The countdown to the holidays has begun, and the village of Varenna lights up with magic and lights with the opening of Villa Cipressi Christmas Garden. The date to mark on your calendar is Saturday, November 1st, when one of Lake Como's most beloved botanical gardens will transform into an enchanted garden, complete with spectacular light installations, Christmas music, and delicious treats.
As evening falls, the lights will transport visitors to a fantasy realm, populated by friendly woodland animals, elves, angels, Christmas decorations, and cascades of lights that will brighten the garden's terraces and steps. Passing by the gnome house, where little ones can post their letters to Santa Claus, the route will cross the botanical garden to the Infinity Gate, the iconic gate overlooking the lake.
The Giardino Bar will also be transformed into a sweet treat shop where you can relive your childhood memories with donuts, cups of steaming hot chocolate, and fluffy marshmallows. Open all day, it will offer refreshments and sweet treats to those who take advantage of the special opening hours in the fall and winter to admire the spectacle of the autumn foliage, which as the weeks pass will give way to the evergreen foliage of cypress, holm oak, and magnolia trees.
Part of the Grandi Giardini Italiani circuit, the Villa Cipressi Botanical Garden is a treasure trove of biodiversity, home to a collection of native and Mediterranean plants and species unusual for northern Italy, such as the American agave.
Sponsored by the Municipality of Varenna, Villa Cipressi Christmas Garden is an initiative strongly supported by R Collection Hotels, an Italian hotel group with three properties in the village. In 2018, they oversaw the restoration of the historic Villa Cipressi, transforming it into an elegant four-star hotel.
Villa Cipressi Christmas Garden will be open from November 1st to January 6th, 2026.
As evening falls, the lights will transport visitors to a fantasy realm, populated by friendly woodland animals, elves, angels, Christmas decorations, and cascades of lights that will brighten the garden's terraces and steps. Passing by the gnome house, where little ones can post their letters to Santa Claus, the route will cross the botanical garden to the Infinity Gate, the iconic gate overlooking the lake.
The Giardino Bar will also be transformed into a sweet treat shop where you can relive your childhood memories with donuts, cups of steaming hot chocolate, and fluffy marshmallows. Open all day, it will offer refreshments and sweet treats to those who take advantage of the special opening hours in the fall and winter to admire the spectacle of the autumn foliage, which as the weeks pass will give way to the evergreen foliage of cypress, holm oak, and magnolia trees.
Part of the Grandi Giardini Italiani circuit, the Villa Cipressi Botanical Garden is a treasure trove of biodiversity, home to a collection of native and Mediterranean plants and species unusual for northern Italy, such as the American agave.
Sponsored by the Municipality of Varenna, Villa Cipressi Christmas Garden is an initiative strongly supported by R Collection Hotels, an Italian hotel group with three properties in the village. In 2018, they oversaw the restoration of the historic Villa Cipressi, transforming it into an elegant four-star hotel.
Villa Cipressi Christmas Garden will be open from November 1st to January 6th, 2026.