Gardens laid out well with stunning colours and manicured lawns. Three very freindly and beautiful peacocks roaming around the cafe area grounds. Different specious of goats and birds are also to be seen. Lovely woodland walk and a small train to take you up or downwards on your journey.
Spent 12 days visiting the sights around Stresa and Lake Maggoire and without doubt this was the low point of our trip. Having visited Isola Bella and Isola Madra and the gardens in Laveno, I was expecting so much here but was so disappointed. Having worked with animals all my life it was very uncomfortable to see the conditions the animals here are kept in. Many of the animals looked unhealthy and under fed. Many of the water pools were filled with stagnant water and the gardens were very disappointing. In general I would have no problems with animals in zoos but on this ocassion i would love to see this establishment closed and the animals given better living conditions
The flower gardens were very colourful and the lawns neatly trimmed, however, we were not allowed to walk on the grass and many flowers needed dead-heading. The animals (with the excetion of the goats) were hard to find. It was very expensive to get in.
This is advertised as a zoo. It isn't. It is a beautiful garden with a few animals thrown in. The zebras were the most exotic animals, but most looked a bit sad in their enclosures. Made me feel uncomfortable. Gardens are beautiful though.
Enjoyed our trip on the Road Train to visit the Park. However, it was rather rundown and lacked signage to locate the animals. It was a beautiful day for exploring the grounds but feel that we missed out on some of the animals. However, I was delighted to see the black swan. The cafe was rather poor and not helped by the menu not having English translations - all other restaurants/cafes which we visited did have this service.
Our adventures today took us to Parco della Villa Pallavicino. The first hour we did not enjoy the park - basically tree lined paths (although the views of the lake were awesome). We were looking for an exit when we came to the botanical gardens. The flowers were still alive and beautiful. There was a small zoo, but the best experience was the peacock walking around the gardens.
The garden part is nice, with free roaming peacocks. Plants are not labelled, though.The animals are a different story. An eagle in an enclosure of around 8 meters cube, an owl in perhaps 4x3x2 m. Some animals just looked very depressed.The goats and deer seemed happy, though.The restaurant was not prepared for customers, staff had to be actively searched, no menu available.Not worth the entrance fee.
Lots of walking but very pretty. We found it a little bit of a struggle to get round in the heat however there was lots of seats everywhere to relax and take in the sights ,really nice day and worth a visit .
Although September the gardens were still in blossom, if you have children the hands on animal enclosure would be great fun
My wife and I are disabled so cannot walk far. This place is best for those who can, plus it is hilly in places.