Italy's northern lakes are hard not to fall in love with. A lakeside escape to the sunny shores of Lake Como, Maggiore, or Garda means strolls along the cobbled streets of historic towns, mouthwatering al-fresco dining on waterside terraces, and siestas in elegant villa gardens, shaded by palm trees.
VISIT THE ITALIAN LAKES WITH GH
While these heavenly lakes make the perfect place for a purely relaxing holiday, there's also plenty to explore for those who want to add a dash of culture and nature to the mix.
If you're staying on Lake Orta, you can visit the beautiful island of San Giulio, with its fresco-lined basilica. Lake Garda is great for adventure-seekers, who can try windsurfing in Torbole, visit the Varone waterfall or hike up to Punta Larici for incredible views.
And if you're based on Lake Como there's a seemingly endless list of tiny towns, quaint isolas, and enchanting gardens to discover. One particular highlight is the gorgeous Villa Carlotta, a white neoclassical villa with exquisite botanical gardens and an impressive art collection.
This beautiful building was constructed in the late 17th century by Marquis Giorgio Clerici of Milan, a wealthy silk merchant. It later passed into the hands of the politician Giovanni Battista Sommariva, who devoted his time to collecting art, filling the halls of Villa Carlotta with impressive sculptures and paintings. Thanks to Sommariva's collections, Villa Carlotta became an important stop on the Grand Tour, drawing intellectuals from all over Europe.
Any lover of art and architecture visiting northern Italy should make Villa Carlotta a stop on their own Grand Tour. The gardens and villas offer views of the colourful town of Bellagio across the lake, set beautifully against a backdrop of the snow-capped Bergamo Alps.
Today, Villa Carlotta houses an impressive museum with a collection of statues, paintings, and original neoclassical furniture, with valuable masterpieces by Francesco Hayez, Antonio Canova and Bertel Thorvaldsen.
The gardens here are as impressive as the house itself, with blooms of bright azaleas and rhododendrons, ancient trees and towering palms. There's also an Italian garden with manicured hedges, shaded pergolas, orange and camellia trees, and a peaceful bamboo garden.
Lake Como is known for its citrus fruit trees, and the garden at Villa Carlotta is no exception. On the terraces between the villa and the lake, you can stroll under a series of impressive citrus arches, with mandarins, bitter oranges, lemons, grapefruits, bergamot growing at different times of year.
The good news is it's very easy to visit Villa Carlotta. The museum and gardens are open from March to early December and the €15 tickets give you access to both, along with a self-guided audio tour so you can learn more about the villa's intriguing history. You can also explore the villa on Good Housekeeping's exclusive tour of Italy's lakes.
There's a lovely little coffee shop and restaurant to be found inside an old greenhouse in the grounds. Stop for lunch or breakfast and enjoy the jaw-dropping views across the lake while dining on traditional Italian breakfast, fresh salads, and recipes made with fish from the lake.
If you're planning a Lake Como holiday and have Villa Carlotta on your must-see list, consider booking a hotel in Tremezzo so you'll be just a short stroll away. This town has a range of accommodation options, from guest houses and boutique stays like La Darsena to the opulent Grand Hotel Tremezzo, a honey-coloured Art Nouveau palazzo with a floating swimming pool and arabesque gardens.
If you're staying elsewhere, you can reach Tremezzo and Villa Carlotta by car, taking the state road towards Menaggio from Como. But the most scenic way to travel to the villa is to take a boat from Bellagio, which will bring you right to the steps of the Villa in just 15 minutes, while you soak in the glorious Lake Como vistas.
You can visit Villa Carlotta on Good Housekeeping's eight-day tour of Italy's wonderful northern lakes. You'll be based in foothills of the Alps, in the four-star
Hotel Giardinetto on the banks of Lake Orta. On the itinerary is a trip to Tremezzo with time to explore Villa Carlotta and admire the town's other stately villas from the outside.
