We took the passenger ferry over from Varenna (10 mins) to see Villa Melzi despite the threatening rain and were so pleased we did.  The garden is stunning, even on a rainy day.  Wonderful huge, magnificent trees set in broad sweeping lawns with banks of Rhododendron and Azaleas.  Very lush woodland plantings and incredible views over to the other side of the Lake.  There’s quite a wide range of plants here with a lovely gully full of tree ferns, huge plantings of Hosta etc.

Villa Melzi is just a few hundred yards by foot out of the village of Bellagio, so very easy access from the ferry.

The Villa itself is not open.