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.
The information on this site, concerning services or products is provided by external partners. This Information is liable to change frequently; for this reason Lugano Region cannot be held liable for any inaccuracies. Due to the ever-changing COVID-19 pandemic situation, we suggest that you check with the indicated contacts directly for possible activity restrictions.
Parco Scherrer
Vicinanze lungolago
6922 Morcote
+41 91 986 00 00
Suggested period: March and May
Lenght of visit: 1 - 1 1/2 h
Dogs:on the lead
Accessibility to bikes: no
Playground: no
Pic-nic area: yes
Restaurant/Bar: "La Casa Ticinese", at the entrance of the park
Drinks and ice creams also at the entrance
It's not allowed to pick up flowers and fruits
For more information on the rental of the areas and gardens, as well as the organisation of all kinds of events, please contact: Amiconi Consulting SA, info@amiconiconsulting.ch, Tel: +41 91 921 38 12.
Audioguide of the park in 4 languages
280 m
Opening periods:
01.09.2022 — 06.11.2022
10:00 am — 5:00 pm (open all days)
15.03.2023 — 30.06.2023
10:00 am — 5:00 pm (open all days)
01.07.2023 — 31.08.2023
10:00 pm — 6:00 pm (open all days)
01.09.2023 — 05.11.2023
10:00 pm — 5:00 pm (open all days)
Free entry