Villa del Balbianello is a stunning historic villa located on the Lavedo Peninsula in Lenno, Lake Como. Built in the late 18th century, the villa boasts a unique setting surrounded by water on three sides. You can explore the beautifully landscaped gardens with sculptures and a variety of plants, while enjoying some of the most breathtaking views of Lake Como. The villa's picturesque location has made it a popular tourist attraction, attracting visitors from around the world.

You can just visit the garden (the option I recommend) or garden + inside the villa. On the inside you can discover more about the last owner of the villa and its life. While being very interesting to get to know more about him and his adventures, I would focus on other things to visit elsewhere in the lake.

To visit the garden the ticket is €13 and make sure to book tickets online in advance, as it's mandatory.

The villa is closed on Mondays and Wednesdays.

The visit to the garden takes about 45 minutes/ 1 hour, or if you are like me about 2 hours. There are too many stunning spots to see, enjoy and of course photograph :)

• How to reach the villa from Milan:

From Milan (central station) take the train to Como San Giovanni station. Como has two stations, so make sure to select the correct one (not Como Lago station). In Como San Giovanni there is the bus terminal, which is in my opinion the best way to explore the western side of the lake if you don't have a car or a motorbike. Unfortunately, this part of the lake doesn't train stations, so the only options are either the bus or the ferry.

The bus you need to take is the “C10” towards Menaggio, the stop to reach Villa Balbianello is “Lenno - Chiesa”.

• How to reach the villa from other parts of the Lake (Varenna/Bellagio):

The ferry is by far the best option, from Varenna or Bellagio take the ferry to Lenno. It will take around 20/30 minutes

From Menaggio, you can also take the bus "C10" toward Como and get off at "Lenno - Chiesa".

From Lenno to reach the villa you have two options: (1) Walk to the villa, about 1 km / 0.6 miles; (2) Take the boat: the price is €9 return ticket and in my opinion is so worth it! You get to see the villa from a unique viewpoint. I went at the first ride available in the morning, and I was the only passenger on the boat, I basically had a private ride ahah

Villa Balbianello is a must-visit in Lake Como; If the villa looks familiar to you, you might have seen it in Star Wars and Casino Royale.