Among Lake Como’s grand villas, the Villa Carlotta is one of the three key ones to visit. The villa dominates the landscape near Tremezzo, with its grand garden facing that of rival Villa Melzi’s across the lake.

In our three day visit of Lake Como, we started with Villa Carlotta and I think this was the right move because the villa itself pales in comparison to the Villa Balbianello. This is because the Carlotta is not as well furnished and doesn’t occupy that grand promontory over the lake that Balbianello does. However, it still adds to the romance of the area and is a great example of baroque artistry.

Focus on the Garden

The story goes that the owners of Carlotta and Melzi, in the early 1800s, were keen to best each other for the grandest garden on the lake. Hence, in a provurbial firing of shots across the lake, exotic foliage were planted. The garden covers seven hectares and includes bamboos, a Japanese torii gate, colourful azaleas, rhododendrons and numerous ferns. There’s even a terraced stream. It takes around an hour to stroll around the main areas.

Visit Details

The Villa Carlotta is easily accessible as it sits near the ferry landing point of Tremezzo. In general, Carlotta is open to visitors from March to mid-December from around 9:30am but hours differ slightly depending on the season. The best thing to do is to check its official website, where tickets can also be purchased online.