day is a little misty. 

The foundations of the ancient villa have been restored and form the Grande Criptoportico.  But more than an archaeological area, it’s a place for enjoying nature and the olive groves. By the time we’ve parked, walked as far the Grottoes and visited the area, it’s getting on for lunchtime.

We investigated options for eating in Simione, but we’re not really ice-cream or expensive restaurant or sandwich people (yes, we’re difficult) so while back in 2020 we picnicked in the Tomelleri public park, this time we relinquish our free parking space to go and eat a Pranzo di Lavoro in nearby Rivoltella where the food is more genuine, cheaper, and yes, well, just more for the money. When we come back in the afternoon, we don’t expect the luck of finding a free parking space a second time, but we do, best not to buy a lottery ticket that day because I think our ‘luck of the day’ is all used up.

In the afternoon we visit the Chiesa di San Pietro in Mavino and then on the way back, taking the back street (there’s only a choice of two!) as much as possible but still finding it difficult to proceed due to the amount of people, we stop to visit the Castle, which is both impressive, if you consider the size of Sirmione, and nothing much, if you consider it’s just some walls and a tiny harbour. Nevertheless, the views are nice. 

So the verdict on Sirmione? Yes, it’s nice, as much for the nature – the olive groves with the lake on either side and the park, more than the tiny and overcrowded historical centre with overpriced but photogenic ice-cream. But best not at the weekend or during high season…….