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 difficulties).
The Grand Hotel Terme is one of the most famous luxury hotels in Sirmione, located directly on the shore of Lake Garda, just steps from Scaliger Castle and the entrance to the historic town. It is known for combining 5-star hospitality with thermal spa traditions that have made Sirmione famous for centuries.
The hotel is part of the Terme di Sirmione wellness complex, one of Italy’s most historic thermal spa organizations. These facilities revolve around natural sulphurous thermal waters rich in bromide and iodine, which are valued for therapeutic and relaxation treatments.
The hotel occupies one of the most spectacular spots on the peninsula:
directly on the lakefront
views of Lake Garda and the castle
a private dock and sun terrace over the water
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)
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:
- Drinks: cappuccino, still water
- 1st plate: plain yogurt with strawberries, pineapple chunks, nuts, and honeycomb
- 2nd plate: scrambled eggs, sausage, small pastries
- Inna:
- Dinks: cappuccino, still water
- 1st plate: scrambled eggs
- 2nd plate: yogurt with berries
- Drinks: Still water, 2 x Black Tea
- Boris: Bolognese-style ravioli, black truffle, sage, Castelmagno cheese
- Inna: Crusted seabass fillet, pine nuts, black cabbage, supreme sauce
- Dessert: Tiramisu (homemade)
Scaliger Castle (Castello Scaligero) is the dramatic medieval fortress that guards the entrance to the old town of Sirmione on Lake Garda. With its towers rising directly from the water, it is one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Italy.
The castle was constructed in the 13th century by the House of Scaliger (also called the Della Scala family), who ruled the nearby city of Verona.
Their goal was to control the southern end of Lake Garda and protect the important trade routes that passed through Sirmione. What makes Scaliger Castle especially remarkable is its fortified harbor.
Key features include:
High defensive walls and battlements
Three main towers plus a tall central keep (mastio)
A rare medieval dockyard where ships could enter safely inside the castle walls
A drawbridge protecting the main entrance
Very few castles in Europe still preserve a medieval enclosed harbor, making this one architecturally unique. During the Middle Ages, whoever controlled Sirmione controlled a key position on Lake Garda. The castle allowed the Scaliger rulers to:
monitor shipping on the lake
defend against rival city-states
control trade routes between northern Italy and the Alps
After the Scaliger dynasty declined in the late 1300s, the castle passed to the Republic of Venice. Under Venetian rule it remained a military garrison for several centuries before eventually losing its strategic role.
Saturday, March 14, 2026
I awoke at 07:00 to the alarm, showered, and dressed for breakfast at the L'Orangerie restaurant. We walked over to the buffet to select the following items:
- Boris:
- Drinks: cappuccino, still water
- 1st plate: scrambled eggs, sausage, artichokes, small tomatoes
- 2nd plate: plain yogurt with strawberries, pineapple chunks, nuts, and honeycomb
- Inna:
- Drinks: cappuccino, still water
- 1st plate: scrambled eggs
- 2nd plate: yogurt with berries
After breakfast, we walked for about 15 minutes to the Grotte di Catullo. The ruins of the Roman villa were incredibly impressive, and we were astounded by its sheer size. They reminded me of our recent visit to Pompei, where numerous, well-preserved ruins were displayed. Our wish was to have a guide to explain all the rooms and building remnants found.
The Grotte di Catullo are the largest Roman villa ruins in northern Italy and one of the most impressive archaeological sites on Lake Garda. They sit at the very tip of the Sirmione peninsula, surrounded by water on three sides.Despite the name, they are not actually caves. The word “grotte” (grottos) was used in the Middle Ages when people thought the vine-covered ruins were natural caves.
The complex is the remains of a huge luxury Roman villa built between the 1st century BC and 1st century AD.
Key facts:
about 2 hectares (5 acres) in size
built on a rocky promontory overlooking the lake
likely owned by a wealthy Roman aristocratic family
The villa once included:
large terraces overlooking the lake
gardens and courtyards
private baths
living quarters and reception rooms
The design maximized panoramic views of Lake Garda, making it one of the most scenic Roman residences ever built.
The ruins are traditionally linked to the Roman poet Gaius Valerius Catullus, who was born in Sirmio (ancient Sirmione) around 84 BC.
In one of his most famous poems, he celebrates returning home to the peninsula:
“Paene insularum, Sirmio, insularumque ocelle…”
(“Sirmio, jewel of islands and peninsulas…”)However, the current ruins were likely built after Catullus died, so the villa may have belonged to his family or later wealthy owners, rather than to Catullus himself.
Visitors walk through the massive stone remains of the villa, including:
huge arched substructures that supported terraces
remnants of Roman bath complexes
sections of mosaic floors
olive groves planted among the ruins
The site also contains the Archaeological Museum of Sirmione, displaying artifacts discovered during excavations.
The Grotte di Catullo is remarkable because it combines:
spectacular Roman architecture
dramatic lake views
literary history connected to Catullus
Standing at the far end of the ruins, you can see nearly the entire southern basin of Lake Garda, which explains why wealthy Romans chose this spot for a grand villa.
✅ Fun fact: The villa was so large that during the Middle Ages people thought it was the ruins of an entire ancient city, not just a single residence.
After we finished with the Grotte, we returned to our room in Sirmione and dressed for a bicycle ride along Lake Garda. I put on workout shorts (as pedaling in jeans would be uncomfortable).
Our Grand Terme hotel had multiple city bicycles (with baskets) available to freely use (with locking cables provided). I adjusted a seat on my bike, though it shifted during cycling.
I had planned to cycle westward to Desenzano, but Inna had earlier decided to bicycle to Lugano, with a stop in Spiaggia Punta Gro (Punta Gro Beach). We followed Inna's cycling plan, from our Grand Terme hotel) to Lugano and then Punta Gro. Part of the ride consisted of biking with cars, but on reaching Via Brescia, a separate bicycle lane made the ride more enjoyable. At Punta Gro Beach, we touched the water of Lake Garda, and it was warmer than expected. Perhaps, it could even be swimmable (though the swimming season really starts in May and runs until September).
Bicycling around Sermione presents some challenges (especially with the constant roundabouts) and bike lanes switching sides of the road. However, most drivers were quite courteous, and we did not run into any issues. I always prefer to cycle in a designated bike lane, and there were many bike lanes just outside Sermione.
Since the weather forecast called for rain at 14:00, we decided to return quickly to avoid getting soaked. I saw lots of dark clouds on the horizon and gusts of wind (to warn about the upcoming low-pressure system).
After returning to Grand Terme and dropping off the bicycles, we decided to head to Sermione downtown for lunch. Inna decided on the Al Torcol restaurant. We sat down outdoors and ordered the following items:
- Appetizer: Tartar di trota (Trout)
- Pasta: Casoncelli
- Main: Salmerino (Char)
- Drinks: Mogri Groppello Red Wine, white wine, still water
- Olive Oil: Patenti Olio
Inna wanted to try the afternoon tea at 17:00, and I called the front desk to make reservations. When she returned at 17:00, we walked to the bar for our afternoon tea. We were the only ones there, and we were served a couple of small sandwiches and small desserts, along with hot black English breakfast tea. It was a bit underwhelming & overpriced (at 30 euros/person). It did not compare favorably to afternoon tea in London or Edinburgh.
When we finished the tea, we returned for a rew more hours to the thermal pool.
We thought about eating dinner, but I was not hungry, and Inna did not want to walk far in the rain. We decided to skip dinner altogether.
Sunday, March 15, 2026
I set the alarm for 07:00, as I had to pack for our hotel checkout after breakfast and drive to Abano Terme in Padua (with a stop in Verona).
For breakfast, we sat down and selected the following from the buffet:
- Boris:
- Drinks: cappuccino, still water
- 1st plate: plain yogurt with strawberries, pineapple chunks, nuts, and honeycomb
- 2nd plate: scrambled eggs, sausage, small pastries
- Inna:
- Dinks: cappuccino, still water
- 1st plate: scrambled eggs
- 2nd plate: yogurt with berries
Sermione Trip Review
Highlights
- Enjoying the thermal waters of the Grand Hotel Terme
- Walking around the amazing Grotte di Catullo
- Eating a delicious breakfast at Grand Hotel Terme
- Bicycling to Lugano
Lowlights
- Rain on Saturday, March 14
- Large tourist crowds (even in March)
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