Amazing park and modern art collection. Especially the light installations are spectacular

An absolutely charming place. The villa itself is beautifully preserved, with a wonderful balance between its historic elegance and the contemporary art thoughtfully displayed throughout. It’s a joy to walk through each room, the curation is refined and full of personality. The gardens are equally delightful, with fruit trees and peaceful green corners that invite you to linger. We also had a lovely meal at the café, which made the whole visit feel even more special. Altogether, a colourful, uplifting experience, full of beauty, care, and quiet charm.

Simply stunning both within the curated contemporary art housed within a stunning villa and the gardens outside.

We absolutely loved our visit to Villa Panza in Varese. The artwork, design, and gardens are simply beautiful and inspiring at every turn. To make it even more special, a sweet little cat followed us along during our visit—she was just adorable! A truly magical experience. 🩶

What a fascinating place both inside and outside. We went mainly to see the modern American art. But found everything worth seeing. The grounds and garden are lovely. And the interior furnishings are spectacular. Then there are the surprising pieces of American pop art from the 60's intermixed throughout. The light installation across several rooms by Dan Flaviny was luminescentp and impossible to capture on photos. A delightful experience all the way around.

Beautiful expansive park with world class Art collection e.g. James Turrel. On site parking. Great spot to make a break during a road trip from Switzerland to Italy.

Villa Panza is a fantastic example of a restored 19th century Italian country villa. The interior is lovingly curated with modern art works whilst the formal gardens are stunningly manicured. The FIA's restoration and management of this property is commendable.

Really worth visiting but it's a long uphill walk. Great exercise and you can treat yourself to a drink or food when you reach the top if you think you've lost lots of calories on the way up. Lots of history, beautiful views. Finding a car parking space was a challenge but definitely worth the effort & stress.

Sacro Monte is a world class experience not yet overrun by tourism, and unbelievably its free! The hour's walk from the carpark reveals the story of Jesus through 14 chapels with life sized vignettes created centuries ago. It gets steep in parts but there is a pebbled path the whole way. The view from the top is a fitting reward. A vernacular is available for those who are physically challenged. Catch the C Bus from Varese to Prima Capella (end destination). Pay 1.60 euros on board with coins or card.

Just breathtaking. It's a holy town, a destination for pilgrimages for people around, and it's full of history and charmingly picturesque. I felt like Alice in Wonderland, walking through the winding stepped streets, finding its hidden secrets. We have driven all the way up by car, but beware, the parking is very limited, there might be around 50 parking spaces max for visitors. And the vistas from the top overlook the landscape for 20km around, it's magical!

Great place to visit for the views & history. We got the bus (Line C) up from Varese town centre to the top of the hill then took the funicular up to Sacro Monte itself. Gorgeous views out over the hills, lakes & Varese itself. Lots of historic buildings & churches at the top. We walked back down the pilgrimage route passing the 14 chapels/shrines along the way. Well worth a visit.

Stunning Sacro Monte di Varese, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where we explore its beautiful chapels and breathtaking views. The Path of the Chapels is an uphill climb of about 2 kilometers (about 1.2 miles), though it feels much longer when you are walking it, as it zig-zags you up by 245 meters (about 804 ft.) and can be a little steep in places. Each chapel is frescoed inside, and sometimes outside, and filled with sculptures illustrating scenes from Jesus’ life.

Amazing, dramatic - yet not too taxing - climb up via 14 elegant 17thC chapels on wide path to reach spectacular hilltop village based around convent. Incredible views across Varese lakes and heavily wooded hills and valleys. Stunning.

Beautiful place UNESCO site , steep climb or take the Funacular , you can get a bus to funacular which takes you up to the village . Check the opening days and times for Funacular

Calm, peaceful in the middle of the city, I really liked the rooms depicting art using light, very unique.

Rich collection of historic treasures in a great villa with an amazing park sorrounding. I'ts a must.

A special place to visit! Nice temporary exibitions.

It is closed!! Because of Corona. No Information at all.

(Translated by Google) Historic villa surrounded by greenery, which houses a well-kept museum. The exhibition itinerary crosses different eras, from prehistory to the Renaissance, up to science and contemporary history. The collections are varied and well organised, ideal for both enthusiasts and families. A fascinating place that combines culture, history and nature. The most evocative room in my opinion is that of the butterflies and the mummy. (Original) Villa storica immersa nel verde, che ospita un museo ben curato. Il percorso espositivo attraversa diverse epoche, dalla preistoria al Rinascimento, fino ad arrivare alla scienza e alla storia contemporanea. Le collezioni sono varie e ben organizzate, ideali sia per appassionati che per famiglie. Un luogo affascinante che unisce cultura, storia e natura. La stanza più suggestiva secondo me è quella delle farfalle e della mummia.

(Translated by Google) A very interesting museum located inside Villa Mirabello, with an entire section dedicated to the Castiglioni brothers, where films, artifacts, photos, and other items recount their experiences on various trips. The rest of the museum is also interesting, focusing in particular on the Varese area. The mummy is particularly interesting. The only drawback is that there is no air conditioning, and it was very hot inside, so if you want to visit calmly, you need at least a couple of hours. The price is more than fair. Outside, there is a beautiful, shaded park where you can take a relaxing stroll. (Original) Museo posto all interno di villa Mirabello molto interessante, molto interessante un intera sezione dedicata ai fratelli Castiglioni dove tra filmati,reperti ,foto e quant'altro si raccontano le loro esperienze dei vari viaggi, interessante anche il resto del museo che in modo particolare tratta del territorio di Varese.Di particolare interesse la mummia .Unico neo non essendoci aria condizionata all interno faceva molto caldo anche perché se si vuole visitare con calma servono almeno un paio d ore.Prezzo più che onesto.All esterno un bel parco ombreggiato dove poter fare una rilassante passeggiata.

An old-fashioned archeo museum, all in Italian unfortunately. Divided into 5 sections: late-colonial African studies,Italian struggle for independence, Roman relics, prehistoric finds of Varese area and some natural studies like butterfly collection. We were the only guests in the entire museum and by the reaction of the staff, they were surprised to see any visitors there themselves. It's all interesting visually, but unfortunately it can't be enjoyed at its most because there is not a single English sentence in the entire museum, everything is Italian only. A bit of a shame. It's a bit of an old fashioned museum also, with tons of text and no interactive pieces. But for €5 it's worth a visit, overall.

Delicious pizza with a very unexpected way of serving it. The dough in the center is very thin, and the edges are airy and light. It makes the pizza incredible and easy to eat. You’ll still have room for dessert after the pizza! I gave 4 stars for service because we waited for our pizza for an hour — the place was very crowded. It’s better to book a table before your visit.

La Piedigrotta in Varese is a stylish, modern pizzeria with a trendy vibe. The interior feels fresh and lively, with a good atmosphere overall. The music, however, didn’t quite match the rest of the place, it felt a bit off compared to the cozy, authentic pizzeria ambiance. Still, the setting was enjoyable. The staff was very kind and welcoming, which made the experience more pleasant. They were friendly and attentive without being overbearing. You have a lot of options, in my opinion a bit too much. We ordered pizza, and while the flavor was good, the base was a bit soggy, likely due to too much moisture from the mozzarella. Not a dealbreaker, but worth noting if you prefer a crispier crust. The location is great: right in the heart of Varese, tucked into a charming little street. There’s a lovely outdoor terrace as well, which adds to the charm, especially on a nice evening. One small downside: part of the ceiling inside looked a bit old and slightly dirty, which stood out in an otherwise well, designed space. All in all, a good spot for a casual dinner in Varese, stylish, central, with friendly service and decent pizza. With just a few tweaks, it could easily be great.

Absolutely one of the best pizzas we've tasted. It's got many creative pizza toppings that you would never seen in any other pizza restaurants. The place is always jammed. The owner and the services staffs were very friendly although during my last visit, it took more than an hour for our pizzas to arrive while my husband's arrived within 10 mins. My daughter and I were watching him eating at the beginning and he was watching us at the end. The 30 mins in between, the three of us were just staring at one another wondering if the waiter had forgotten about us. Overall, highly recommend!

The best pizza place in know. The yellow tomato sauce is awesome also their regular tomato sauce too. Bread is delicious.

Nice pizzas, although some were a bit too simple even if Italian simple are known for their simplicity. Good choice of beers. The wine was fine. Service was rather quick.

The staff was very nice and even though we didn't have reservation , they still found place for me and my sister to enjoy their great food.

Fantastic place with good atmosphere. Their journey through pizzas was one of my best experiences with italian quisine I ever had. Highly recommended for all tourist that appreciate good food. Remember to reserve a table few hours earlier - the place is very crowded.

We ordered pasta and a Caesar salad. When I started eating the pasta, the waiter kindly brought me a bib so I wouldn’t stain my clothes. Everything was delicious – the pasta was absolutely incredible! At the end of our meal, the restaurant treated us to a complimentary dessert and a glass of limoncello. It was a very thoughtful and pleasant surprise. We truly enjoyed everything!

really nice place. good price, delicious pizza and a very very friendly service. all in all: super good. will come back

Maybe it is a great place for pasta and pizza, but the salad tasted as if it had been fried. On top of that, the white house wine turned out to be sparkling, which was not mentioned anywhere on the menu. The so‑called fresh French fries were actually more like chips. I would not recommend ordering those here.

Fish focused restaurant - chain from Capri. Nice fish chooses, good house wine and tasty extras. Each meal comes with a specific bread. At the end of a meal you are presented with complementary liquor : lemoncello or melloncello. The later was surprisingly nice!

Worst restaurant in Varèse and possibly in all Italy. The service is below everything I have ever experienced, the waitress were rude and uneducated. They don't speak English at all, why not but that's not a reason to treat customer like garbage. The food is below average, frozen seafood and I could have cooked the dishes better at home. Go everywhere else but not here.

The seafood salad was UNREAL. So fresh and a very generous portion. The pizza crust was so fluffy and perfect. Nero di sepia was delicious but unflattering to eat as it makes your whole mouth ink black but so worth it. pistachio profiteroles and liquer were also great. Highly recommend!

Tucked in a little the street in the center of Varese. It's a part of a chain of restaurants originating in Capri. The cuisine is Neapolitan with pizza and fish dishes as their specialty if you're coming for the pizza I wouldn't recommend it at all, but the daily menu is good value for money.

We visited this restaurant today and liked the location and pleasant atmosphere. The service was good, and the staff spoke decent English. We ordered gnocchi for two and a risotto. While the presentation was nice, the taste was very basic and bland, lacking seasoning. The menu has many options, including wine, but the food was disappointing. Unfortunately, we won’t return.

Our friend recommended this place and the food and ambience did not disappoint! Food was tasty and service attentive. I opted for the choice where you can pick two options from the menu and both (gnocchi and risotto) were delicious.

Fabulous food, great wine and super friendly service! I am so glad we discovered this gem, thanks to GoogleMaps! We didn’t have reservations but luckily we arrived around 7PM and we were allowed to come in provided we would leave before 9 PM. It was enough time to have antipasti, meal (delicious gnocchi) and dessert. Make sure you visit this place, it is really great!

I was the first client to enter at 12:05 and from the first second I felt something was not quite right about this restaurant. The owner and the waitress were poker faced and the low light on the table though aesthetically nice is not comfortable to the eyes (whatever happened to candles?) so I switched it off. The menu was given to me by the waitress and I struggled to understand the Italian. It is only after a few minutes when I was searching for the dessert menu is when I realised there is an English translation that proceeds the Italian one. I opted to start with black angus and I asked the waitress who had a good command of English that it should be made medium. She nodded in agreement. I felt it was a little strange that a steak is offered as a starter but I thought it is a small cut and it was surely more appealing than the rest of the menu which had a lot of exotic items such as octopus and blueberries in a savoury dish which I was surely not going to eat. When the starter arrived it turned out to be carpaccio. I don't like carpaccio and there was nothing on the menu indicating it was not a steak (unfair especially considering the waitress confirmed it will be cooked medium and there was not a single client besides me in the restaurant and so she heard me loud and clear). I walked to the front of the dining hall and said that I was not aware it was carpaccio and so kindly wrap it for me so I can take it away. I did not ask for a discount and did not show in any way that I was frustrated. I said I am happy to pay for it and take it home. I asked to see the menu so I choose another dish if the ravioli with asparagus is not large enough to fill my hunger. Instead of handing me the menu (I was standing literally half a meter from a pile of menus) the waitress waited for me to return to my table and then came with the menu. This time she indicated that there is an English menu after the Italian menu (I knew that already. Had she told me when I was first seated it would have been better). She also insisted it says carpaccio on the menu (it doesn't in the English version) and from that moment onwards her behaviour was unapologetically rude and snotty. In contrast the male waiter was very friendly and so I made sure to give him the tip in cash and ask him not to give the waitress any of it. Now for the food - the risotto with a local cheese is tasty but it is too mild for my taste. I ate risotto made with local Padanian butter in a friend's home some years ago and it was better than the version at Premiata (the proof the taste of that risotto is still on my tongue). Thankfully I carry my organic Indian herbs, spices and dry red chilli wherever I go so it was tasty but honestly I can't fathom what the hurrah is all about when it comes to North Italian cuisine that is bland and also lacking contrasting flavours. The ravioli asparagus had so little asparagus in the filling (if that was in fact the filling) it could have been anything really. It was also over salted but thankfully the portion was small so it was edible but not at all pleasurable. There was also no spoon to eat it with so I suppose one must dip the bread in the cream which I did. The tarte tatin was the best part of the meal but the vanilla ice cream was more of vanilla slush because it had large pieces of ice in it. Perhaps this is also connected to some regional tradition I am ignorant of but I personally prefer a good quality cream with tarte tatin. The dining hall is beautiful but it got crowded fast and as is the case with large wine cellars in old houses the acoustics will make you prefer you were not there (unless you enjoy this ambience which I am sure many do else the restaurant wouldn't be so popular).

Really nice place with cozy atmosphere, great wine selection from all the north of Italy and a long menu of plates from starters to desserts. Kind and welcoming staff. The only problem with our reservations was that we booked seats from 13:30 but the host gave us the table at 14:00.

These have to be the best gnocchi I have ever eaten in my whole life.

Must visit if you like risotto and gnocchi!! Great menu, great location and atmosphere

Only sharing my experience with the shop, as we stopped by during our visit of Sacromonte, willing to buy some bottles. No explanations were provided, only shots were poured to try the classic one and the elixir. Ended buying 3 bottles for over 140 EUR and was surprised to discover that the shots were charged on top.. I then shared my surprise to the staff who waved only 1 or 2 out of six. Really not business oriented, which was disappointing. The place looked great though, and alcohols are very good.

This is such a lovely spot to stop by for a drink or to grab lunch. I visited this place on both occasions. The view of the mountain and the lake is surreal. Great wine list for aperitivo or a full meal. service staff were very friendly. Great experience all around.

We had an overnight in Oct 2025. Great hotel, excellent restaurant and great place. Would repeat this any time soon!

This is a wonderful place to stay; really terrific atmosphere, gracious service, and such tasteful decor. (They even manage to make the Harry Potter theme week tasteful!) And the dining experience is lovely. My own disappointment is with their vegetarian food. The only entree options are modified meat dishes, and they don't hold up well.

This is a nice hotel and restaurant. The rooms are cosy and romantic, and the restaurant is really good. I had the best risotto for years. The small city is also beautiful and worth a walk (see if you can find the five-legged goat). Breakfast was nice and adequate- coffee fantastic. I could easily come again.

As much as we love the restaurants, we disliked the stay. Beautiful old house in the mountain with a breathtaking view. HOTEL: 2x big disappointments: (1) the room was dusty, (2) the walls are very thin…, (3) the ratio value/money is very low. RESTAURANT: Everything is outstanding: location, service, food. The food was exceptional. You can’t leave without trying their amaro!

My husband and I loved it here. Some of the more negative reviews seem to be from people who do not realize this is a romantic hotel intended for couples. If you are on a business trip, this is probably not the hotel for you. If you want to be in the middle of a big city, this is not the hotel for you. But if you are looking for a quiet, beautiful, and romantic place to stay, this is the hotel for you! It's a beautiful OLDER building, meaning everything might not be brand new (some of the reviews here comment on the fact that the building is old -- of course it's old, look at their website or the town that it is in! If you do not like charming older buildings, this probably is not the place for you). Also, if you have accessibility needs, this is not the hotel for you. Parking is a little far from the hotel and walking along cobbled, steep streets is everywhere. I love that about this hotel, but if anyone has trouble walking, it might be a little much. The Borducan serves a wonderful breakfast every morning. Meat, cheese, pastries, fresh squeezed juice, coffee, wine, nutella. I found the staff to be very helpful and kind. They gave us recommendations on where to explore during our stay. One day my husband and I took the bus just for fun, the Borducan directed us on where it stops (there is a bus stop very close to the hotel). The restaurant is beautiful. The prices are high, and the dishes are small. However, the food is delicious and beautifully composed. I read some reviews that complain about the quality-to-price ratio. I felt the quality was very high. Every dish looked like a piece of art and tasted delicious. Ingredients were fresh and combinations were unique. My husband got hazelnut encrusted lamb -- it was DELICIOUS. I see this restaurant as a special occasion experience. Some travelers may want a more casual meal, if that is the case, do not eat at the Borducan. If you want a beautiful, thoughtful, delicious, unforgettable meal, eat at the Borducan. It just depends what you want. They are a romantic hotel, and they do this very well. I can't wait to go back.

Dry, tasteless, worst quality pizza in varese. A year and a half ago it was better and look how it is declining in quality. Also the waitresses have the worst attitude. It is almost like they don’t want you coming in. No worries, I will never be back. You village folk deserve being on your own little narrow minded me me me world and hopefully go bankrupt to realize you have zero cooking talent or hospitality skills. By the way, having so many options makes zero sense. Throw it out.

1 star is too much for this place. The gluten free pizza is that pre baked thing from the bag, tastes horrible, dry and bad quality. They charge 3.5 € for it on the top of the normal pizza price and the size is not even close to the standard pizza. I mentioned to the cashier that this pizza dough is very low quality and she reacted rude. She yelled at me and told me to go my country if i don't like it. A place to avoid

The pizza was acceptable, but the overall experience left much to be desired. Inside, the noise level was extremely high, making it difficult to hold a conversation. The service was particularly disappointing. After a chaotic ordering process and eating our pizza, I requested an English menu from the waitress. Instead of bringing it promptly, she served three other tables first. Ten minutes later, I gave up, paid the bill, and left. There are undoubtedly better dining options in Varese!

Tasty pizza, large variety of pizzas on the menu. Why I didn't Iike however is how close the tables were with each other leaving almost no space between them.

My favourite pizza restaurant in Varese. Love this place and love the pizzas. The poretti on tap is the nicest beer.

One of the best pizzas I've ever eaten. Ordered the La Marina which had shrimp and salmon carpaccio. Great prices too! Would come back if I'm ever in town again

We were there for a group dinner and the pizzas were very good. Also good choice of beer on tap. We could have had a few more beers but the service was too slow. Grazie.