Villa Cortine
Sirmione, Lake Garda, Italy
Villa Cortine is a beautiful hotel that includes 54 rooms and a 5 hectare centuries-old park. The hotel was built in the late 1800s. It was named after the hill where it lies, on the tip of the Sirmione peninsula, where there was a Roman military garrison. Already at that time the beauty of the lake and the thermal waters attracted visitors from across Italy. In 1953, the villa became a luxury hotel and was enlarged to carry out what is now the main hotel building.
Humayra and Henri fell in love with Villa Cortine the first time they visited for its lush greenery, exotic palm trees, breathtaking lake views and proximity to Amarone wine! As soon as they set their eyes on this Villa Cortine, they knew it was where they wanted to exchange their vows in front of their family and friends.
getting there
For those flying in, we would recommend flying into the Milan Malpensa (MXP), Milan Linate (LIN), Milan Bergamo (BGY) or Verona (VRN) airports.
From Milan: Sirmione is a 1.5 hour drive or 2 hour train ride from Central Milan. If you’re driving directly from Malpensa Airport (MXP), please budget an extra 30 minutes. There is also a local shuttle bus that provides transportation around the Lake Garda region (LN026 will be the main bus route that runs from the Peschiera train station to the historic center of Sirmione)
From Verona: Sirmione is a 40 minute drive from the Verona airport (VRN). You can also reach Sirmione via a quick train ride followed by a walk, ferry or bus to Sirmione (~1 hour journey).
Overall, we’d recommend renting a car! You likely won’t need it for our wedding events but it will make travel to and from Sirmione a lot easier. Please feel free to reach out with any questions!
What to do
Activities in the Sirmione and broader region
Sirmione is A small village on the southeastern shoreline of Lake Garda. There’s beauty, history and culture here that you won’t find anywhere else in Italy. So, if you’ve been dreaming of exploring the Italian Lakes, these are some of the best things to do in Sirmione, Lake Garda.
Explore
Explore ‘Scaligero Castle’, which is the most iconic landmark in Sirmione. The Scaligero Castle is medieval, dates from the 13th century AD and is surrounded by the beautiful waters of Lake Garda.
Visit the stunning ‘Grotte di Catullo’. This is the best preserved ancient Roman villa in northern Italy and was built in 1st century BC. The villa is at the very top of the Sirmione peninsula, it overlooks the lake and it is beautiful: the ruins, the greenery surrounding and the views of the lake behind them make this one of the most spectacular spots in the area!
In addition to exploring the other towns of Lake Garda (Riva del Garda, Lazise and Gargnano to name a few), we highly recommend spending 1-2 days in Verona as well (or even a day trip), where you can explore the historic Arena, Juliet’s Balcony (if you’re a Shakespeare buff) and climb to the top of the Torri dei Lamberti for stunning views over the city. We’d tack on an extra day to explore the Valpolicella wine region - but hey, that’s just us!
Eat & Drink
The village is home to a variety of quaint restaurants. For wonderful views and some of the best food in Sirmione, head to ‘Casa dei Pescatori’, which serves things like handmade Bigoli pasta, tuna tartare, and fresh fish caught in Lake Garda itself. For something a bit fancier, head to ‘La Rucola 2.0’ (1 Michelin Star). Also worth noting is ‘Il Mosaico Ristorante’, which is a great place for pizza lovers.
If you are traveling by car, venture out ~15 min to the town ‘Desenzano del Garda’ for more dinner options. If you’re looking for a fine dining experience overlooking the lake, we strongly recommend ‘Esplanade’ (1 Michelin Star). We celebrated Henri’s birthday here and befriended the owner & chef!
If you share our passion for red wine, we highly recommend spending a day in Valpolicella which is a wine region outside of Verona famous for its production of the prestigious Amarone wine. This is our favorite wine and frankly, the only wine that Henri will drink (much to Hum’s annoyance).
Unwind
Nurse your post-wedding hangovers in one of Sirmione’s famous thermal baths. Sirmione is the home to Terme di Sirmione, a spring of sulphurous water that is believed to have multiple therapeutic effects on the body (including anti-aging!). We recommend Aquaria or Terme di Virgilio, which offer thermal baths, steam/sauna and massages.
Sirmione is also home to some of the best beaches in Lake Garda. The most famous Sirmione beach is ‘Jamaica’ with its crystal clear water - rent a kayak here and explore! Another famous beach is ‘Spiaggia delle Muse’ which offers nice views of the castle. If you like windsurfing, you should head to Spiaggia Galeazzi, at the base of the peninsula.
Lastly, we’d recommend a sunset cruise around the Sirmione Peninsula or a broader Lake Garda cruise.