PARCO SCHERRER

An extraordinary trip through time and space, where past and present, history and nature co-exist in perfect harmony.

In 1930 a little old house with a stable overlooked by vineyards and a chestnut grove stood on the shore of Lake Lugano, at the foot of Mount Arbostora. Arthur Scherrer, a passionate gardener, bought the house at that time, and also the land above it, hillside after hillside. First of all he oversaw the renovation of the house, transforming it into a magnificent residence with great architectural taste and over the years he created his “Garden of Wonders”. The slopes and terracing are covered in cypresses, camellias, camphor, eucalyptus trees, cedars, monkey puzzle trees, palms and bamboo Woods, all exotic, Oriental plants which Scherrer had admired during his travels abroad for work. Inspired by Oriental landscapes and cultures, he didn’t merely reproduce the fascinating vegetation he encountered. Year after year, he reproduced a number of reduced scale temples from the Mediterranean world and exotic, distant countries. In fact, the Park includes two areas, with two main styles: Mediterranean and Asian. The route firstly goes through Mediterranean garden terracing in the Renaissance and baroque styles, with an abundance of statues. It then continues through bamboo groves in the Oriental landscape which is quite astonishing due to the presence of Siamese, Arab and Indian constructions, together with the flora typifying these regions. From the Park it is possible to admire the landscape over the Italian side of Lake Lugano, the Varese hills and the Po Valley.