Villa Balbianello, Lenno

One of the loveliest sights from the boats that ply Lake Como is the garden-covered peninsula of Punta di Balbianello, rising steeply from the water. The terraced gardens and Baroque villa were built for a cardinal in the 1700s.

You can follow a trail there from the village of Lenno, but the best way to arrive is by the small boat from Lenno's dock. The boat circles the peninsula for views of the gardens from below before you land and climb to the villa at the top. Paths wind among the plantings, encircling the peninsula, where the stately trees, flowering shrubs, and terraces of columns and statuary were all placed to frame views of the lake and the mountains to its north. The villa is interesting, but no match for the gardens and the views.