The Castle ‘Scaligero’ in Sirmione
The Castle Scaligero is at the border of the peninsula on which Sirmione sits and the island of the historical town centre and it is one of the best-preserved castles in Italy.
The Rocca, the walls and the main towers are surrounded by the lake on all sides creating an unrivalled natural and architectonical ensemble. From the top of the main tower you can see a long stretch of the lake.
Mastino della Scala commissioned the building of the castle which started in the 13th century on the remains of a roman fort.
Inside the castle you’ll find a roman lapidary and a small exhibition/museum.
You can walk along the castle walls and climb to the top of the main and tallest tower in the fortress.
Grottoes of Catullus
In ancient times, Sirmione was renowned among tired travellers as a place to stop and rest because of its position along the important route between Brescia and Verona.
In the Renaissance era they used to call houses in ruin and covered by vegetation ‘grottoes’, which is basically what this roman villa is, surrounded by trees and thought to have belonged to the Catullo family.
This villa was especially big and arranged on different levels, on one of the levels there is now an archaeological museum.
What was once the garden is today a botanical park interspersed with beautiful, ancient archaeological remains.
The location of the Grottoes of Catullo on a hill overlooking the beach, which is called ‘Jamaica’, offers an amazing view of the Benaco.
The thermal spa in Sirmione
Besides being known for its beauty and great location, Sirmione is one of the favourite destinations for those who love a spa break.
This fantastic medieval village has one of the richest thermal springs in Europe – so much so that in 1890, they opened the spa only one year after the first little spring of hot water was uncovered.
The Aquaria thermal spa offers a great variety of modern facilities and provides treatments to people from all over the world.
Hotel Miramar is once again the best choice and offers deals and discounts to access the spa to those who would like to enjoy a relaxing holiday with time to rest and reenergise.