The lakes of Northern Italy have long inspired poets, painters and botanists with their attractive Renaissance villas, benign climate and glorious gardens that perfectly complement the natural landscape. On this eight-day escorted tour you'll discover them in the company of Helen Yemm, gardening columnist for The Telegraph for 20 years and former writer of the Thorny Problems page.
Helen will join you for visits to three villas and their stunning gardens. These include the beautiful 18th-century Villa del Balbianello, with its fragrant rose terraces and classic three-arched 'loggia', and Villa Carlotta, with its spring displays of azaleas and rhododendrons and its balmy weather and smaller crowds in March. Helen will also answer your own Thorny Problems during an exclusive talk and Q&A session.
You'll be based for the duration in two four-star hotels, one on Lake Maggiore and the other at the foot of Lake Como. Other highlights include a visit to see over 500 varieties of camellia at the private residence of Andrea Corneo, President of the Italian Camellia Society, a private tour with the owner of Villa Cicogna Mozzoni, and a visit to the three Borromean islands, Bella, with its terraced gardens, Madre and Pescatori. There will also be a free day for you to relax and enjoy the stunning scenery around Lake Como, which is surrounded by opulent villas - including one owned by George Clooney.
"I am really looking forward to sharing the delights some of my favourite gardens of the Italian Lakes."
Helen Yemm
Please note a good degree of mobility is required to get the most out of this holiday as there are a large number of steps at many of the gardens.
The writer of The Telegraph's weekly gardening column for twenty years, Helen is a passionate hands-on gardener. She is also author of several gardening books including Gardening in Your Pyjamas. Helen is a lecturer, teacher and broadcaster whose credits include the BBC's Gardening from Scratch and Gardening Week.
Following your flight from London to Milan you will be met and transferred to your home for the next four nights, the four-star Hotel La Palma in Stresa, which boasts beautiful views over Lake Maggiore. The hotel, set in its own beautiful gardens, is directly on the lakefront opposite the promenade and just a five-minute walk into the centre of town. A welcome drink will be served before dinner this evening.
Today you'll visit the private garden of the President of the Italian Camellia Society, Andrea Corneo, which is just above the shores of Lake Maggiore and surrounded by mountains. Due to the combination of acidic ground, a mild climate and frequent rainfall, the garden has housed a remarkable collection of camellias since the 1950s and there are now 500 plants and 318 cultivars. Lunch here is included, and you'll return to your hotel for dinner.
Today, you'll spend a full day exploring the famous Borromean Islands starting with a cruise from Stresa to Isola Bella. Here you'll explore the vast baroque palace built from the island's rock and surrounded by terraced gardens inspired by the 'Hanging Gardens of Babylon'. The palace was constructed in the 17th century and became known for its lavish parties, attended by the cream of European nobility, while the gardens feature an ornate parterre with low box hedges and brilliantly coloured flowers, a pond adorned with blue and pink water lilies, and lush plantings of oranges, grapefruits and orchids. You'll continue to Isola Pescatori, the 'island of fishermen', with its narrow cobbled streets and pretty harbour, and Isola Madre, where tropical and Mediterranean plants, citrus fruits, crape myrtle, hibiscus, bougainvillea, protea and agaves all flourish.
You'll visit two more fascinating gardens today. First up are the gardens of Villa Taranto, which are full of rare plants from around the world. Villa Pallavicino has been built in the grounds of an immense park, with chestnut woods growing alongside rare exotic plants, and animals from the zoological garden wandering freely in the grounds. The villa, which overlooks one of the most charming parts of Lake Maggiore, is a stunning example of mid-18th-century architecture.
Today, after checking out of your hotel, you'll be joined by Helen Yemm for a visit to Villa Cicogna Mozzoni, in the foothills between Varese and Lake Lugano. Here, you'll enjoy a private guided tour with the owner. The estate is set over seven levels and has a formal Italian walled garden with box hedges, water basins, fountains and a grotto. You'll then travel to the town of Como and check-in to the four-star Barchetta Excelsior hotel for the next three nights.
Helen Yemm will join you once again as you travel along the
motorways and lake shore roads for an enchanting day on Lake Como,
so similar and yet so different from its larger neighbour,
Maggiore. On arrival in Tremezzo you will have time to enjoy the
elegant 18th century Villa Carlotta, where, in the spring, azaleas
and rhododendrons burst into a simply dazzling display and in
September, smaller crowds mean you can soak up the beautiful sounds
of the garden and its fountains.
Around the house the layout is formal with lemon arbours on the
terraces and tall camellia hedges while further away from the villa
we will discover a relaxed English-style garden in the woodland,
dotted with unusual trees. Imaginative planting includes twining
climbers, jasmine and roses while in the more natural garden a dell
of tree ferns, palms, eucalyptus, Japanese maples and cactus reveal
the microclimatic conditions with banana and flowering orchids
creating an exotic semi-tropical jungle effect. The house itself
has its own story to tell, full of neo-classical art treasures
including paintings by Hayez and sculptures by Canova.
This afternoon is free for you to explore at your leisure. You
could hop on board one of the many ferries or hydrofoils which go
to many places around the lake.
This evening, dinner will be served in the hotel before we enjoy a talk and Q&A session with Helen Yemm.
Today you'll catch the ferry to visit the gardens at Villa Balbianello on the Lavedo point which, combined with the romantic arrival at the water gates landing stage, turns the expedition into an arcadian delight. Remote from lakeside tourism, in a sylvan setting of pine, soaring cypress and oak, with pollarded plane trees, manicured lawns and flowerbeds, the garden is maintained to an exceptionally high standard by the Italian National trust or FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano). With unparalleled views down the three branches of the lake and fronting the promontory of Serbelloni, the first villa was built in 1540, but was later moved to a new site inland to protect it from flooding. Helen will depart this afternoon.
Later, you return to the mainland and your hotel, with the afternoon free for shopping and sightseeing. We will then enjoy a farewell dinner in our hotel this evening.
After breakfast today you'll check out and be transferred to Milan to catch your flight back to the UK.
Situated directly on the waterfront in Stresa, with picturesque views over Lake Maggiore
With a panoramic spa and rooftop swimming pool, this is one of the finest hotels Maggiore has to offer. Rooms face towards the mountains and the heights of Alto Vergante, designed for those who love the open air. The Sky Bar offers stunning views over the lake and is the perfect spot for an aperitivo in the fresh lakeside air, or for a swim in the Sky Bar Pool, with a view onto the lake and its magnificent islands. There's also a jacuzzi up here on the seventh floor.
Four-star hotel in in the heart of Como
At the Hotel Barchetta Excelsior you are surrounded by beauty: the villas with their gardens, art exhibitions, silk outlets, boutiques, romantic boat trips, renowned golf clubs.
Comfortable and quiet rooms offer views of the surrounding streets and the cathedral's dome and guarantee total privacy. Suites offer stunning views of the lake. All of them feature elegant and minimal furnishing with modern comforts. There is a lovely bistro and bar, and a summer terrace for alfresco dining.
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