Start from 36 curated places around Lake Garda, IT, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
Trattoria Clementina
A family-run trattoria in the quiet village of Rovizza just outside Sirmione's tourist core, where the focus is firmly on lake fish, handmade pasta, and the kind of honest cooking that locals return to rather than bring visitors to for show. Portions are generous and the wine list leans heavily on Lugana and Bardolino Chiaretto from nearby estates. The mixed Garda fish starter is the right way to open, followed by tench risotto if it's on.
Osteria Al Torcol
A tucked-away osteria in Sirmione's historic center with a small garden terrace and a menu that rotates with what's available at the market and from local boats. The kitchen takes a slightly more modern angle than the standard trattoria — pasta preparations are precise and the lake fish is treated with restraint rather than heavy sauce. Service can be slow during busy periods but the setting compensates.
Trails & outdoors
Sentiero del Ponale
An old carriage road carved into the cliff face above Riva del Garda, connecting the northern lake shore to the Valle di Ledro through 6 kilometers of tunnels, overhangs, and exposed cliff-edge traverses. The route was blasted from solid rock in the 1850s and is driveable by mountain bike as well as walkable. Views straight down to the lake from the gallery sections are among the most dramatic accessible on foot anywhere in the Alps foothills.
Busatte Tempesta Panoramic Trail
A 10.8km loop above Torbole at the northern end of the lake, best known for three dramatic metal staircases bolted into the cliff — 116, 238, and 33 steps respectively — that allow the trail to cross vertical sections otherwise impassable. The route alternates between woodland, exposed cliff traverses, and panoramic views over Torbole and the lake's narrowest northern section where the Ora and Pelér winds converge. Moderate difficulty but not suitable for those uncomfortable with exposure.
Things to do
Aquaria Thermal SPA
A large thermal wellness complex on the Sirmione peninsula using natural sulphur springs, with 10,000 square meters of facilities including indoor and outdoor thermal pools, hydromassage pools, effervescent beds, and a park facing the lake. The water is naturally heated at 37°C and has been used therapeutically since Roman times. Unlike many spa complexes, Aquaria works well for a half-day visit without the need for a hotel stay.
Cantina Valetti
A family-run winery in the hills above Bardolino on the eastern shore, offering guided tastings across the DOC wine types of the Garda Veronese — Bardolino, Chiaretto, Lugana, and Custoza — paired with local cured meats and cheeses. The 360-degree panoramic terrace above the vineyards gives a sweeping view over the eastern lake and Monte Baldo beyond. Groups are capped at eight, which keeps the experience genuinely instructive rather than a production-line pour.
Landmarks & sights
Grotte di Catullo
The largest Roman residential ruin in northern Italy, spread across the tip of the Sirmione peninsula with unobstructed views over the lake on three sides. Renaissance scholars believed this was the country villa of the poet Catullus — the archaeology suggests it belonged to a wealthy 1st-century Roman family instead, which somehow makes it more interesting. The attached museum holds mosaics and frescoes recovered from the site.
Castello Scaligero di Sirmione
A 13th-century Scaligeri fortress that sits on a small peninsula jutting into the lake, with a working harbour still enclosed within its walls. The towers offer a wide panorama across the southern lake toward Desenzano, and the battlements walk is one of the better-preserved in the region. It occupies the narrow entrance to Sirmione's old town, which means you pass through or around it no matter where you're going.