Sigurtá and Borghetto Garden Park near Lake Garda

Writer: Helena Bergström

Curious to discover a hidden gem near the popular Lake Garda in Italy? Then we recommend the magnificent Parco Giardino Sigurtá park and the historic village of Borghetto. These two places are located right next to each other and together make a very pleasant destination.

Parco Giardino Sigurtá in Italy

Parco Giardino Sigurtá is a huge park that includes 600,000 square metres of lawns and forests, 18 ponds and lakes, a million tulips, 30,000 roses, a labyrinth and a 400-year-old oak tree.

The park has been recognised by the Garden Tourism Network as one of the most beautiful parks in the world and it was this that attracted us to the area. The charming little village of Borghetto came as a surprise.

Parco Giardino Sigurtá is located in the town of Vallegio sul Mincio in the Veneto region, just south of Lake Garda in northern Italy.

To visit Parco Giardino Sigurtá

When we went to visit Parco Giardino Sigurtá, we parked our camper van in a free car park nearby and walked to the park. Visiting the park is not free, however, and currently costs €18 per person (or €14 if you are a pensioner). We also chose to go big and rented a golf cart. Because the park is so enormously large, so if you're going to walk around you'll need a long time (as well as strong legs and tolerance to the sun).

Renting a golf cart in the park currently costs €20 for the first hour, and €10 per hour thereafter. A positive surprise was that a really good guided tour is included. You see a map of the park in front of you, and from time to time a voice tells you about the different places you visit along the way. The golf cart undoubtedly enhanced our experience!

The park really is incredibly large, with green spaces, lakes, ponds, flower gardens, statues and cafés. In addition, the occasional attraction appears in the form of various buildings. We first visited the Hermitage, which is a charming Gothic building from 1792.

We also checked out Castelletto - a neo-Gothic castle that was once used as an armoury and later became a meeting place for Nobel Prize winners such as Alexander Fleming and Gerhard Domagk.

The park has many marvellous flower beds, but we were here at the wrong time for the tulips. The roses were still blooming, albeit in their final stages, along the long rose walk Viale delle Rose.

Our favourite parts were the delicious labyrinth and the beautiful ponds, where you could still see water lilies blooming.

There are also great viewpoints in the park.

If you have children with you, the different animals might be popular. We liked the nice donkeys, but there are also sheep, goats and other domesticated animals.

Borghetto village - well worth a visit!

We realised that there was a nice historical village near the park when a woman, speaking Italian, asked us for directions. We managed to help her, by looking up Google Maps on our phones, and later we wanted to visit it ourselves. Borghetto is a very picturesque little village located right next to the Mincio River, not far from the Parco Giardini Sigurtá park.

The historic bridge Ponte Visconteo

The first thing we saw as we approached the village was the gorgeous historic bridge. Ponte Visconteo is a fortified bridge from the 14th century, partly destroyed but still impressive and really cool.

Borghetto - a charming village with the dish "Love Knot"

The small village of Borghetto, located just next to the bridge, is a charming little gem. There are not many streets, but every corner is cosy. Tourists find their way here and there are plenty of both restaurants and cute little shops.

Perhaps the most charming part of the village is the side where the houses face the water. There are several restaurants here, where you can sit right by the river. Absolutely picturesque!

The area is known, among other things, for the dish tortellini di Vallegio, often called "nodo d'amore" (love knot). The dish consists of super-thin pasta folded into a small knot, which is supposed to recall a local legend of two lovers who tied a silk scarf around each other and threw themselves into the river ...

The filling is usually meat (veal, pork or chicken), possibly combined with herbs and vegetables. If there's one dish you should try while you're here, this might be it!

Scaliger Castle

When walking around Borghetto, you can look up at several towers on the hill above. These are Scaliger Castle. The castle was built in the 14th century by the Scaliger family, the same family that built the castles of Sirmione and Malcesine, among others.

Where can you stay or park your motorhome?

There are several charming accommodations directly in Borghetto and in the immediate surroundings. If you come by motorhome, there are several different options. We were at the caravan park Camper Parking Visconteo. This is a well-managed, well-organised and automated site.

Currently (2025), you pay €14 per day or €7 per 12 hours. If you want to use the motorhome service (fresh water and grey and black water drainage) you have to add €3 and if you want to take a shower you have to pay €1. Everything is loaded easily onto a card and you pay when you check out.

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

From Parco Giardini Sigurtá and the historic village of Borghetto, it's not far to Lake Garda. Here are some more tips for places to experience nearby:

• Guide to Lake Garda
• Things to do in Sirmione
• Wine in Valpolicella
• The amphitheatre in Verona

Have you visited Parco Giardino Sigurtá or Borghetto?

Have you visited Parco Giardino Sigurtá or Borghetto? Is this your kind of place to visit? Please tell us!