Tremezzo, Lake Como: the villa shore seen from the water
Tremezzo's lakefront, Villa Carlotta and Parco Olivelli, told by a captain who passes them every day in a wooden Venetian water taxi.
Tremezzo, Lake Como: of the whole western shore, this is the stretch I look at most from the helm. A line of villas and gardens right across from Bellagio, in the middle of the lake. Since 2014 it has been part of the municipality of Tremezzina, and it is listed among the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy. To really get it, you have to arrive by boat.
How to get to Tremezzo by boat
Crossing over from Bellagio, Tremezzo opens up slowly. First the green of the gardens at the water's edge, then the pale facades lined up along the road, with the mountains behind. From the water the distances make sense: Villa Carlotta, the Grand Hotel Tremezzo and Parco Olivelli sit side by side, a few minutes' walk apart.
The public ferries of Navigazione Laghi stop here at the Tremezzo pier. In our water taxi we come in slowly, engine idling, and the view shifts with every metre. It is the easiest way to see the villas the way their owners did: from the lake.
A short history of Tremezzo
The roots go deep: Roman and late antique graves and chapels have been found at Volesio and Intignano. In the Middle Ages the village shared the fate of Isola Comacina and suffered in the wars between Como and Milan. From the 1700s came the great villas, then the travellers; Giuseppe Verdi and Queen Victoria are among the guests remembered on this shore.
In 1910 Enea and Maria Gandola opened the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, in Art Nouveau style, aiming to rival the finest hotels in the world. Later the architect Pietro Lingeri designed several rationalist villas here, including Villa Amila, built for the Lario motorboat association. You spot it straight away from the water, because it is shaped like a ship.
Things to do in Tremezzo, Lake Como
- 01Villa Carlotta
Built at the end of the 17th century by Marquis Giorgio Clerici, it is now a museum and botanical garden. Inside: works by Canova, Thorvaldsen and Hayez. Outside: camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons and a tunnel of citrus trees.
- 02Parco Teresio Olivelli
Once the garden of Villa Meier, this is the public park on the lakefront. Look for the tarocchiera, an 18th-century octagonal pavilion painted by Cristoforo De Amicis, a neo-baroque staircase and stone steps running down into the water. It is named after Teresio Olivelli, born in Bellagio and beatified in 2018.
- 03The lakefront and the Grand Hotel
The promenade follows the shore past period facades and gardens. The Grand Hotel Tremezzo, open since 1910, is the outline you recognise from afar, even from the opposite shore.
- 04Villa La Quiete
Also known as Villa Sola Cabiati, an early 18th-century residence with Italian-style gardens facing the lake.
- 05The hillside hamlets
Rogaro, Volesio and Balogno keep their cobbled lanes and old facades, while Bolvedro sits by the water. The Greenway del Lago di Como, the walking path along the Tremezzina hillside, runs through here too.
Villa Carlotta's opening hours and tickets change with the season, so always check the official website before you set off.
Best time to visit Tremezzo
Spring is garden season: azaleas and rhododendrons bloom at Villa Carlotta and the whole shore fills with colour. September and October are my favourite months, with softer light and fewer people on the promenade. In summer, come early in the morning or towards evening.
In winter Tremezzo is quiet and you can enjoy it in peace, but several sights are closed, so check ahead.
Places near Tremezzo
Villa Carlotta is within walking distance. To the south are Lenno and Villa del Balbianello, then Isola Comacina; to the north, Menaggio. Straight across, a short crossing away, is Bellagio with Villa Melzi, and a little further, on the far shore, Varenna.
Tremezzo is a stop on our Classic Lake Tour, two hours around the central lake. Short on time? The Central Lake Tour takes one hour.
