After a night at Castello Bevilacqua, JJ and I drove 1-hour northwest to Bardolino in Verona Province. Located on the eastern shore of Lake Garda, Bardolino’s beautiful rolling hills are covered with olive groves, vineyards and cypress trees.
Lake Garda’s circumference is about 160km and road traffic is heavy in high season. To see and do everything around the area requires a few days. Nevertheless, here’s what we managed to fit in with just 24 hours to explore.
PRATI PALAI
Our B&B for the night was Prati Palai, a converted 16th-century farmhouse on a tranquil hillside overlooking Lake Garda. The property has 9 suites with picture-perfect vistas and is surrounded by 45 acres of orchards, meadows and woodland. So gorgeous. Bardolino’s historic centre is 5 minutes away by car or half an hour on foot.
JJ & I stayed in Suite 9 on the second floor, its vibe was sort of rustic-chic. We had a spacious sitting room, comfy double bedroom and bathroom with shower. I loved the muted colour palette and minimal aesthetic. One of my fave features was the oval window above our bed with its view towards Punta San Vigilio headland. WiFi is accessible everywhere on the premises and all suites have aircon.
In addition to Prati Palai’s included continental breakfast, guests can order small plates like salads or sandwiches throughout the day. A lot of the fresh produce offered is grown on-site or at least in the local area. Also, there’s an ‘honesty bar’ in the foyer if you fancy a cheeky aperitivo. The limoncello is homemade with lemons from the garden.
We spent the afternoon lounging by the pool and working out who could swim the most laps underwater (it was a draw, we’d both rather drown than admit defeat) 🙂 Although summer was officially over, the weather was still hot so it was welcome relief to throw on our swimmers and splash around for a bit. The view from poolside was pretty special too!
BARDOLINO
Later on, the two of us walked down the hill towards the lake and settled at Miralago Pizzeria-Bar-Gelateria. The bar was busy and the service slow, but its waterfront position was unbeatable. We sat watching the amazing sunset over Lake Garda with Spritz Aperols in hand and couldn’t have been happier.
Once the sun was down we left the touristy waterfront bar in search of a quieter spot to have dinner. While wandering Bardolino’s old town, JJ and I came across Ok Piccobello and decided to stop there for pizzas. The waitstaff were friendly and the food was delish, it was absolutely perfect. After the meal, we each got a complimentary digestivo which was a nice surprise to end the evening with.
SIRMIONE
Before heading back to JJ’s sister’s place in Cremona Province, we spent the morning in Sirmione (Brescia Province). This comune is situated on a peninsula that extends out from the southern shore of Lake Garda. It’s one of those must-see lakeside towns with several famous attractions. Driving from Bardolino took us about an hour.
Parking around Sirmione was a total nightmare. JJ and I were there on a Wednesday morning in mid-September and eventually managed to find a space 3km away from the historic centre. All the closeby car parks were packed with tour busses. We don’t mind walking and weren’t in a rush, but this is something to be aware of if you’re planning to travel independently.
The main reason that we wanted to visit Sirmione was to see the ruins of Grotte di Catullo (a 1st-century Roman villa). I can only imagine how impressive this massive residence would have been in its day. The villa was built on the very tip of the Sirmio peninsular with panoramic lake views, such a stunning location. We paid €8 p/p to enter the Grotte di Catullo archaeological site.
To conclude our sightseeing mission, afternoon coffees and gelati were essential. We finished the ice creams on the run so that we could get back to the car before our parking ticket expired. Nothing like caffeine and a sugar hit to get your arse in gear!
From Sirmione, we drove 1.5 hours back towards Milan to stay with JJ’s sister for our final 2 nights in Italy. On this holiday, I feel like we really nailed the ideal balance of family catch-ups and romantic mini-break, it was truly wonderful.
Read my previous post from this Italy trip:
1 Night Stay in Castello Bevilacqua, Verona Province
Pin this post for later:
Pin my packing list:
Lake Garda looks like a great place for a vacation. I am sure Prati Palai is one of the best places to visit in the area. It looks such a peaceful place. I would love to spend there a few days there. The rooms look cosy and the view from the pool is just great. The castle at Sirmione looks just as great. I can totally understand what a nightmare parking can be!
Haha parking nightmare aside, it was a great trip. Prati Palai definitely made for a relaxing experience in a very touristy region 🙂
I have German friends who always spend their holidays at Lago di Garda. They said it is very dog friendly. Bardolino sounds wonderful and I hope to check it out some day!
If you do head to Lago di Garda, Prati Palai is pet friendly. We saw plenty of doggy friends while we were there 🙂
I haven’t heard of Lake Garda before, but what a lovely area it looks to be. Prati Palai looks like my kind of place. Clean, quaint and not so much furniture that you can’t move around. What a wonderful place to relax and recharge. Funny that you and JJ are both so competitive. The Sirmione looks like such a great place to explore. I really like old ruins like that. Love the ducks at sunset. They don’t seem afraid at all.
I’m so glad you like the look of Bardolino and Sirmione. You’re right Kathleen, the cheeky ducks were hanging around hoping for some crumbs to be thrown their way I think.
The Prati Palai B&B looks gorgeous, I’d definitely love to stay there. I stayed in Malcesine when I visited Lake Garda, looks very much like Bardolino old town. Would be great to explore the ruins of Grotte di Catullo in Sirmione and learn about the history. Lake Garda is worth a longer visit, I’d happily go back!
There are so many lovely comunes in the Lake Garda area Vanessa, I’d like to go back and explore some more too!
Prati Palai looks and sounds so peaceful and has all of the amenities you could need. I’m not sure that I would want to leave, as the views from the pool are spectacular. Since I’m not a fan of tonnes of vehicles, I would likely skip Sirione.
We loved Prati Palai and definitely didn’t want to leave after only 24 hours. Sirmione was lovely but we probably picked the wrong time to visit. I think the shoulder/off season would have been a better option.
All the pictures speak for itself. And the B&B in itself is so peaceful. Just by looking at it, I would love to go for a vacation there.
You’re right, our B&B was in such a peaceful location! I’d definitely recommend it over being on the lakefront where all the busy hotels and restaurants are.