Introduction
Lombardy, the wealthy region of northern Italy, pairs the country's business, fashion and design capital, Milan, with the most glamorous of the Italian Lakes and a string of art-rich historic cities — all backed by the Alps. For travellers it is the gateway to northern Italy: a world-class city of cathedral, opera and shopping, the villa-lined shores of Lake Como and its neighbours, the walled hill town of Bergamo, the Gonzaga palaces of Mantua, and alpine valleys for wine and skiing.
Overview
Lombardy is anchored by Milan, Italy's second city and its capital of fashion, finance and design — a sophisticated metropolis whose spiky white Gothic Duomo, one of the largest cathedrals in the world, presides over a centre that also holds Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper, the world-famous La Scala opera house, the glass-roofed Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade, the Brera art quarter and the canal-side nightlife of the Navigli. Milan is the gateway, but Lombardy's most romantic draw is its lakes. Lake Como, ringed by mountains and grand villas, is the most glamorous — the elegant lakeside towns of Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio, the gardens of villas like Carlotta and Balbianello, and ferries criss-crossing the deep blue water beneath the Alps. The region also shares the western shore of Lake Garda and the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, with its dreamlike Borromean Islands, plus the quieter Lake Iseo. Lombardy's historic cities are a delight: Bergamo, whose walled, hilltop Città Alta is one of Italy's loveliest old towns; Mantua (Mantova), a UNESCO city of lakes and the magnificent Gonzaga ducal palaces; Cremona, the home of Stradivari and Italian violin-making; and Pavia with its great Carthusian monastery. Between the lakes and cities lie the sparkling-wine vineyards of Franciacorta and, to the north, the alpine Valtellina valley, with its terraced wines, hearty mountain food and ski resorts like Bormio and Livigno. With Milan's airports and a fast rail network, Lombardy is easy to reach and to travel, offering city culture, lakeside glamour, art towns and alpine scenery in one prosperous region. Spring and autumn suit the cities; late spring to early autumn is best for the lakes; winter for the mountains.
Discover Lombardy
Milan is Italy's most modern and cosmopolitan city, and a rewarding few days. Its heart is the Duomo, an astonishing pinnacled Gothic cathedral of white marble — climb to the roof to walk among the spires and statues with the Alps on the horizon. Beside it, the soaring glass-and-iron Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II leads to La Scala, one of the world's great opera houses. Milan's supreme treasure is Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper (Il Cenacolo), the fragile fresco in the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, which must be booked well in advance. The city is a capital of art (the Brera Gallery, the Castello Sforzesco, the contemporary spaces of the Fondazione Prada and the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana) and, above all, of fashion and design — the luxury 'Quadrilatero della Moda', the design showrooms, and the springtime spectacles of Fashion Week and the Salone del Mobile furniture fair. Aperitivo in the canal-side Navigli district rounds off a Milanese evening.
Ways to Experience This Destination
The Duomo and Galleria, da Vinci's Last Supper, La Scala opera and the fashion and design capital.
Glamorous Lake Como and its villas, plus Garda's western shore, Maggiore's Borromean Islands and Lake Iseo.
Walled Bergamo, the Gonzaga palaces of Mantua, the violins of Cremona and the Certosa of Pavia.
Franciacorta's sparkling wine and the alpine Valtellina valley with its terraced vineyards and ski resorts.
Frequently asked questions
Cities in Lombardy
This overview comes from Visaja's worldwide missions database (visaja.com), checked against official government sources; for binding answers, the mission itself always has the final word.