The Villa Melzi Gardens, considered some of the most beautiful in Italy, were designed in the English style, and are dotted with statuary, grottoes, pavilions, a traditional orangery (which today houses a museum), and a small chapel where the Melzi family is entombed. There are a number of paths crisscrossing the grounds, and those along the waterfront are lined with benches to take in the view over the lake.
Visit the gardens on a walking, biking, or boat tour of Lake Como and Bellagio. Many Lake Como tours also explore the nearby city of Varenna, as well as Villa del Balbianello and Villa Carlotta.
Villa Melzi d’Eril and the Villa Melzi Gardens are set in Bellagio directly along the shores of Lake Como. Walk to the gardens from the center of Bellagio or take a water taxi to the jetty adjacent to the grounds.
The gardens are open from March through October. Spring and fall are the best seasons to visit, when the gardens are colorful, but less crowded than in the summer months.
Garden enthusiasts may also want to visit Villa del Balbianello, set on a small promontory on the western shore of Lake Como. The villa’s luxurious interiors and scenic loggia are open to the public, and the lavish gardens with romantic lake views have been used as the setting for a number of Hollywood films.