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Lenno, Tremezzo, Menaggio

Climb aboard a boat and go to see the spectacular Villa del Balbianello, Villa Carlotta and the village of Menaggio, via lake, for a day with a princely flavour!

Technical information

Walking time: About 1 day

Starting point: Bellagio

Seightseen and points of interest included in the itinerary:

Villa del Balbianello in Lenno
Villa Carlotta in Tremezzina
Menaggio

Information:

Villa del Balbianello: the villa’s interiors can only be visited on a 45-minute guided tour, while you can visit the park on your own. Both the villa and the park are open every day except Mondays and Wednesdays that are not public holidays, from 10 am to 6 pm. The site is exceptionally closed on 14 September and on 24 and 25 December, on 21 October it closes earlier, at 3 pm. From November, opening hours are shorter, from 10 am to 5 pm.
Villa Carlotta is open every day from March to November, from 10 am to 6 pm or from 10 am to 7 pm depending on the period. From 23 October, the museum is open from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm, while the garden is open until 6 pm, with last admission time at 5 pm.
Boat info: you can purchase a ticket for free circulation on Lake Como. For further details: public transport on Lake Como.

Description

If you love noble villas, this itinerary is for you! Set off from Bellagio by boat, maybe taking advantage of daily free-circulation tickets, and go to Lenno to visit Villa del Balbianello, currently owned by FAI (Italian National Trust). The villa is located on a small, flourishing peninsula and welcomes you in a romantic, timeless atmosphere, with reception rooms, artistic gardens and a broad panorama that makes it one of Lake Como’s most scenic residences. During the guided tour, one of the places you will discover is the Museum of Expeditions, which tells the story of the mountaineering explorations of Guido Monzino, the first Italian to reach the summit of Mount Everest and the last owner of the villa, as well as various artistic collections, the fabulous garden featuring plants pruned in unusual ways and the eighteenth-century Loggia Durini. Thanks to its beauty and uniqueness, a great many visitors and even famous film directors have fallen in love with Villa del Balbianello, choosing it as the location for their films.

The second historic residence of the day is Villa Carlotta. In this case, you have two options: going to Tremezzina by boat, or following the scenic Lake Como Greenway, which takes about an hour and a half on foot. Upon arrival, an architectural and botanical paradise awaits you, making you feel like the star of a regal universe: Princess Charlotte’s apartments, the artistic exhibitions with works by Canova and Hayez, among others, as well as the romantic Italian gardens with a view of the lake, containing an abundance of flowers, plants and themed sectors.

At the end of the day, move on to Menaggio by boat, for a visit to the historic centre, a walk along the waterfront and a well-deserved aperitif to sip slowly at sunset, before returning to Bellagio.