giardino botanico alpinia

It's a garden on the mountain that contains amazing species of flowers and, most importantly, has great views of the surrounding area. The trip in a cable car makes it even better!

This is on the first level when you go up in the Mottorone Cable Car. It is very small but is being developed with new paths being laid. Various different Alpine plants on show, some of which can be bought, in a circular route. Not too expensive to visit if you like your plants but I feel the low price reflects what's on offer. Other gifts and items also on sale. About a 5 minute walk from teh cable car station.

At the first stop in the gondola, if you like plants don't miss this gem. Inexpensive with meandering walks among rare plants

Cheap to enter but (in September) tired. Other gardens in the area are massively better. Look if you'r passing but not worth a trip in their own right unless you'r a real plant geek.

We like gardens and go to them all - and this was an interesting spot but it is tired and n one seems much to care.

The few flowers that were there looked limp and starved of water. The grounds are pleasant enough but not really worth the money or effort

A very tranquil place to sit and contemplate the stunning view. I think the flowers were past their best when we visited in mid August but still worth the 4 Euro entry.

Yes the toilets are both odd and inadequate. Yes the plants are not the most interesting in number or choice but if you paid your money and did nothing but sit at the view point and take tens of photos as we did the you get your money's worth 3times over!!I know we have all been up the cable car and seen all the views but as this is further down it is really worth the visit.Don't miss out on this opportunity is our advice!

Well worth taking the Funivia up to the first station and taking a 10-15 minute stroll to see the small gardens and enjoy the views. There is a small cafe by the cable car station where you can get a coffee, light lunch, etc. but nothing at the gardens. Very basic wc facilities up here (squatting only!)

The view of the lake on a clear day is simply stunning. The gardens are peaceful and are a haven for wildlife.

Not expensive and with a nice lake view but besides a few alpine plants not much to see. Worth a look if you are up on the cable car but wouldn't make a special journey to visit.

The gardens are really nothing to speak of, However, the view is spectacular! It is majestic--and very zen. Just sit, relax and gaze at the various lakes, islands and into Switzerland. Be sure to follow the path to the benches where there is a panoramic view---or you will miss the experience which is what I think happened to the other reviewers.

The Giardino Botanico Aplina is a well maintained small botanic garden with most of the plants well labelled with their proper Latin botanical names and their countries of origin in Italian. When we visited today it was 28⁰C and given this point in the summer we were not expecting to find alpines in flower, there were however some spectacular exceptions, such as pale blue long stalked Gentians from Pakistan. The alpines are confined to a few neat beds, with one specimen of each as is often the case in botanical gardens, so do not expect the huge mass plantings of a pleasure garden. Most of the plants that were in flower today were tall varieties that you might find in a perennial flower border in the UK, such as Coreopsis and Vabascum. This little garden has a special tranquillity about it and a spectacular view over lake Maggiore and the Borromean Islands, so choose a sunny day without a low cloud base for your visit.

As the top of the mountains were covered in mist and cloud we decided to visit the Alpine garden and take the cable car. This proved to be expensive 19 euros return to the halfway point. We were squashed in with numerous cyclists and their bicycles who were given priority despite arriving well after ourselves, they appeared to be locals cycling on a Sunday morn. Having walked to the garden we were faced with a another fee of 4 euros each. The alpine section of the garden was very small and many of the plants us Brits would not regard as alpines. I felt it was a work in progress! The remainder of the area was mostly woodland with some good views of the lake. I could not face the old style toilet facility! Disappointing and expensive morning!

Not much to see. No colour and very few alpines. Just trees and dusty " flower" beds. Not worth the 6 euros. You can see better for free at hotel gardens and public parks