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I nostri consigli da local per scoprire il territorio partendo dal nostro hotel a Lugana di Sirmione Sirmione, perla del Lago di Garda come viene definita dal poeta latino Catullo, offre ai visitatori una combinazione unica di bellezze naturali, storia millenaria e cultura affascinante. Ecco una selezione di alcune attrazioni imperdibili che renderanno indimenticabile il vostro soggiorno.

This imposing 13th-century fortress, surrounded by the waters of the lake, is one of the best-preserved examples of a lakeside castle in Italy. The peculiarity is that the village of Sirmione extends right past the drawbridge at the entrance to the castle, thus making Sirmione an island in the past. Its crenellated towers and the drawbridge offer a breathtaking panoramic view of the Sirmione peninsula.
Not to be forgotten: a visit to the ancient church of Sant’Anna al ponte, the mother of Mary, right at the entrance to the bridge. Here, merchants who entered the peninsula in the Middle Ages used to stop for a few moments for a prayer, trying to make trade propitious. The church inside is baroque with two 16th-century frescoes made by local artists: they depict Santa Lucia holding her eyes on a saucer and Sans’Alò, protector of markets and trade.

At the end of the peninsula that extends into Lake Garda are the remains of a large Roman villa from the 1st century AD, mistakenly attributed to the poet Catullus (a villa earlier than the one visible today probably actually belonged to the poet’s Veronese family). This archaeological site, surrounded by centuries-old olive groves, bears witness to the grandeur of Roman architecture on Lake Garda and offers suggestive views of the lake.
Not to be forgotten: the observation of the underground cistern in the center of the olive grove, made with a stone that allowed the water to drain so as to collect as much water as possible to feed the thermal system present in the villa – in fact, the water was not taken from the thermal source about 200m from the coast in the Lido delle Bionde area; the thermal water in Sirmione was discovered much later in 1900 when the diver Palumbo cooked some eggs during a dive to demonstrate the temperature at which the water came out.

Situated on one of the three hills of the peninsula, this church dating back to the 8th century is surrounded by vineyards and olive groves and a Lombard cemetery that is now invisible. Inside you can admire frescoes dating from the 12th to the 16th century, while the Romanesque bell tower, built in 1070, adds a further touch of historical charm.
Don’t forget: head towards the high altar, on the left there is a panel of frescoes torn from the wall. Where Saint Michael, the warrior saint, is depicted, against the light you can see some signatures: they are ancient and date back to the passage of the Lanzichenecchi. On the wall on the right instead, in another fresco torn from the wall, there is a rare representation of Saint Anna Metterza, depicting the three generations: Saint Anna, mother of Mary, the Madonna, who in turn holds baby Jesus in her arms.

Also known as Santa Maria Maggiore, this 15th-century church stands in the heart of the historic center. The terracotta façade and five-arched portico lead to an interior full of votive frescoes and wooden works, including a rare wooden statue of the Madonna enthroned that is said to have been miraculously found in the waters of Lake Garda in front of Sirmione. The interior frescoes all date back to the 16th century and were created by local Lombard-Venetian craftsmen.
Don’t forget: at the entrance on the right, after a few steps, you will find two important figures. The lion of San Marco with its waving tail pointing upwards, a symbol of the stable relations between Sirmione and the Republic of Venice; a little further on, a giant human figure fills the entire wall: it is San Cristoforo, from the Greek “bearer of Christ” who is depicted small on his shoulders, thus making him cross the waters (the word pesce in ancient Greek is in fact the anagram of the name of Christ) full of fish, without difficulty. Saint Christopher was also the saint of the “good death” that everyone ingratiated themselves with first upon entering the church, which is why he was the most visible saint of all.

This unique beach, characterized by slabs of limestone rock that emerge from the crystalline water of Lake Garda, offers an out of the ordinary bathing experience. An ideal place to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of the lake. It is a swimming spot without services: it is therefore advisable to bring everything you need and to pay attention to the seabed that can suddenly become deep. The name Jamaica was given by the locals for the particularly clean and crystalline waters reminiscent of those of the Caribbean. In periods when the lake is low, it is possible to walk along the beach thus doubling the Sirmione peninsula at the point where it extends most into the lake.
Don’t forget: to get to this point you can walk along a path directly on the lakeside, very beautiful and relaxing. You will reach a technical plant of the Sirmione spa under which there is a small terminal basin of water with the classic smell of sulfur. Although hordes of tourists bathe here believing they have found the natural origin of Sirmione’s hot water, in reality it is a waste water from the spa itself.

The summer residence of the famous soprano Maria Callas in the 1950s, this elegant villa represents a piece of musical and local history. Although not open to the public, its façade and surrounding gardens evoke the charm of a bygone era. Legend has it that Callas, in love with Sirmione and its lake, wanted to build a swimming pool in the shape of Lake Garda.

Starting from “La Fenice”, after having enjoyed a good coffee by the lake or after a tasty meal at our Bistrot, we recommend two interesting routes for a simple but relaxing walk:

• Direction Peschiera: the fisherman’s house
• Direction Sirmione: historic center

Looking at La Fenice, head towards Peschiera, then right, passing behind the church of Santa Maria di Lugana and continuing along the lake. 

It is a completely pedestrian area that runs along the lake shore, recently renovated. For any small children it is good to pay attention to the fact that it is possible to get access directly to the lake without barriers. 

This walk is also great with pets.

Continue towards Peschiera passing on the wooden piers, the first and longest one crossing a reed bed (look to the left and take a photo on sunny days!), the second and shorter one crossing a “Ganfo”, which is one of the water opening into the lake from inland.

At this point you will find a house entirely painted by some street artists, created thanks to a project in cooperation with the municipality of Sirmione. We continue along the walk dedicated to Margherita Hack (perhaps because in the evening, without street lights, from here you can enjoy a beautiful starry sky, crowned by small lights on the opposite coast of the lake). At the end of this avenue, which has a large green park on the right and the lake on the left, there is the fisherman’s house.

The fisherman’s house is a magical and little-known place in the municipality of Sirmione; recently inaugurated after a deep renovation, to make it a museum open to the public, the house can be visited in the morning and contains historical evidence of one of the most practiced activities in Sirmione in the last century: the fishing. Through the words of a fisherman we retrace the daily life of the house that actually belonged to a local fisherman.

Inside you can find more details for the visit. In addition to the historical interest, from here you can enjoy an exceptional view of the Sirmione peninsula: the colors of the lake and the nature of this corner of the world can provide the necessary relaxation after a long week of work. There is no shortage of benches for short breaks, all overlooking the lake.

If you want to continue further, you will find a public pier on the left that leads through the reed bed towards the lake, from here you can take beautiful photos or relax for a few minutes in the peace of nature.

The walk is approximately 2-3 kilometers long.

Looking at La Fenice, in this case instead we proceed to the left towards Sirmione. The first part of this walk includes a pavement intended for pedestrians and bicycles, but once you have passed the Migross supermarket, which remains on the left, you can take a pedestrian street on the right which runs directly along the coast.

It is right here that you can make a first stop and read the curious panel that tells of the prehistoric stilt houses, a UNESCO heritage site, which were found on the lakebed of the Lugana Vecchia area and today still there protected lie.

Continuing along the lake you will reach Porto Galeazzi, a small port that connects the pedestrian street with the road for cars that leads directly to the peninsula in the direction of Sirmione. At this point the road towards the castle became the only one available but constantly equipped with a pavement enabling people to reach the historic center on foot.

Continuing in this direction you will find on the right a small clearing where you can relax for a few minutes with some benches overlooking the lake and a century-old plant recognized with a plaque from the municipality of Sirmione. From here the center is no longer far away and to enter the historicity of this place it is necessary to cross the ancient drawbridge of Sirmione scaliger castle and immerse yourself in a medieval atmosphere.

We recommend avoiding the central road of the town bordered by very touristic places and taking an immediate right going around the castle (which is still worth a visit, even if the interior is empty, for a photo up from above the main tower which shows the peninsula and the ancient dock). From here, Via Antiche Mura shows the first houses built in the village, fishermen’s houses near the castle dock, which date back to the Middle Ages.

Continuing slightly uphill you arrive at the church of Santa Maria della Neve, which we recommend visiting for the sixteenth-century frescoes it preserves, created by Lombard-Venetian painters. If you then pass behind the church, you will notice on the right a beautiful little lakeside garden of the parish, ideal for a souvenir photo. Continuing the road, it opens onto a small clearing with a particular signboard: obligation to give a kiss with truly breathtaking scenery!

Then, taking the stairs, you go down to “Spiaggia delle Muse” and from there a walk by the lake takes you to Lido delle Bionde, one of the most beautiful panoramic points of Sirmione. From here you can continue your walk climbing the hill towards the Grotte di Catullo.

You can then choose to visit this ancient Roman archaeological site with a 360° view of the lake and the century-old olive groves, or go down the main road which connects to the historic center along its main (and more touristic and chaotic) street. In this case the journey from the Fenice is quite long: to get to the castle it is about 3-4 kilometers one way, excluding the route within the village walls.