Our Guide Shares: The Best Gardens on Lake Maggiore

Are you a garden lover? Even if you don’t appreciate the finer details of plant species, perennials and landscaping, any admirer of beauty will appreciate a day spent in the world famous gardens of Lake Maggiore. Our local guide Daniela was born and raised in this gorgeous part of northern Italy, and is proud to show you what makes it so exquisite. She joins us today to share details of her favourite gardens, located on a series of islands in the middle of Lake Maggiore.

AN AMAZING GARDEN TOUR OF LAKE MAGGIORE

The second largest lake in Italy, not as famous but just as beautiful as Lake Como, Lake Maggiore lays in a stunning location: at a short distance from the Alps, of which you can see the snow-capped peaks, it is surrounded by relaxing hills. The vegetation on its shores was modified during the 19th and early 20th centuries, when most of the chestnuts and alders were cut down and a great variety of tropical plants were imported for the creation of beautiful private gardens.

The queen of the typical flowers of Lake Maggiore is the camellia: this flower was imported from Asia and it soon adapted to the humid microclimate of this northern Italian region. Camellias start blooming in March and you can admire them everywhere, in gardens and along public lakeside walks, until the end of April.The most popular gardens of Lake Maggiore are the ones belonging to the Borromeo family on Isola Madre and Isola Bella, not to mention the botanical garden of Villa Taranto. The cultivation of tropical plants started on Isola Madre, the largest of the islands of this lake; today this garden is looked after by the master gardener Gianfranco Giustina, who has worked for the Borromeos for more than 40 years. For his work on the landscape of the islands, Mr Giustina was given a lifetime-achievement award by the Royal Horticultural Society in 2014.The garden of Villa Taranto is more recent than the other historical gardens of Lake Maggiore. The garden’s appearance today is the result of an arduous and elaborate undertaking by Captain McEacharn in 1931. Many thousands of plants, brought from the far corners of the world, come together to create an unforgettable view, framed by the lake and mountains. These gardens were the dream come true of this Scottish man, who spent the second part of his life here, loving it so much that after his death he was buried in the centre of the garden.

But there are also some private gardens, hidden to mass tourism and a treasure for garden lovers, whose owners are proud to open on occasion for special visits: the garden of Villa Anelli in Oggebbio, is one of those. The camellia collection here, which started in 1872, is an outdoor museum displaying over 400 species and cultivar specimens. The catalogue of the garden was issued in 1965, which is also the year in which The Italian Camellia Society was founded. Today, it is the only private Italian garden certified by the International Camellia Society as a Camellia Garden of Excellence.Spending a day visiting the gardens of Lake Maggiore is an unforgettable experience. Hiring a boat driver is the best way to enjoy the banks of the lake, dotted in spring by the colours of camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons.

If you’re planning a visit to northern Italy’s Lake Como and Lake Maggiore areas, come between March 20 and November 1, 2020, when the islands are open to the public. Daniela will be happy to greet you and share her knowledge and love of the area!