There is a very good tour you can take of the Borromeo palace when on Isola Madre & it's well worth doing as the history of the palace & the area is fascinating. This gives us a fuller picture of the lives & workings of the islands in times past.
There is a very good tour you can take of the Borromeo palace when on Isola Madre & it's well worth doing as the history of the palace & the area is fascinating. This gives us a fuller picture of the lives & workings of the islands in times past.
I tend to see a visit to this palace as a necessary introduction to being allowed to go for my life in the gardens. By taking that attitude I probably damn the place with faint praise because there are remarkable things to see notably the pebbled downstairs rooms and the tapestries. It is big and rather impersonal though!
It is 16euros to enter the Palace and my friend and I would both highly recommend it ! It was absolutely marvelous and we never wanted to leave.
You follow a select route around the Palace and get to see each and every room, more beautiful than the next, with descriptive information detailing everything that you see (highly recommend reading these as they are informative and amusing descriptions).
Then, you are led into the garden and it is simply breathtaking. With views around the island and of the lake; peacocks strutting about the Palace grounds; flora and fauna that is as impressive as it is luscious. We wandered about the Palace and grounds for hours.
Give yourself at least an hour and a half to truly appreciate the entire Palace/grounds.
You have to pay 16 Euro pp for the palace & gardens - even if you only want to see the gardens! And you can see the gardens anywhere from shore or even from the cable car! Place is also full of tacky gift stalls which degrades the whole place. If you want to see chandeliers made from Merano glass - go into the foyers of any of the big waterfront hotels. They are huge & just gorgeous!
This is indeed a very unique attraction. The palace itself is outstanding with gorgeous furniture, and grand salons with exquisite wood work and art. Then, the views from the many windows opened to a glistening Lake Maggiore. "The Grotto" in the lower level of the palace is unbelievably beautiful and unique. The opulence of the gardens are un-equaled. Just to see this place, it is worth it to stay a few days in one of the pretty towns on Lake Maggiore.
Beautiful, fascinating palazzo with magnificent gardens and a very interesting history. We loved visiting and wandering the gardens. Guides are provided for a tour of the palazzo. Our guide was awful (I couldn't read her name or I state it) – inappropriate jokes that fell flat, slightly condescending, and a dumbed down presentation.