Sirmione

Sirmione is where Roman ruins, medieval castles, and Maria Callas’ lakeside retreat flirt with sun-drenched hedonism. A town of poets, lovers, and rebels, it juts into the turquoise waters of Lake Garda, balancing its historic weight with an irresistible, laid-back charm.

Once home to Roman poet Catullus, Sirmione has been inspiring writers and romantics for over two thousand years. In poem 31, he called it the "jewel of islands, jewel of peninsulas." Tennyson later echoed the sentiment, and Callas sought refuge here, escaping the world’s gaze in her lakeside villa. Hollywood followed suit, with Call Me By Your Namecapturing Sirmione’s golden-hour glow in a sunset scene at Jamaica Beach.

Step past the medieval drawbridge into a town shaped by centuries. The 13th-century Scaligero Castle, an imposing lakeside fortress, is pure cinematic drama, with its moat lapping against stone walls. Just beyond, the Grotte di Catullo, the ruins of a vast first-century Roman villa, stand as Northern Italy’s most important Roman archaeological site. Stroll through its crumbling grandeur, where emperors once indulged in thermal waters that still flow today.

And flow they should. The sulphur-rich springs have been Sirmione’s claim to fame for millennia. The Romans bathed here, and today, you can soak in their footsteps at Terme di Catullo or Terme di Virgilio, easing into steaming mineral pools with views of Lake Garda’s shimmering expanse.

Beyond history, Sirmione delivers a heady mix of elegance and energy. The Venetian harbour bustles with ferries, catamarans, and hydrofoils, whisking visitors across Lake Garda to neighbouring Desenzano del Garda. Here, the cathedral hides an unconventional Last Supper by Tiepolo, while the church of San Pietro in Mavino reveals frescoes steeped in time.

Cobblestone streets weave through the old town, where boutiques, cafés, and gelaterias spill onto piazzas. The scent of espresso lingers in the air, blending with the lake breeze. Aperitivo hour is non-negotiable. Grab an Aperol Spritz, find a spot by the water, and watch the light shift from gold to amber, the castle silhouette darkening against a fire-hued sky.

Sirmione isn’t just a postcard-perfect Italian escape—it’s a mood, a moment, a living love letter to history, culture, and indulgence. A place where the past lingers, the present dazzles, and the future promises another spritz at sunset.