Day Trip 1: Sirmione

Having chosen Peschiera del Garda over Sirmione, the least that my partner and I could do was to check out this universal favourite for ourselves. We even pre-booked a 25-minute mini cruise around the Sirmione Peninsula departing in front of the castle at 11.00.

Sirmione is to the west of Peschiera. We caught the 8.55 (Line 26) bus to Sirmione at the stop just opposite Riviera Carducci Rooms where we stayed. The single fare was €3.70. Although the bus was 10 minutes late, we got to Sirmione around 9.30. That gave us plenty of time to look around Sirmione Old Town under a sunny blue sky before the boat ride.

What caught our eyes soon after we got off the bus was this gold Rolls Royce at the carpark!!

The Old Town

The pedestrianised medieval village is accessed via the Scaligero Castle drawbridge, which I thought was the entrance to the Castle!

Inside the Old Town, it’s like a labyrinth of narrow cobblestone streets lined with boutiques, cafes, and gelaterie. As they’re similar to those at Peschiera del Garda, I was not particularly diligent in taking photos! However, I can’t forget buying the most expensive ice cream scone for €10 – and it’s the smallest one!!

On the other hand, there’s no denying that Sirmione is a really charming place. As it’s situated on a narrow peninsula, there’re panoramic lake views from all directions.

Further away from the southern tip of the peninsula, I found this peaceful Parco Don Lino Zorzi near Aquaria Thermal Spa and Maria Callas’ house, but neither was particularly photogenic!

Scaligero Castle

Scaligero Castle is a stunning 13th-century castle with a moat, situated at the entrance to the old town. Its silhouette dominates the skyline of Sirmione.

I was interested to find out that there’re at least 6 Scaligero Castles situated around Lake Garda and the surrounding areas of Verona, the one at Sirmione being the most famous and iconic water fortress . They’re built between 1262 and 1387 by the Scaligeri who were a noble dynasty that ruled Verona and much of the surrounding region for 125 years.

Mini cruise around Sirmione

By the time we joined our mini cruise around Sirmione the sky darkened and it became rather stormy. The water was very choppy away from the shore especially around the bend of Grotte di Catullo! I was never so glad to see the reappearance of the Castle from a distance and gradually drawing nearer to base!

I was pleased that the ride lasted only 25 minutes, although it was a joyful experience to see Scaligero Castle from the lake!

We were in Sirmione for about 5 hours, long enough to conclude that I made the right choice with Peschiera del Garda.

Sirmione is no doubt a very pretty place which deserves its popularity. It’s full of high-end hotels and restaurants, but it’s also very compact and more touristy, making the place feel crowded despite it being only in the middle March. It’s definitely not a place for a relaxing stroll! 

Day Trip 2: Parco Giardino Sigurtà

We resisted the temptation of visiting more lakeside towns as they would be more of the same.  We chose to go to Parco Giardino Sigurtà instead.

The park is 8 kilometres east of Peschiera del Garda in Valeggio sul Mincio. There’s a bus (Line 47) that goes to Valeggio sul Mincio from Peschiera. However the bus station in the town centre is about 1 km and 10-15 minutes’ walk from the entrance to the park. Not knowing the area at all, we went and returned by taxi instead but it was worth it!

The Parco Giardino Sigurtà is a renowned 150-acre (600,000 square metres) landscaped park. it is famous for its massive spring tulip bloom, the 1,500-yew tree maze, 18 water gardens, and others. Its history dates back to 1407, when Gerolamo Nicolò Contarini bought the entire property that at the time had a purely agricultural function. It was Carlo Sigurtà, who purchased the estate in 1941 that initiated the garden’s transformation. 

As soon as we entered the park, we were greeted by a colourful display of tulips!

It’s one of Europe’s largest tulip displays, known as “Tulipanomania,” with over a million tulips blooming in March and April.

The yew tree maze

The Water Gardens

The castle seen from the Water Garden is another Scaligero Castle – this one is in Valeggio sul Mincio – but it’s not part of the park. It’s a 13th-14th century medieval fortress with high, crenellated towers. It looms over the park offering a stunning backdrop to the park’s floral displays.

Elsewhere in the park

We had a relaxing day wandering around the vast garden in sunshine. However, despite its accolade as one of the most beautiful gardens in the world for its displays of tulips, it’s only a shadow of that in Keukenhof in the Netherlands! 

Finally, here are the souvenirs of the trips..