Latest news with #SiamoSirmione
Daily Mirror
07-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Town overrun by 75,000 tourists sparking 'gridlock' as sightseers wait 'hours'
Sightseers were reportedly left waiting 40 minutes just to make it through the town centre gates as vast crowds 'overran' the area - with around 75,000 visitors reported to have landed on the resort Tens of thousands of tourists swarmed a small Italian town over the May Day bank holiday - creating a "gridlock" that halted traffic and left other sightseers waiting "hours" to get in. The 75,000 travellers sparked fury after descending on the narrow streets of Sirmione, a village of just 8,000 residents on the scenic shores of Lake Garda in Italy. The site, known for its Roman ruins, is home to a number of thermal baths and the majestic 13th-century Scaligero Castle. Sightseers were reportedly left waiting 40 minutes just to make it through the town centre gates over the weekend as vast crowds "overran" the area. A whopping 75,000 visitors are reported to have landed on the resort to visit the fortress, according to The Sun. Shocking footage circulated online showing throngs of travellers piling into the area. The endless sea of people stopped caused gridlock traffic for residents in cars and electric buses, with locals left outraged by the deluge. "Overrun by tourists — chaos, gridlock, and hours of waiting," said one on X recalling the chaotic spectacle. "A crisis that must be urgently addressed and regulated. It damages our heritage and turns the experience into a negative one." Another disgruntled user said: "Overtourism is what happens when presence is confused with existence. Fast, loud, empty. Like fast fashion — disposable and harmful. Travel less, mean more." Marco Merlo, president of the hotel and restaurant operators association, told the Times that he was "very worried about public safety and the quality of life for tourists, residents and workers." He said: "We hope the council will involve us in finding effective and widely agreed strategies." A local group called Siamo Sirmione ('We Are Sirmione') also spoke out against overtourism in their home city - which has been famously linked to historical figures such as Sigmund Freud to James Joyce. "If this is the council's management model the risk is not just hardship for residents but a real and lasting harm for the tourism and image of Sirmione," the group wrote. Roberto Salaorni, the official responsible for transport admitted the crowds could have been managed better. He said: "This is the first thing to do, possibly installing a barrier at the entrance to the castle, which would enable us to manage exceptional situations such as we saw on Friday." But he added he'd never "seen so many people" visiting Sirmione or the neighbouring towns. Italy is among a number of European destinations that have been fighting against high levels of tourism. In Venice, local officials were forced to limit large tourist groups - but the rule has long been ignored.
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Fury in Italy as 75,000 tourists jam streets of quaint Lake Garda village as video shows arguing holidaymakers trying to barge their way in to fairytale castle
Fury has erupted in Italy after 75,000 tourists were seen jamming the streets of a quaint village while trying to barge their way into a fairytale castle. Over the long bank holiday weekend, thousands of sunseekers flocked to Lake Garda to take in the stunning sights, but locals were left fuming with their behaviour. Footage from the chaotic scenes showed swathes of tourists pushing and shoving one another as they rammed through Sirmione to catch a glimpse of the iconic Castello Scaligero di Sirmione. Local authorities estimated that about 75,000 people had visited the medieval town, which has an estimated population of just more than 8,000, during the May Day holiday weekend. The stunning Lake Garda resort was teeming with eager tourists who became clumped together as they struggled to walk through the narrow streets. Clips shared on TikTok showed queues of angry tourists in the sun attempting to make their way through the village but grinding to a halt due to the sheer number of bodies. Cars and electric buses were seen trying to squeeze their way through the human traffic but getting stuck in the middle of the road as throngs of people flooded the street. The peaceful 13th century castle grounds were filled with tourists of all ages attempting to snap photos and find shade among hundreds of others. Roberto Salaorni, the councillor responsible for transport, said there was no intention to limit the number of people allowed in through the narrow bridge giving access to the castle but the flow needed to be better regulated. 'This is the first thing to do, possibly installing a barrier at the entrance to the castle, which would enable us to manage exceptional situations such as we saw on Friday,' he said. 'Controls are absolutely necessary, but I stress that we have never seen so many people before, not just in Sirmione but in the other towns around the lake'. The dramatic rush made life for locals near impossible and resembled scenes usually seen in larger cities such as Rome and Venice. Marco Merlo, the president of the hotel and restaurant operators association said: 'We're very worried about public safety and the quality of life for tourists, residents and workers. 'We hope the council will involve us in finding effective and widely agreed strategies.' Members of a local group, Siamo Sirmione, which translates in English to 'We are Sirmione', said the crush was the worst they had ever witnessed. 'If this is the council's management model the risk is not just hardship for residents but a real and lasting harm for the tourism and image of Sirmione,' the group said. Sirmione is one of the most popular sights in Lake Garda and attracts thousands of visitors due to its picturesque peninsula. Theresa May, the former prime minister, has visited the lakeside town for the last 25 years with her husband, Philip, staying at the five-star Villa Cortine Palace hotel. The bank holiday weekend crush in Sirmione comes after an American woman came under fire after criticising a small town on the Amalfi Coast for having too many 'loud tourists' and 'no authentic' restaurants. Content creator Keri was left impressed during her visit to Positano and said that 'influencers' lied about the Italian town. 'There was maybe one good pizza place and one good pasta place, but most of them were fancy and overpriced,' she said. Keri added that the public transportation in Positano, located on the Amalfi Coast, was poor, saying: 'You basically have to hike everywhere to get around.' However, despite being a US citizen, Keri said she found too many 'loud American tourists' in the town. She said she was aware that her statement sounded 'hypocritical' but proceeded to stand by her view, saying: 'There were just so many Americans, I don't know how to put this, but it was like the people that were like weren't well travelled. 'Just loud and yelling down the tiny streets while repping their favourite football team.'
