From Trento, we went south toward the ancient (as in–Stone Age!) village of Sirmione. Lake Garda is Italy’s biggest lake, and sweet Sirmione sits on the lake’s southern shores. No sunshine when we arrived, but the gloomy skies seemed to mix well with the town’s hushed mojo.
Many cobble-stone walking paths will take you from the Castle of Scaligeri to the Grotte di Catullo and back to the main promenade . You can get lost wandering around the small alleys, some streets dead-end straight to the water, where you can sit and watch ducks or swans go about their business. But it’s just as easy to find your way back to the center of the square, it seems all roads lead to the gelato shops.
We Stopped at the Scaligeri Gelateria, they are experts at lighting this place. Frozen sweet cream in every color on display and they make the waffle cones onsite, so if you were trying to resist (maybe you’ve had 2 already?)– be prepared because your nose will betray you. Try the pistachio!
We stayed at the comfortable and colorful Hotel Suisse, which was a nice 10 minute walk from the town center. Our room had great views of the water, and was decorated with really sunny shades of greens and oranges which made me happy. Hotel Suisse had a fantastic breakfast bar and we stuffed ourselves the morning we were to leave on our bicycles towards Verona. I might have even pocketed some nutella packets and crackers.
(Hey, we had about 5-6 hours of riding ahead of us, and it had already started to rain.)
Overall we loved Sirmione and would love the chance to return. Friendly locals, delicious food, and beautifu Lake Garda all around. We love you Gardaland!
