Planning a trip to northern Italy

[Bryaxis Hecatee]

Yes I did visit both on the same day, I could even say the same afternoon due to a mistake in my train schedule and then going off one step too early from the bus, making me walk the entire peninsula... I was comming from Verona and arrived first in Sirmione, going to the Castle and then the Villa (going by foot), comming back (still walking) to take the boat to Desenzano where I went to the villa then came back toward the center, visited the Duomo (which, I must confess, did not especially impress me) and went to the small archeological museum (mainly stone, bronze and iron age remains and models of life around lakes at these periods). I did not visit the churches at Sirmione and could have wandered more in the town, but I was on a schedule and there were too many peoples in the streets.

[Maladict]

Thanks, looks like a good daytrip then.

[caesar novus]

Gosh, I have stayed in Desenzano and didn't even know about the villa. But otherwise it is quite dull, and I might even try Peschiera as one train stop. Not that it is better, but maybe works with the ferry schedule better to include one of the great lakeshore walks between Garda, Bardolino, and Lazise. You can get a lower lake ferry day pass, and online schedule to see if this is doable with Sirmione. Probably would need warm weather due to infrequent ferries in the cold.

 

P.S. I think it was you that nudged me into visiting Palermo - what a great experience of mosaics, parks, and alleyways.

 

Edited February 7, 2011 by caesar novus

[Maladict]

P.S. I think it was you that nudged me into visiting Palermo - what a great experience of mosaics, parks, and alleyways.

 

Yes, yes it is. I'm heavily in doubt between my Lombardy trip plans and returning to Sicily and finish up the north shore.

Thanks for the map, a ferry trip or two looks quite appealing.

[Bryaxis Hecatee]

You could probably do something like Desenzano in the morning, arriving there around 10AM (train station on top of the city, take the large avenue in front down to the water front, villa will be in a small street on the left side, duomo a bit on the right, museum a bit further still to the right, the port being in the middle), then going to Sirmione by ship (arriving around 12AM), eating there before visiting the castle (1PM) and the villa (from 2PM to 3PM/3.30PM), don't miss the small museum -pictures unfortunately forbidden- , coming back to the ship's dock at something like 4.30PM, taking the boat to Garda and from there the coastal ship back to Peschiera and it's train station. You might win some time in Sirmione by taking the "small train" between the town and the tip of the peninsula to win about 15min of travel time between the two (in full summer heat I took about 20 to 30min walking the distance, but it was after the castle (and it's many stairs) and walking up the whole peninsula so it might be possible to go faster).

[Maladict]

You could probably do something like Desenzano in the morning, arriving there around 10AM (train station on top of the city, take the large avenue in front down to the water front, villa will be in a small street on the left side, duomo a bit on the right, museum a bit further still to the right, the port being in the middle), then going to Sirmione by ship (arriving around 12AM), eating there before visiting the castle (1PM) and the villa (from 2PM to 3PM/3.30PM), don't miss the small museum -pictures unfortunately forbidden- , coming back to the ship's dock at something like 4.30PM, taking the boat to Garda and from there the coastal ship back to Peschiera and it's train station. You might win some time in Sirmione by taking the "small train" between the town and the tip of the peninsula to win about 15min of travel time between the two (in full summer heat I took about 20 to 30min walking the distance, but it was after the castle (and it's many stairs) and walking up the whole peninsula so it might be possible to go faster).

 

Are those places (Garda, Peschiera) interesting to visit, or is it more about the scenery?

I wouldn't mind a bit of sailing to end the day, but two more places to explore might be overdoing it.

[caesar novus]

http://www.gardainforma.com/en/village/index.html will give you a quick impression of the lake town you click on. There are other similar web sites. Peschiera is just a way to get to train station faster from east side ferry stops.

 

Garda is my favorite lake, but maybe redundant if you are visiting others like Maggiore, Como, Lugano or Iseo. Those can be more like rivers due to narrowness, but the lower half of Garda is wide like a sea. Only the north half has dramatic mountains and looks just like a fjord - Malcesine is the gem, with a cablecar too. There is an express ferry to there that would give incredible scenic views if you can get perched in it's limited outside space.

 

Midway towns like Salo, Gardone R. have some historical attractions and hills, and Garda is supposed to be cute although I have twice arrived when the town is so gridlocked by Tues. market that I couldn't even walk there. Like I said, I found the quick walk south to Bardolino and Lazise a delight although the towns themselves sort of tourist traps.

 

I maybe most enjoyed my first day on Garda with a whole-lake ferry pass, where I contrived to see almost every stop although only getting off at highlights. All east side towns are nice, but not the west side except what I mentioned and Limone. Of course Sirmione is rewarding. There are some days (warm weekends?) when every place and ferry is packed by German speaking campers - do not assume the late afternoon ferrys will keep to schedule on those days.

[Maladict]

Hm, the agony of choice.