Ville and castles

The Lake of Como is also famous for its Villas and Castles. Many of them are private and can be seen only from the lake.
Amongst those that you can visit is  Villa Monastero in Varenna, with its stunning botanical garden, the nearby Villa Cipressi, with its breathtaking view, the Castle of Vezio, from where you dominate the lake.
Villa Serbelloni and Villa Melzi  in Bellagio has beautiful gardens. Villa Vigoni with its English garden, Villa Carlotta and its immense botanical garden are worth a visit and Villa Balbianello, chosen for its beauty as a set for many major movies, like “Star Wars” in 2002 and Casinò Royale with James Bond is a must see.