Holidays 
Cruises 
Flights 
Hotel Only 
Deals 
Destinations 
Extras
Experiences
Travel information
Help CentreList
7 nights
;img.crop(width:1080,height:608))
Beautiful gardens to visit in the Italian lakes
If gorgeous gardens are your idea of paradise, you'll find plenty to explore around the Italian lakes. The area blooms from spring right through to early autumn, so you can spend your summer holiday strolling around elaborate formal gardens and parks, admiring a rainbow of plants and flowers. Here are some of our favourites.
Sigurtà Garden Park, Valeggio Sul Mincio, Lake Garda
Dating back to the 1400s, this park not far from Peschiera has been owned by the Sigurtà family since 1941 and they’ve put a lot of love into it since.
Spend a day exploring the 148-acre area, which has won awards for being one of the most impressive in Europe. The most well-known spot is the Viale della Rose, a 1km path lined with over 30,000 roses. You can also wind your way through the Labyrinth – a geometric maze with a domed tower in the middle – visit the 400-year-old Great Oak tree, and stroll around the Great Turf, a lawn surrounded by trees and ponds filled with koi carp.
The owners are especially fond of the Officinal Garden, which is home to 40 types of plants that have therapeutic or medicinal properties. And if you’ve got kids with you, they’ll love visiting the donkeys, sheep and goats in the farm, or looking for fallow deer in the valley.
Spend a day exploring the 148-acre area, which has won awards for being one of the most impressive in Europe. The most well-known spot is the Viale della Rose, a 1km path lined with over 30,000 roses. You can also wind your way through the Labyrinth – a geometric maze with a domed tower in the middle – visit the 400-year-old Great Oak tree, and stroll around the Great Turf, a lawn surrounded by trees and ponds filled with koi carp.
The owners are especially fond of the Officinal Garden, which is home to 40 types of plants that have therapeutic or medicinal properties. And if you’ve got kids with you, they’ll love visiting the donkeys, sheep and goats in the farm, or looking for fallow deer in the valley.
Villa Carlotta, Tremezzo, Lake Como
This villa in Tremezzo has been one of the gems of the lake since it was built in the 17th century. Out the front is a terraced Italian garden, with neat hedges, fountains, flowerbeds and citrus tunnels overflowing with orange, lemon and grapefruit trees.
The rest of the park is spread across the hillside, so you can explore at your own pace. See the bamboo forest, fern valley and succulent rockery – not to mention the colourful fields of azaleas, rhododendrons and camellias, the most famous plants in the Carlotta’s collection.
Higher up is an area that was once used for agriculture, and is now home to olive trees and a vegetable garden. And at the very top of the hill, you can enjoy panoramic views across Lake Como.
The rest of the park is spread across the hillside, so you can explore at your own pace. See the bamboo forest, fern valley and succulent rockery – not to mention the colourful fields of azaleas, rhododendrons and camellias, the most famous plants in the Carlotta’s collection.
Higher up is an area that was once used for agriculture, and is now home to olive trees and a vegetable garden. And at the very top of the hill, you can enjoy panoramic views across Lake Como.
Heller Garden, Gardone Riviera, Lake Garda
If you’re a fan of nature and art, a visit to the Heller Garden in Gardone Riviera is a must. Austrian artist André Heller bought the garden in 1988 and poured his passions into the garden to transform it into the mix of nature and art you see today. You can spot 3,000 plants from around the world – from the Alps to the Himalayas, and Australia to Africa – mixed with sculptures and artwork donated or commissioned by Heller himself.
In the centre is an area designed to look like an alpine valley, with pine trees, rocks and springs backed by views of mountains. The rest of the garden is overflowing with plants, from tulips to cacti, as well as ponds, streams and waterfalls that give the place a really calming feel. Follow the winding paths and see what you stumble across, keeping an eye out for the Buddha statues, pop art and giant geodes along the way.
In the centre is an area designed to look like an alpine valley, with pine trees, rocks and springs backed by views of mountains. The rest of the garden is overflowing with plants, from tulips to cacti, as well as ponds, streams and waterfalls that give the place a really calming feel. Follow the winding paths and see what you stumble across, keeping an eye out for the Buddha statues, pop art and giant geodes along the way.
Isola Madre, Lake Maggiore
The biggest of the three Borromean Islands on Lake Maggiore, 'Mother Island' is really something special and you can visit on a boat trip from Stresa. The garden covers the whole island, and plants from all over the world thrive here thanks to the area’s unique microclimate – you’ll see palm, maple and banana trees next to Australian eucalyptus and Asian camellias. There’s even a plant that smells like popcorn.
The ornate villa in the middle is shaded by a huge cypress tree that’s hundreds of years old and is guarded by a bamboo grove to protect it from strong winds.
And if you keep an eye out, you’ll see some of the island’s residents strutting around – it’s home to over 100 birds, from peacocks to pheasants.
The ornate villa in the middle is shaded by a huge cypress tree that’s hundreds of years old and is guarded by a bamboo grove to protect it from strong winds.
And if you keep an eye out, you’ll see some of the island’s residents strutting around – it’s home to over 100 birds, from peacocks to pheasants.
Isola Bella, Lake Maggiore
Another of the Borromean Islands, Isola Bella or ‘Beautiful Island’ definitely lives up to its name. The Baroque palace is impressive, but the gardens are even more so. They flow across ten tiers, with a seemingly endless spread of manicured flowerbeds, ponds and statues. The Garden of Love is all boxwood hedges and citrus trees, while the Winter Garden is home to exotic and rare plants from around the world.
The crowning jewel is the towering stone theatre, which is draped with flowers and decorated with statues that represent art, love and nature. At the very top is a unicorn, the historic symbol of the noble Borromeo family who still live on the island. And around it, wandering white peacocks add a final elegant touch to the scene.
The crowning jewel is the towering stone theatre, which is draped with flowers and decorated with statues that represent art, love and nature. At the very top is a unicorn, the historic symbol of the noble Borromeo family who still live on the island. And around it, wandering white peacocks add a final elegant touch to the scene.
Isola del Garda, Lake Garda
Once a game reserve, and later home to a monastery, Lake Garda’s biggest island is now a must-do for nature-lovers. It’s privately owned by the Borghese Cavazza family but they open up their home every summer so you can take a boat trip over from many different Lake Garda towns to explore the garden and woods. Maderno is one of the best jumping off points for the island.
Start at the Venetian villa, which is surrounded by manicured hedges, flowerbeds and fruit trees growing everything from lemons to pomegranates. There’s also a park area, where you can stroll among cypress trees, poplars, firs and bluebells. Lots of the plants here are common to the Lake Garda area, but there are also more exotic types from across the Mediterranean and around the world.
You might even meet some of the island’s feathery residents, like the grey herons and swans.
Start at the Venetian villa, which is surrounded by manicured hedges, flowerbeds and fruit trees growing everything from lemons to pomegranates. There’s also a park area, where you can stroll among cypress trees, poplars, firs and bluebells. Lots of the plants here are common to the Lake Garda area, but there are also more exotic types from across the Mediterranean and around the world.
You might even meet some of the island’s feathery residents, like the grey herons and swans.
Villa Melzi, Bellagio, Lake Como
A short walk along the lakeshore from Bellagio, the grounds of Villa Melzi are the perfect place to spend a few quiet hours. Trees are the speciality here, and the open lawn areas are surrounded by over 50 different kinds, like cedar, maple and a whole avenue of plane trees. Tucked in between them, you can stumble across Roman and Egyptian statues, a museum in the former oragnery, and a Japanese garden with a pond full of fish and water lilies. In springtime, the colourful rhododendrons and azaleas come into bloom too.
The actual villa isn’t open to visitors, but you can climb the steps out the front to see the best views across the lake. Then find a spot on the shore and settle down to soak up some peace and quiet.
The actual villa isn’t open to visitors, but you can climb the steps out the front to see the best views across the lake. Then find a spot on the shore and settle down to soak up some peace and quiet.
Il Vittoriale Degli Italiani, Gardone Riviera, Lake Garda
This estate in Gardone Riviera is definitely one for the list if you like history – the name translates to ‘The Shrine of Italian Victories’ and it’s a monument to the country’s military past. It used to be the home of controversial poet Gabriele D’Annunzio, who filled the house and garden with bizarre artefacts from his life.
Most of the grounds are fairly wild, with a natural jumble of trees, flowers and plants. A river flows down through the middle, and there are endless statues, fountains and carvings scattered around too. Highlights include the violin-shaped pond, the fountain of Aphrodite and the amphitheatre, which has amazing views across the lake and is still used for performances throughout the summer.
But the stand-out is the Puglia – a real WWI warship that was brought here and rebuilt into the side of the hill.
Most of the grounds are fairly wild, with a natural jumble of trees, flowers and plants. A river flows down through the middle, and there are endless statues, fountains and carvings scattered around too. Highlights include the violin-shaped pond, the fountain of Aphrodite and the amphitheatre, which has amazing views across the lake and is still used for performances throughout the summer.
But the stand-out is the Puglia – a real WWI warship that was brought here and rebuilt into the side of the hill.
Parco Arciducale, Arco, Lake Garda
Just inland from Riva, this living museum works with Trento's science museum, with a focus on education. It’s actually an arboretum, which means it’s mainly dedicated to trees and shrubs, and it has over 200 types.
The mild climate of Lake Garda makes it the perfect place to grow all kinds of exotic plants, and this park has mini landscapes that are designed to mimic their natural environments – so you can stroll from the conifer grove to the bamboo jungle, and see Asian palm trees, Australian eucalyptus and ancient sequoias. The lemon house is home to lots of different citrus trees, from oranges to grapefruit. And everywhere you go, you’ll see signs with info about the different plants, so you can learn a thing or two while you’re wandering.
The mild climate of Lake Garda makes it the perfect place to grow all kinds of exotic plants, and this park has mini landscapes that are designed to mimic their natural environments – so you can stroll from the conifer grove to the bamboo jungle, and see Asian palm trees, Australian eucalyptus and ancient sequoias. The lemon house is home to lots of different citrus trees, from oranges to grapefruit. And everywhere you go, you’ll see signs with info about the different plants, so you can learn a thing or two while you’re wandering.
Want to get back to nature or explore the great outdoors on your next trip? Take a look at our latest Lakes & Mountains deals.
Head to our Lakes & Mountains homepage to discover more about our favourite holidays.
Author: Polly Bryan
Last updated: 19/09/2026