Varese is called Garden City for a reason. In fact, there are many parks and gardens in the city, beautiful frames of many beautiful villas and castles. What better occasion than the World Rowing Championships, from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 June, to visit them? We have identified the 5 main ones, in the city center or a short distance, all within walking distance - in the case of Villa Toeplitz and Zanzi Park, by car or bus.
In the city centre, we immediately find the Estensi Gardens, one of the most enchanting Italian public parks, built in imitation of the Viennese gardens of Schônbrunn and finished in 1787 - as well as the seat of the Town Hall. Palazzo and gardens were commissioned by Francesco III d'Este, to organize sumptuous outdoor parties with a garden worthy of his rank. From 1766, the construction of the park began, which already shows its importance from the entrance, with a central avenue that reaches a circular tank and then climbs with paths open to rays and stairs, surrounded by two symmetrical berceaux of hornbeams that lead up to the sum of the Belvedere. Children can also have fun in the two play areas located both in the upper and lower part of the Gardens.
A short walk from the center, there is Villa Mylius with its large park of 78,000 square meters. Located at the foot of the Colle dei Miogni, today’s romantic landscaped garden is a renovation commissioned by Mylius in the early 1900s to a design by the Milanese landscape architect Marchese: vast meadows dotted with exotic conifers and Mediterranean or ornamental hardwoods. On the top of the hill behind the villa was built a tree pool, whose design dates back to 1952. The park is home to a large group of tree species, including spruce, Lebanon cedar and Japan red cedar, with some specimens reaching monumental dimensions. In the lower part of the park, a play area for children and a kiosk for refreshments.
The Mantegazza Park, in Masnago, in perfect romantic style, is formed by meadows on different levels and some ancient trees including yews, a red beech near a small chapel, a specimen of holm oak and a rare monumental example of strawberry tree. The wealth of plant species is the result of the work of tree rejuvenation and enrichment: 103 different varieties of trees and shrubs embellish this area making it similar to a small botanical garden. Here, you can also visit the medieval fortress, better known as Masnago Castle, now home to the Civic Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.
In Sant'Ambrogio, we discover Villa Toeplitz, country residence of the German Hannesen family, was bought by the banker of Polish origin Jósef Leopold Toeplitz in 1914, and its municipal park of 4 hectares. The park brings together many different styles: from the "Italian style" garden, with symmetrical cypress and arabesque castles that intertwine to embellish a beautiful central water chain, the landscaped garden in "English" stylewith large expanses of lawn and majestic cedar, beech and oak trees. To embellish everything, large and quiet ponds, which seem to slow down the frenzy of these days and return a sense of tranquility, lightheartedness and peace. In addition to the villa, in the park there is also the Archaeological Museum Castiglioni.
Located in the Schiranna district, Zanzi Park was founded in the sixties by the Autonomous Residence Company of Varese, whose president was Luigi Zanzi. The park is created by clearing the area. His successor, Giulio Nidoli, then strengthened and improved it in the seventies, when it was bought by the Municipality of Varese. Near the park, there is the historical seat of the rowers of Varese and the Lake has often been home to important European and world sports competitions. It looks like a quiet green oasis bathed by the lake, has a picnic area with tables and games for children and is crossed by the pedestrian path that winds for about 28 km around Lake Varese.
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