Take a cruise or a ferry to explore Lake Como. We booked a day trip from Milan to Lake Como with Ciao Florence. The public ferry was an interesting experience. Our family was able to find a place to stand on the top deck and eventually find seats. Our tour guide and group were scattered all over the ferry which made it a bit disorganized. The ferry itself was amazing. The views were magical on a wonderful sunny Friday. When our guide finally located most of the group that had migrated to the top floor, he gave us a bit of insight into Villa Carlotta. The history is one with many families involved. Originally built on ancestral land by the Clerici family who became successful silk merchants. The country estate and gardens were built in the 1690s. As with many wealthy families, the great grandson spent too much money building an extravagant palazzo, the Palazzo Clerici in Milan, which forced his heirs to see their Lake Como villa sold to cover their debts. Over the next couple of hundred years, the property continued to exchange hands until it was eventually was converted to a museum and gardens by royal decree. Nice to be able to see it from the ferry. Maybe next time, we will have more time to explore the villa and its gardens. read more

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What an amazing place! It's a museum and a garden, the bottom floor is a cool interactive museum. read more

Villa Carlotta - Museums Near Me - Tremezzina, Colorado

We came here on a Saturday evening for the after hours tour. It was lovely getting to see the museum and gardens without the crowd. I was a little disappointed by the lack of flowers in the botanical garden but I imagine it is stunning in the spring when the camellias are blooming. read more

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Beautiful botanical gardens beneath and surrounding Villa Carlotta. Entry offers both the grand (entire) tour or a shorter tour. We did not purchase tickets beforehand and had zero wait time. The trails are long and winding pillowed with luscious species of florals and plants. Ended with a cool gift shop. I would dedicate ~60-90 minutes for this, then check out Grand Hotel Tremezzo next door. read more

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Gorgeous gardens and breathtaking views. Even though it rained when we visited, we still enjoyed the beautiful grounds. read more

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I'd classify this as a must see when visiting Lake Como. The Villa Carlotta is a fabulous villa and botanical garden located in Tremezzo, directly across the road on Lake Como. The villa is now a museum, beautifully adorned with art and period furniture. The villa was completed in 1745, and both the villa and the gardens offer spectacular views of the lake. It's easily accessible ferry and quite close to both Balbianello, and Villa Melzi. We visited both Villa Carlotta and Villa Balbianello in one day, it is possible to visit all three in one day, though I think that would require some planning and a rushed itinerary. Villa Carlotta is listed as one of the 8 Best Villas to Visit according to lakecomotravel.com. Their top 8 Villas in alphabetical order include: 1. Villa Balbianello 2. Villa Bernasconi 3. Villa Carlotta 4. Villa d'Este 5. Villa Erba 6. Villa Melzi (Gardens) 7. Villa Monastero 8. Villa Olmo We visited seven of these villas, missing only Villa Monastero. Villa Carlotta was certainly one of our favorites, with the Villa easy to tour, and providing art, furniture and great views of the lake. The grounds are expansive and can easily take an hour or more to walk around the hilly terrain. Though the gardens are not as fabulous as Villa Melzi (I may be nitpicking here), they are nonetheless beautiful and very worthwhile. And unlike Melzi where the Villa is closed, both the Carlotta Villa and Gardens are available to tour. We consider Carlotta one of the five-star Villas to see in Lake Como. read more

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Villa Carlotta was quite a spectacular stop on our tour of Lake Como. So, we had a private tour guide for the day. Villa Carlotta was the last stop. We were tired, we were hot, our listening ears were broken, our legs were sore... can't say we started this last tour stop on the best foot (long day!) but... SO glad we did get to visit the Villa! When you first arrive, prepare for some steps to get to the Villa Carlotta. However, the journey is gorgeous. Lovely ivy, flowers, fountains... you name it... it feels as though you're walking up to a lovely castle! The tour was nice, the inside of the Villa is absolutely stunning with historical artwork that'll knock your britches off! I'm NOT NOT NOT a museum / history guy per se... however, I did enjoy this tour. NOW, the fun part... walking through the gardens. I struggle quite a bit with how much I say here... if I tell you now, it ruins the magic. Let's just say they have a plethora of exotic plants, from ALL OVER the world, in different gardens. That's it. That is all I will give you... now, it seems like the cat is out of the bag, right? WRONG. Go, visit, buy the darn $20 ticket and see / understand why I won't tell you about the stroll through the garden. It was breathtaking and magical. You know the amazing moment in the movie Lion King when they lift the log and all those beautiful bugs fly all over your TV screen? Remember that tingle as a kid?? That is what this garden will give you! Promise! If you have any appreciation for the outdoors... this will 100% bring you the warm fuzzies and the raised hair on your neck that we all desire! Don't forget to stop at their gift / snack / bar at the end... it is a bit off the beaten path but it is adorable. Drinks are wonderful and prices are absolutely fair. Again, not a history person, don't typically do tours like this but if I had another trip to Lake Como, Villa Carlotta would absolutely be a stop. Albeit it was best with a tour guide, I'd still do a tour on my own. Take a lunch / picnic. Sit in the gardens, eat in the sun or under a lovely tree. It will be an afternoon you won't soon forget!!! read more

A must see. My mom and I ferried over to Villa Carlotta from Bellagio. The villa was built in 1745 by Marquis Clerici. Clerici's great-grandson blew the family fortune building a palazzo in Milan and the family had to sell the villa in 1801. The next owners, the Sommariva family, are primarily responsible for expanding the stunning gardens; they sold the villa in 1843 to Princess Marianne of Nassau (the ex-wife of Prince Albert of Prussia), who gave it to her daughter Carlotta as a wedding gift in 1847. The villa itself has been faithfully restored and now houses period-appropriate furnishings and decor, rotating art exhibits, and permanent paintings and sculptures. There is an excellent café in a converted greenhouse and a very good gift shop. The gardens are accessed by three paths: a short path that takes you from point A to point B, a long path that meanders over a much greater distance, and an accessible path for those who need flat terrain. The paths are at times in full sun and at times fully shaded. You wander through groves of rhododendron, azaleas, camellias, bamboo, oranges, etc. The specimens are from all over the world and include plane trees, tulip trees, sequoia, cacti, etc. It's all well-cared for and the signage is exceptional. We spent four hours there and would love to return in the spring when everything is in full bloom. read more

11/6/201 I was determined to visit a Villa when my husband and I were at Lake Como. However, given that it was already autumn/winter season (low season), many of the villas either weren't open or didn't have many days/hours in which they were open. I really wanted to visit the villa that was the scene of one of the 007 James Bond movies, but that one wasn't open. Sooo...we came to Villa Carlotta instead, which we heard was the other famous villa to visit in the Lake Como area (according to Rick Steve's Italy 2013 guidebook). We took the lake-ferry from Bellagio to Tremezzo (had to buy a separate ticket for that since we were there in off-season). Got off the boat and walked about 10 minutes to our right towards Villa Carlotta. It was RAINING that day too, but good thing we had our umbrellas. It was 9 euros per person to go inside the villa and we went immediately to the gardens outside for a quick tour (in the rain). The grounds were very well maintained and pristine, lush green, there were bamboo growing in some parts, and lots of pepple stairs/walkways. You can spend a good hour strolling through the gardens if you wanted to, but we were on a limited time crunch, so briskly walked through. :) Afterwards, we went inside and toured the downstairs, 2nd and 3rd floor. There's an elevator available too (small though) and staircase to walk up. NO PHOTOS allowed of the inside, there are female guards looking, haha. We got some nice views of the front of the Villa and Lake Como from the 3rd floor balcony, but the balcony is not sturdy (so be careful). :) Overall, we had fun - just wish the weather had been nicer and sunnier as the colors would have been better in our photos! After our quick tour of the mansion, we walked back to the Tremezzo port to wait for our hydrofoil back to Bellagio. read more

Villa Carlotta - Inside the front gates of Villa Carlotta - Museums Near Me - Tremezzina, Colorado

An amazing botanical gardens. They are huge and it is so pleasant to walk through them, especially on a hut summer day. I've heard that springtime is the best time to go, though since the flowers are all blooming. I didn't get a chance to see inside the villa though, because they close at 5. They should stay open later in the summer! This was my only complaint. read more

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Outstanding gardens and "home". I recommend that you spent 1-2 hours walking around the peaceful gardens and enjoying the flora, fauna and beautiful views of Lake Como. Very well kept grounds. read more

Villa Carlotta - Museums Near Me - Tremezzina, Colorado

Yes - it is a must see when on Lake Como. I loved it. You get to roam the inside of the villa too. A beautiful way to enjoy the Italian lifestyle. read more

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Visited Villa Carlotta & Gardens on a day-trip to Lake Como from Milan, during September of 2015. The grounds are beautiful, and reminded me much of Butchart Gardens in Victoria, BC, Canada. Everything was green and very well-kept. We spent a couple of hours walking the grounds and seeing the villa. A really beautiful place to spend part of a day when visiting Lake Como, and an easy ferry ride across the lake from the town of Bellagio. Highly recommended! read more

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Villa Carlotta is set on the side of Lake Como across from Bellagio. It has the most amazing gardens which continue to be developed in an artistic manner enhancing the natural beauty of the landscape and providing a canvas for individual sculptures, inviting stairs and fountains. On two long weekend trips to Bellagio we visited Villa Carlotta three times as there is so much to see and in a year the garden had altered in such interesting ways. A wonderful section of Chinese bamboos and waterways gives a tropical feel at one point as well as the arid but brightly flowered rock garden with lizards sunbathing even in October. The Villa itself is a grand old residence which can be clearly viewed across the lake lit up at night as a wonderful landmark. There is a very reasonable cafe in the gardens making the perfect spot for relaxing after exploring the gardens. read more

Very nice garden with a museum inside the villa. I'd recommend bringing a sandwich for a quick picnic inside the garden.