Centro Storico Sirmione
Centro Storico Sirmione
4.5
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Centro Storico Sirmione
The area
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
211 within 3 miles
Attractions
190 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- Curious_Traveller636London, United Kingdom519 contributionsPleasant few hours out of seasonHaving visited Lake Como in September when it was much quieter, we happened to be driving nearby to Sirmione in January, and so we detoured. I am glad we did. Yes it was cold and windy, not all of the shops and restaurants were open, but it did mean we could enjoy it much more. Reading other people’s reviews, and seeing how small it is with one way in/out, I can only imagine how horribly busy it must be in season. Didn’t eat or drink, just walked and headed out. Lovely views and a pleasant walk.Visited January 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten January 28, 2024
- Maria BWallsend, United Kingdom87 contributionsSirmione sadnessBeautiful place to visit for a day. I wouldn’t use as a base as I did, choose one of the towns that has a train station for access to other areas. I was so excited to eat in Italy and was thoroughly disappointed in every meal in Sirmione, bland, tasteless and overpriced. Bus drivers rude as hell if you ask a question and general attitude stinks throughout. I don’t need fawning over I’m pretty relaxed but dear me what a shame!Visited June 2024Traveled with friendsWritten June 13, 2024
- Joasi23South Yorkshire, United Kingdom2,016 contributionsBrace yourself for the crowds otherwise it’s like walking round a film setOnly the crowds stop this charming place getting maximum marks . It’s rammed . We came over on a ferry from Desenzano stayed a couple hours then reluctantly left due to having to jostle to get anywhere within the tourist areas . Hopefully that’s only an August negative as the place is definitely worth visiting .Visited August 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten August 13, 2024
- MikekEarlston, United Kingdom93 contributionsWorth the detour and longish walk from the car parkLake sirmione is in the northern part of Italy, near Verona and just off the main Venice to Milan route. It is definitely worth a detour, although you might find that you need to park a while away and walk to the centre. The centre is a peninsula approached through an archway with stunning water, views and a castle. Many nice restaurants hotels and worth a wander through the old cobbled streets.Visited May 2024Traveled with familyWritten August 13, 2024
- Wanderer230 contributionsBeautiful, crowded, plenty of hidden gemsSirmione old town is beautiful and well worth visiting for a few days. There are wonderful views, walks and attractions. My first impression was the crowds are worse even than Vernazza in the Cinque Terre. The quote from Withnail & I “we’ve come on holiday by mistake” came to mind as we entered. The good news is they congregate in the streets near the castle so can for the most part be avoided. There are some nice walks along the shoreline and through Maria Callas Park towards Jamaica Beach. While there it is certainly worth visiting Grotte di Catullo, a very interesting archaeological site and museum. A negative (apart from the crowds) is every shop seems to be either gelato or souvenirs. It’s very difficult to find a grocery shop even for basics.Visited August 2024Traveled with familyWritten August 20, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,470 reviews
Excellent
827
Very good
479
Average
98
Poor
37
Terrible
29
These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.
Jean-Emmanuel R
La Louviere, Belgium1,025 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
We visited Sirmione as part of a day trip from Milan (train to Verona and stop at Desenzano). We came back very mixed after a very trying day.
The positives: Sirmione is really pretty. The small streets, the historic monuments, the flower-filled squares, the quality boutiques, the multiple viewpoints over Lake Garda, etc. Real postcard settings.
The negative points: the place is a victim of its success and crowded to the point of being oppressive. Even though we have to travel in August every year and we are used to highly touristy places (Florence, Venice, Capri, Cinq Terres for Italy but also Rhodes and Santorini in Greece to name but a few). some destinations), this is the first time that this abundance of tourists has prevented us from having fun. An annoying abundance even before arriving in the city. It's simple, to cover the 8 km by bus between Desenzano station and the historic center of Sirmione, it took us two hours!!! The fault is on motorists who want to park as close as possible and who block traffic. Arriving in town, it was impossible to take photos of the streets and squares; too many people and therefore impossible to find the right angle. What is incomprehensible is that the municipality leaves the city center accessible to vehicles; once again, how unpleasant it is to have to stick to the facades to let sports cars pass! For fear of going through the same obstacle course with the bus again, we decided to return to Desenzano by boat. Once again, we had to wait 30 minutes in an endless line and under the sun.
If, despite everything, you allow yourself to be tempted by the charms of this magnificent village, the best advice is not to take the car or the bus. The least bad approach is to take a train to Desenzano, go down to the town center (1 km, there are regular buses) and take the boat which arrives directly in the historic center of Sirmione (6€ l 'round trip). For our part, we should have stayed in Desenzano which also offers a nice town center and beautiful views of the lake while being cheaper and less crowded.
The positives: Sirmione is really pretty. The small streets, the historic monuments, the flower-filled squares, the quality boutiques, the multiple viewpoints over Lake Garda, etc. Real postcard settings.
The negative points: the place is a victim of its success and crowded to the point of being oppressive. Even though we have to travel in August every year and we are used to highly touristy places (Florence, Venice, Capri, Cinq Terres for Italy but also Rhodes and Santorini in Greece to name but a few). some destinations), this is the first time that this abundance of tourists has prevented us from having fun. An annoying abundance even before arriving in the city. It's simple, to cover the 8 km by bus between Desenzano station and the historic center of Sirmione, it took us two hours!!! The fault is on motorists who want to park as close as possible and who block traffic. Arriving in town, it was impossible to take photos of the streets and squares; too many people and therefore impossible to find the right angle. What is incomprehensible is that the municipality leaves the city center accessible to vehicles; once again, how unpleasant it is to have to stick to the facades to let sports cars pass! For fear of going through the same obstacle course with the bus again, we decided to return to Desenzano by boat. Once again, we had to wait 30 minutes in an endless line and under the sun.
If, despite everything, you allow yourself to be tempted by the charms of this magnificent village, the best advice is not to take the car or the bus. The least bad approach is to take a train to Desenzano, go down to the town center (1 km, there are regular buses) and take the boat which arrives directly in the historic center of Sirmione (6€ l 'round trip). For our part, we should have stayed in Desenzano which also offers a nice town center and beautiful views of the lake while being cheaper and less crowded.
Written August 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
curly_geek
Birmingham, UK150 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
The Historic Centre of Sirmione is beautiful but does get very hot and crowded during the day. By late afternoon/early evening, the crowds die down and you can appreciate how beautiful it all is.
There are lots of gelato shops serving all manner of flavours (including dairy free). There are also loads of restaurants - our favourite was Valentino. There are also various shops including clothes and leather bag shops - what we did notice is that there wasn't a supermarket or Spar type shop so make sure you don't forget your toothbrush!
The one surprising thing about Sirmione is how early everything shuts. I guess they make all their money during the day and don't need to stay open late!
There are lots of gelato shops serving all manner of flavours (including dairy free). There are also loads of restaurants - our favourite was Valentino. There are also various shops including clothes and leather bag shops - what we did notice is that there wasn't a supermarket or Spar type shop so make sure you don't forget your toothbrush!
The one surprising thing about Sirmione is how early everything shuts. I guess they make all their money during the day and don't need to stay open late!
Written August 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stefania
Milan, Italy5 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
The historic center of Sirmione I loved, the castle is very charming and the scenic walk in the evening is very relaxing.
For sure I will return in the spring with a climate more suitable for walks.
I advise everyone not to eat ice cream, all ice cream shops have crazy prices and Unfortunately some do everything to trick tourists by trimming cones from 6/10 € when one asks for a small one! Be careful!! They deserve to close, read the reviews well before stopping at an ice cream shop!
For sure I will return in the spring with a climate more suitable for walks.
I advise everyone not to eat ice cream, all ice cream shops have crazy prices and Unfortunately some do everything to trick tourists by trimming cones from 6/10 € when one asks for a small one! Be careful!! They deserve to close, read the reviews well before stopping at an ice cream shop!
Automatically translated
Written September 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
claudio d
Viterbo, Italy43,393 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
Sirmione is an international tourist and spa centre, probably the pearl of Lake Garda, without taking anything away from the other beautiful lakeside towns that dot the banks of Benaco. It develops on the characteristic and narrow peninsula that extends for about 4 km into the lake, starting almost from the center of the southern coast. Its small historic center occupies only a portion of the said peninsula, starting beyond the middle, at the point where the strip of land begins to widen after the long, narrower stretch, continuing for about 400 metres. Its limits could be identified with the thirteenth-century and magnificent Scaliger castle to the south, which stands next to the entrance door, and with the spa center to the north. It is essentially crossed by a single long road (via Vittorio Emanuele), to which we can add, to the east of this road, sporadic other streets that run parallel for short stretches; short streets branch off orthogonally from via Vittorio Emanuele (mostly towards the west) which reach the shores of the lake. In addition to the aforementioned castle, which is almost impossible to leave, and the small church of Sant'Anna which is next to the entrance door, inside the town a visit to the parish church is not to be missed; but the beauty of the village is as a whole, made up of clubs, bars/ice cream parlors, shops, characteristic corners, crowds and the ever-present lake shores. After the spa the peninsula widens but the houses (which here become more like villas in the greenery) thin out, giving way to the countryside and olive trees. Even in this case you can follow the central road (which here becomes Via Catullo) to get to the archaeological area and the beach located at the tip of the peninsula, without forgetting the short detour to the ancient church of San Pietro in Mavino along the way. (shortly after the beginning of via Catullo, if you instead take the road on the right you quickly arrive at another beach). The historic center is subject to very limited vehicular traffic, so despite the crowds you can walk around quite well. Unless you leave your car a couple of km away you will be forced to use the various paid car parks, which are not exactly cheap. Despite the tourist onslaught and the consequent adaptation of the town in the excessive proliferation of shops and tourist venues, a visit to Sirmione always remains a must for any holiday on the Benaco.
Written October 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MattAndLol
Bradford, UK509 contributions
Sep 2024 • Couples
While on our week's holiday in Peschiera my husband & I took the ferry 1 day to Sirmione. It only cost €10 each return, you need to carefully research the direct return timetable though as there's not many ferries back. It was a lovely journey, about 45 min, wonderful to see Sirmione castle & the Roman remains on the peninsula as you sail round it. From talking to other holiday makers in Peschiera the ferry docks in an ideal position for looking round the old town compared to where the bus drops you,right in the centre, apparently you have to walk at least 30-40 min from the bus stop right up the peninsula to the old town. The car parks that link the old town with the newer town on the peninsula looked to be totally congested too on the day we visited so the ferry was definitely the most relaxing way to get to Sirmione. However be careful if it's a windy day as they may stop the ferries sailing & you would have to walk down & get the bus anyway. The castle was very picturesque with it's moat, there's lots of small shops & especially gelaterias, wandering the old town was delightful, there's a quirky "kiss please" sign near a lookout spot over the lake ! Also some beautiful bougainvillea plants covering some buildings. It was very busy everywhere & it was difficult to get a seat in a cafe to get some lunch, we eventually found somewhere. We didn't walk up as far as the Roman ruins, we also didn't take a small boat round the castle walls but you could do if you had more time. We really enjoyed our visit to Sirmione despite the crowds of people, a beautiful place.
Written October 5, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bettybooSurrey
Weybridge, UK86 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
Over priced, over rated, over crowded. Not a good day. 30-40 minute walk from bus terminal with everyone else, alongside the only road to the old part. Unpleasant route march. Ram.packed when we got there as well, on a weekday in May! Ice cream sellers get you to pay for a larger ice cream than the one requested, a common trick at the train station as well we found! Billed as being prettiest town on the south end of Lake Garda.... really? Got the ferry back to Peschiarda, a much calmer experience.
Written May 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maria T
2 contributions
Oct 2024 • Friends
The historic center of Sirmione is located on the peninsula of Sirmione at the center of the southern coast of Lake Garda; it is very characteristic for the presence of the Scaliger Castle which is located at the beginning of the Old Town directly on the Lake; there is a long walk that, starting from the castle, passes through the center of the village, or you can walk along the lake until you get to the sulfur thermal springs that feed the spa. In fact, in Sirmione there is a spa frequented all year round. Getting to the bottom of the peninsula, perhaps taking advantage of the train that leads there, you will find the famous "Terme di Catullo" which are not actually caves but are the remains of a huge Roman villa that belonged to a consul and not to the Latin poet Catullo, who used to stay in Sirmione, but who was never the owner of that villa. After visiting them, we went down to the beach under the Caves from where you can enjoy a spectacular view of the lake and you can eat something at an outdoor bar. In the old town there are various restaurants, mostly tourist. There are various ice cream parlors; some look normal; we took small cups in one that seemed well stocked, only to realize that they cost six euros (small) and were much larger than those that are normally sold as small in other ice cream parlors; there was the mignon ice cream that was smaller, but was considered for children. To me it doesn't seem like a correct way to sell ice cream because, apart from the high cost, we struggled to finish it; I just would have eaten a smaller one as I usually do. I've never bought ice cream like that before! So pay attention to Sirmione: among other things the ice cream parlors call you to sell it...
Automatically translated
Written November 8, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Curious_Traveller636
London, UK519 contributions
Jan 2024 • Couples
Having visited Lake Como in September when it was much quieter, we happened to be driving nearby to Sirmione in January, and so we detoured. I am glad we did. Yes it was cold and windy, not all of the shops and restaurants were open, but it did mean we could enjoy it much more. Reading other people’s reviews, and seeing how small it is with one way in/out, I can only imagine how horribly busy it must be in season. Didn’t eat or drink, just walked and headed out. Lovely views and a pleasant walk.
Written January 28, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
raoul o
Motta di Livenza, Italy1 contribution
Sep 2024 • Couples
My partner and I went to Sirmione for the first time by public transport and it was a real odyssey to do a few kilometers. impossible to get there by private car and park. Non-existent parking lots at absurd prices.
Dozens of low-end ice cream parlors where quality is practically non-existent, Made in China clothing stores virtually everywhere and exorbitantly absurd prices. In short, another historic city reduced as Venice a Disneyland for tourism in the east where the presence of the Italian local administration is non-existent. From Veneto a total disappointment! Never again!
Dozens of low-end ice cream parlors where quality is practically non-existent, Made in China clothing stores virtually everywhere and exorbitantly absurd prices. In short, another historic city reduced as Venice a Disneyland for tourism in the east where the presence of the Italian local administration is non-existent. From Veneto a total disappointment! Never again!
Automatically translated
Written September 24, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Knut H
Hamburg, Germany11,921 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
After 33 years we wanted to enjoy the atmosphere of Sirmione once again. Unfortunately the historic town centre has become very touristy, which is also reflected in the prices. Crowds of people and vehicles struggle through the archways. At least 6-8 ice cream parlors in a very small space vie for their customers. The prices for a scoop of ice cream are through the roof like on the stock exchange. But people pay and consume. It is not until late in the evening that a little peace and quiet returns. Then there is beautiful light in the old town with the pretty alleys and the lake in the background. It is a little quieter in the Grottoes of Catullus and on the way there.
Written September 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, any idea if I will find a nice variety of restaurants and stores "open" at the end of January? I am concerned that most places, castle, etc will be closed at that time. Thank you. Estela
Written October 28, 2019
The Month of January is very cold at Lago di Garda but the temperature rarely if ever drops below 0 degrees.
Sirmione similar to other places in that area like Peschiera del Garda are predominantly summer oriented localities but quite a handful of restaurants operate through the winter- ex Ristorante Modi / Risorante L'Accanto but the best option is to check their websites
There are other localities worth a visit like Malcesine and taking the cable car up to Monte Baldo - cold up there but breathtaking!
If one is self driving than there is no restriction but public transport may be limited during wintertime and checking out the timetables helps ( check Comune di Sirmione Web
Written October 29, 2019
Salve, c’è disponibilità di parcheggi in loco? Se si, precisamente dove?
Written June 16, 2019
poco prima di entrare a Sirmione ci sono parecchi parcheggi. Evita di visitarla in estate al sabato e domenica
Written June 24, 2019
Alloggiando nel centro storico, ci sono locali,pizzerie-pub,senza spendere un salasso e senza spostare l auto dal parcheggio? Grazie
Written April 7, 2019
Buongiorno,
Siamo andati fuori stagione quindi non tutti i locali erano aperti.
Sinceramente di locali che costano poco non ne abbiamo visti ( panino dai 4,5 ai 6 euro la pizza sui 4/5 euro a pezzo )
Un irish pub potrebbe essere il the flidder of dooney dove si spende il giusto.
Il secondo giorno abbiamo pranzato nelle terme e poi siamo andati via.
Non so darti ulteriori informazioni.
Written April 8, 2019
nel centro storico di Sirmione c'è un negozio che vende le magliette con scritto sirmione taglia xxl o XL?
Written April 4, 2019
Si, ci sono diversi negozietti che vendono maglie, felpe, poi per le taglie non saprei anche se, essendo localitĂ molto turistica, credo siano molto forniti.
Written April 8, 2019
Da peschiera di Garda ci. Sono. Barche che. Ti. Portano a Sirmione? Vorrei evitare prendere la macchina
Written July 20, 2018
Taxiboat.... info e prenotazioni: + 39 030 9196694
Written July 23, 2018
Come si può raggiungere il centro storico sirmione dalla stazione ferroviaria desenzano del Garda-sirmione?
Written May 24, 2017
Basta uscire dalla stazione (lato lago) e prendere il bus di linea direzione Verona. Passa ogni ora
Written October 1, 2017
A sirmione dove si prendono i battelli per la navigazione del Garda , per andare a Gardone o Limone ad esempio
Grazie
Written August 30, 2016
il molo è proprio al centro della cittadina
Written August 31, 2016
A sirmione dove si prendono i battelli per la navigazione del Garda , per andare a Gardone o Limone ad esempio
Grazie
Written August 30, 2016
Subito dopo il ponticello che ti porta nel centro storico, la seconda traversa a sinistra, da lì ci sono le partenze e la biglietteria.
Written August 31, 2016
Showing results 1-8 of 8
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing