Sirmione (Italy): a photo-diary

Sirmione, Italy
the Scaliger Castle in Sirmione

Sirmione is a charming little Italian town on the Lake Garda. When it’s not overrun with day-trippers it offers tranquility and spa treatments at its many hotels. The symbol of Sirmione is the Scaliger castle (13th ct). You can climb its tower to get a nice view of the Lake Garda and the entire town. Once you cross the castle’s drawbridge you enter historical Sirmione. Another noteworthy attraction is the Grottoes of Catullus, the remains of a Roman private house, the largest such uncovered in the northern Italy. This villa is mentioned in the poems of the first famous resident of Sirmione who lived there in 1st century BC (the Roman poet  Gaius Valerius Catullus). There are several interesting small churches too. But the town’s claim to fame are its thermal springs. Many famous writers visited Sirmione such as Alfred Tennyson, Ezra Pound and James Joyce. I shouldn’t forget to mention the famous Italian writers Giosuè Carducci and Antonio Fogazzaro who wrote about Sirmione as well as the notorious Gabriele D’Annunzio who found the short-lived Italian Regency of Carnaro in Fiume (Rijeka, Croatia) with himself as the Fascist leader. English writer Naomi Jacob made Sirmione her home. One of the best opera singers of all times had a villa here too: Maria Callas.

Scaliger Castle, Sirmione
Scaliger Castle

Maria Callas villa in Sirmione
villa of Maria Callas

Sirmione, Italy

Grottoes of Catullus, Sirmione

Grottoes of Catullus

Grottoes of Catullus

What does Sirmione offer to the modern visitor? Well, it’s mostly visited as a day trip (or even half-day trip from Verona which is only 40 km away) but there are a lot of people who come to Sirmione to relax and enjoy a leisurely weekend. There are several restaurants and cafes as well as shops. You can visit Scaliger castle and walk along the lake’s path from the beach below the castle. You can also hire a speedboat and explore the Lake Garda. In the summer you can even swim in the lake. Whatever the season, eat gelato! It’s delicious! 🙂 To find out more about Sirmione click here .

Have you ever visited Sirmione?

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63 thoughts

  3. Lake Garda is amazing ❤ Lots of visitors prefer visiting the Western bank of the lake (the one belonging to the Lombardy region), as it’s kind of “wilder”

    Love reading non-Italians pov on my country, thanks 🙂

    Ciao, Sara

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  4. Pingback: Monthly Blog Overview: February 2017 – the Red Phone Box travels

  6. I’ve never heard of Sirmione, but it seems that many other notable people have. Looks like a beautiful town. Is Maria Callas’ old villa open to the public or is it the private home of a lucky person? I’d love to explore those Grottoes, too.

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  14. I’ve been curious about visiting Lake Garda for a while now so it’s nice to see some photos from a spot there. I haven’t heard of Sirmione before but it sure looks like my kind of destination, especially the castle! #WanderfulWednesday

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  15. That’s a great looking castle! Lake Garda is somewhere I’m longing to visit so it’s good to have another village there to add to my list. The Roman ruins are a big draw too. Thanks for sharing this on #farawayfiles

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  25. You have the ability to find these beautiful castles! I can see why so many writers and actors liked this place. Plus, the Roman ruins are cool! #wanderfulwednesday

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