Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
since. At the Aquaria spa you can wallow in two thermal pools - the outdoor one is set
right beside the lake.
Other treatments - including mud sessions (€50) and massages (€80) - must be booked
in advance, but for the pools you just turn up with your swimsuit and flip-flops, and tow-
els and robes will be provided. Swimsuits and thongs are also available for purchase at the
spa if you don't have yours.
WORTH A TRIP
SOLFERINO & SAN MARTINO
A 19km drive south from Sirmione takes you to Solferino, a small village which played a huge part in Italian his-
tory - and helped spawn a global aid agency. On 24 June 1859, as part of the Risorgimento (Italian unification),
Solferino and nearby San Martino were the scene of two battles where the combined 135,000 Piedmontese and
French forces took on and defeated 140,000 Austrians. Almost 980 cannons were on the battlefields, along with
19,000 horses. Casualties were horrendous: 9800 soldiers died, 20,000 were wounded, 11,400 went missing or
were taken prisoner. A Swiss businessperson, Henry Dunant, witnessed the aftermath of the battle and was so ap-
palled by the lack of care for the casualties that he set up the organisation that became the international Red Cross
and Red Crescent movements.
The
Musei di Solferino
( 0376 85 40 19;
www.solferinoesanmartino.it
; Via Ossario di Solferino; adult/
child €2.50/1; 9am-12.30pm & 2.30-7pm Tue-Sun Mar-Sep) displays small cannons, uniforms and gilt-
framed paintings of the conflict, while the tower of the village's castle provides panoramic views of the battle-
fields. There is also a Red Cross monument, and a chilling ossuary in the church of San Pietro where the bones of
more than 7000 soldiers are kept.
Eating
TRATTORIA
€€
La Fiasca
( 030 990 61 11;
www.trattorialafiasca.it
; Via Santa Maria Maggiore; meals €30; noon-2.30pm & 7-10.30pm
Thu-Tue)
Serving up the kind of sauces you can't help dunking your bread in, this authentic
trattoria is tucked away in a back street just off the main square. The atmosphere is warm
and bustling, and the dishes are packed with traditional Lake Garda produce. Prepare for
some gutsy flavours: tagliatelle with perch and mushrooms, pappardelle with boar
ragù,
and duck with cognac and juniper.
GASTRONOMIC, GARDESE
€€€
La Rucola
( 030 91 63 26;
www.ristorantelarucola.it
; Vicolo Strentelle 7; meals €75-120; noon-2.30pm & 7-11pm Sat-
Wed, 7-11pm Fri)
Sirmione's most elegant eatery is a refined affair. Modern art adds splashes
of colour to the stone walls, while the chefs add a touch of class to a menu strong on sea
