Sirmione (March 12-15)

Thursday, March 12, 2026

From Bergamo's Parcheggio Citta Alta Bergamo parking, we drove about 75 minutes to the Grand Hotel Terme in Sirmione. There was heavy traffic in Bergamo, but it thinned out once we reached the tollway.

On arriving in Sirmione, we had to follow a special procedure to park our Opel Corsa. Once we reached the yellow barrier, we had to push a button and ask to be permitted in, explaining that we were staying at the Grand Hotel Therme. Then, we had to push another button at the Hotel's gate. We parked in a parking lot next to the hotel (but backing out may present some challenges).

Once we registered at the front desk, we were provided a tour of the property, showing us the L'Orangerie restaurant. When we arrived, there were no tables available for dining, so we decided to head to the nearby Barracuda, a few minutes away.

We sat down indoors (as it was cold outside), and ordered the following items:

• Drinks: Hot Black Tea with Lemon, Water
• Salad: Large Greek Salad
• Appetizer: Salmon Tartare
• Main: Trout (from Lake Garda)

The Greek Salad was huge, and we really enjoyed it. The Salmon Tartare was average (and can be skipped next time). The freshly caught Trout from Lake Garda was tender and juicy.

Friday, March 13, 2026

I had set the iPhone alarm for 07:00, showered, and dressed. When Inna was also ready, we walked downstairs for our first official breakfast at the Grand Hotel Terme. There were wonderful tables set up, and we were taken to a table, where we ordered two cappuccinos. This was a buffet-style breakfast, so we walked over to the buffet to select the following items:

• Boris: 
• 1st plate: plain yogurt with strawberries, pineapple chunks, nuts, and honeycomb
• 2nd plate: scrambled eggs, sausage, small pastries
• Inna:
• 1st plate: scrambled eggs
• 2nd plate: yogurt with berries

After breakfast, we decided to head to Brescia, about which I write in a separate blog post.

We returned to Sirmione at 17:00. Sirmione was busy with tourists already (even in early March), and we wondered what it's like during the summer (the peak season).

We changed out of our clothes into swimsuits and headed downstairs to the Terme's pool. We spent a few hours enjoying the warm, thermal waters (with a sulphur smell). After swimming for a bit, I went inside to rest and read my Kindle (The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro). Inna also checked out the fitness room, the steam room, sauna, and spa.

For dinner, we decided to try L'Orangerie, and I made reservations for 20:30.

Links

• Grand Hotel Terme, Sirmione
• L'Orangerie Restaurant
• Barracuda Restaurant