Tremezzo, Italy is a small town on Lake Como

Visit Tremezzo

Tremezzo is a town and resort about half way down the western side of Lake Como, very typical of the towns around the lake and most visited for the Villa Carlotta and its lovely gardens. Tremezzo and the neighbouring communes such as Mezzegra and Lenno are now officially combined together as a place called Tremezzina.

Exploring Tremezzo

Italy This Way review: although it is certainly the Villa Carlotta (see below) that attracts visitors to Tremezzo, the town itself is along the edge of lake Como and has several small points of interest so we suggest you also allow time to explore the town when you visit the villa.

Approximately 90% of Tremezzo is along the edge of Lake Como, with a very small historic area and a parish church the only sights that are not on the edge of the water, so navigation is easy and there is little chance of getting lost in the town! Villa Carlotta is at the north of the town so most visitors will start there and walk south.

The imposing building you will certainly notice at this end of Tremezzo is the Grand Hotel. This is a very luxurious hotel that includes a swimming pool built in the lake and is highly rated by guests as one of the best in the Lombardy lakes area so if you like to travel in luxury you might like to stay when your visit - see Grand Hotel Tremezzo for details, photos and bookings.

From here continue along the lake side, where you will find lots of restaurants as well as enjoying lovely views across the lake towards the mountains beyond. This is the centre of the town: there are small alleys that lead into the old village but really there is little to see apart from one or two alleys of old houses.

The next point of interest you reach is the small Church of Saint-Bartholomew. This is a small 12th century church that was rebuilt in the baroque style in the 17th century.and the decorative paintings around the altar were added in the 18th century: this is the most interesting feature of the church. A track next to the church, called the Selve di Rogaro, leads to a small village called Rogaro, and is the route to reach a medieval tower that has a panoramic view across the lake.

Further south through Tremezzo and you find a public park on a promontory in Lake Como, a very popular park and ideal for your picnic. Beyond here there is a second church, larger than the church of Saint-Bartholomew but of less historic interest.

Villa Carlotta

The other part of your visit to Tremezzo is to explore Villa Carlotta, the principal reason that visitors come to the town and with perhaps the most beautiful gardens to be seen on Lake Como. Villa Carlotta is interesting for both the villa itself and for the surrounding gardens, and inside the 17th century neo-classical style villa there are numerous period furnishings including tapestries, statues and paintings.

It is however the large gardens around the villa and next to the lake that are the main attraction, and among the most popular of the 'villa gardens' around the Lombardy lakes. Parts of the gardens are in the formal Italian style and you will also find many other garden areas, from bamboos and grasses to more casual English style flower beds.

Lovely at almost any time of year, it is in late spring and early summer that the gardens are at their best with the rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias among the highlights although really the diversity of gardens and planting here means that Villa Carlotta is well worth visiting at almost any time - certainly autumn can also be very picturesque.

See our guide to visit Villa Carlotta.

Attractions nearby

Among the popular places close to Tremezzo on the lake are Menaggio a few kilometres to the north and Bellagio just across the water. Of course there are also many other highlights around the shores, almost all easily accessible by the ferries that cross the lake - see the Lake Como guide for details.

You can find more local travel ideas in the Como guide and the Lombardy guide.