Lombardy may be most famous for the city of Milan, but the region also offers a lot of other cultural and natural experiences. To start your holidays in Lombardy is a fantastic starting point if you want to experience some of the exciting and maybe slightly overlooked cities of Northern Italy.

The northern part of the region is dominated by the Alps and the big lakes Como and Garda. You will find great experiences of nature in both summer and winter time. For centuries, the Lake Como has drawn people who want to hike in the mountains or sail on the lake. From the lake, there is a fantastic view of the Alps. The Lake Garda, Italy’s largest and most famous lake in the eastern part, is surrounded by three different regions of which Lombardy is on the western part of the lake.

Milan is the capital of the region and is best known to be one of the main cities of fashion, i.e. for haute couture, with names such as Valentino, Armani, Laura Biagiotti and Gucci, and for the opera La Scala. Milan is also Italy’s financial centre where you will find the stock exchange, among other things. Milan offers a lot of shopping possibilities, busy people and a high pulse.

The landscape of Lombardy

Large parts of Lombardy are characterised by the flat Po plain. But to the north and north-east, there are a lot of mountains and the large lakes such as Como and Garda provide beautiful experiences of nature. 

Large cities in Lombardy: Milan and Como

Milan, the capital of Lombardy, may be best known for exclusive shops, football and of course the famous La Scala opera. Milan is also the city with the cafes of studied elegance, smart and fashionable men and women. The city centre around the cathedral is also the most interesting part of the city.

Como, which is famous for its silk production which is among the best in the world, is certainly worth a visit. You will also here find a lot of exclusive shops, restaurants and cafes. The shops in the city centre of Como know their value but you can still buy beautiful silk ties, scarves and other silk clothes and fabrics at favourable prices in the city. You will also find factory outlets in a number of factories.

Along the Lake Como, you will find the most fantastic houses, which have hosted several famous films and are owned by Hollywood stars and fashion designers, among others. 

Other larger cities in Lombardy are Bergamo, Brescia, Cremona, Lecco, Lodi, Mantova, Pavia, Sondrio and Varese.

Tourist attractions in Lombardy

In Milan, you will find the world-famous Leonardo da Vinci museum where you should spend a couple of hours. The cathedral of Milan is absolutely worth a visit. The city is also a big football city with two big and famous football teams, AC Milan and Inter(nazionale). If you are interested in cars, you can visit the Formula 1 field Autodromo in Monza, only 23 km north of Milan.

 

Sports activities in Lombardy

It is also possible to ski in Lombardy, in Livigno and in other mountain towns. In the summer, you can surf and sail and bath in the lakes.

Gastronomic characteristics of Lombardy

The Lombardy cuisine consists of heavy and stodgy dishes. Butter is a frequent ingredient and frog’s legs, snails and goose, which many people associate with France, are often on the menu. Freshwater fish are also frequently eaten in Lombardy. Eels are not a rare ingredient and in some places, you can also have wonderful crayfish.

If you are on holiday in Lombardy, you should taste the sparkling wines, which the region is known for. You must not call the wines Champagne, which is why Spumante and gradually also Brut are the Italian terms for the same product. The Lombardy people are actually very good at producing the wonderful bubbles. Besides that, Lombardy is most famous for its production of white wines on international grapes such as Chardonnay.

The climate of Lombardy

Mediterranean temperatures. The hottest month is July with an average temperature of 29 degrees. It is of course also wonderful to travel to Lombardy in the spring and in the autumn where you will find a mild climate.

Some of the photos are kindly lent out from the Italian Tourist Office. Photographer: De Agostini Picture Library.