Lake Garda at Sunset: Desenzano Walk & Boat around Sirmione

We will explore the "Capital" of Lake Garda by walking by the most significant ancient, renaissance and new buildings and sites and give you the best insights as both guides and citizens of Desenzano. We will tell you about the stories and the history of it with a sense of humor and without lecturing you.

The Roman Villa was built by a Roman merchant and noble man in the 1st century BC. We will access the site and keep the explanation clear and simple. Admiring the ancient mosaics is something stunning!

The Old Medieval defensive tower and castle offer a stunning view over the old town and the lake´s Northern shores. We will reach the very top of it and enjoy the broad view from the Monte Baldo and Sirmione to the Mountain parks of the Brescia district

The Old Harbour and the Venetian district - the best spot to have a perfect picture of town and its glorious past. This is one of the spots where most of the visitors can´t walk by without stopping and admiring its beauty. You will learn the stories of the local fisherman and the great influence of the Venetian Republic on this beautiful town

The main church of Desenzano from the 16th hundreds. Even a smaller town like Desenzano offers great art and architecture, We will access the church and admire its great works of art

The statue dedicated to the Aviators from Desenzano and their speed record. This modern sculpture glorifies the great actions of the local aviation and the world speed record they set many years ago

BOAT RIDE Here is where we will start our boat tour. We will leave Desenzano from the central pier, in front of the Ancient Venetian Harbour and we will have the chance to enjoy a unique view of this lovely town.
In the following part of the description you will learn about the spots that we will be visiting during the boat ride.

BOAT RIDE - Once we reach Sirmione, we will be able to admire its world famous peninsula by riding close by the shore and seeing the most beautiful sites away from the crowds

BOAT RIDE The legendary Opera Singer lived in Sirmione with her husband, local businessman, during the 50´s and left this art-deco palace here in the town center

BOAT RIDE A view of the 1500 years old church of San Pietro in Mavino, placed on the Mavino hill, is a view that most of the tourist are not able to see while in Sirmione. It will give you a different perspective of this very busy place

BOAT RIDE Once we reach the northern tip of the peninsula we will enjoy a breathtaking sunset view of the mountains surrounding Lake Garda on one side while in the other direction we will see the spectacular ruins of the Grotte di Catullo, an ancient and large palace built by the noble senatorial family Valerii here in Sirmione around 2000 years ago. The angle from which we see them makes the view and the moment absolutely memorable

BOAT RIDE We end the section of the tour in Sirmione with the town’s most iconic building, the ancient medieval Castle built by the Scala family in the 12th hundreds and still standing, supported by over 11000 beams underwater. The ride here will show you this spot from an absolutely unique angle that most of the visitors miss from the main land. We will stop by the fortified pier and later ride underneath the low bridges that once connected Sirmione old town with the mainland, a truly unbeaten experience.

From here on, it will be time to enjoy the best sunset light. Our way back to Desenzano will be a relaxed ride with a nice glass of local wine and some good music