The garden

The spacious gardens were commissioned from the Mertens brothers of Zurich by the architect of the villa, Maurice Turrettini. They are among the most beautiful and best-preserved historic gardens in Switzerland. The formal section adjoining the villa is rectangular and symmetrical, forming a transition from the surrounding landscape to the relatively severe architecture. Its two interconnected levels create variety and respond to the character of the hillside site. The second section, beyond the hedge at the edge of the formal garden, increases this diversity, extending over the hillside in a much freer and more natural arrangement. Oskar Reinhart added water features and some fine sculptures to the formal garden. These grant the surroundings a certain grandeur, even though a few works have had to be moved inside for conservation reasons.