Things To Do in Lombardy

Piazza del Duomo is Milan’s central piazza. It’s a great spot to observe life in the city, with shops, cafes, and street performers nearly always attracting the fashionable Milanese crowds. The square is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed for its four architectural masterpieces: Milan Cathedral, Campanile di Giotto (the bell tower), the baptistry, and the Campo Santo.

At the center is a statue of the first king of united Italy, Vittoria Emmanuel. The Duomo is the highlight. Built over 600 years in Italian-Gothic style, its exterior is stunning with beautiful stained glass windows, statues, and towers while the interior features paintings, tapestries, wooden models, and more. You won’t want to miss the chance to climb to the roof, one of the best observation points in the city. You’ll see one of the most unforgettable views of the Alps through the marble spires and pinnacles of the cathedral.

Milan is home to many outstanding museums, including the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology, the largest of its kind in Italy and Europe’s most important institution for science and technology. Housed in a former monastery that was built in the 6th century, it contains a vast collection, but the highlight is the Leonardo da Vinci area which includes many of da Vinci’s sketches and blueprints, reconstructions of his flying machines, and model cars created from the artist’s drawings.

Milan’s archaeological museum is a must for anyone with an interest in history. It covers the city’s ancient past including the Middle Ages, the ancient Greeks, and the Etruscan civilization with a focus on Roman history as the city was the capital of the Roman Empire from 286 to 402 AD. As a capital of design, visitors can learn more about Melian and Italian design at the unique Museum of Italian Design too.

One of the top things to do in Bellagio is to visit the Villa Melzi complex. Created as a summer residence for Francesco Melzi d’Eril, the vice president of the Italian Republic founded in the early 19th century by Napoleon, the neoclassical villa itself isn’t open to the public but the vast botanical garden that surrounds it is. Designed by architect Luigi Canonica and agronomist Luigi Villoresi, a walk through offers the chance to marvel at the villa’s architecture and enjoy the natural beauty that begins at the boat dock with a long avenue of plane trees.

Surrounding the villa are some huge rhododendrons and azaleas. There’s a hidden cave and an artificial Japanese-style pond, and visitors can enjoy serene views of the forested shoreline, lake, and mountains too. The Orangery that sits adjacent to the villa houses a small museum displaying memorabilia related to Napoleon is also well worth visiting.

Wine enthusiasts will enjoy touring the Lombardy wine region, which is primarily known for its sparkling wines from Oltrepo-Pavese and Franciacorta. The region also produces rosé wines in the areas around Lake Garda and red wines from Nebbiolo grapes in Valtellina. Lombardy includes 13 IGT designations, 20 DOCs, and 5 DOCGs. While there are many wine tours to choose from, a private guided wine tasting is an ideal way to enjoy a variety of samplings without having to worry about a designated driver while avoiding large groups.

You can be accompanied by your own professional driver/guide who will bring you to one or more wineries to meet the winemakers and taste some of the best local wines alongside local bites like cheeses, bread, and bresaola (salted beef or pork). Many wineries are family run, making it possible to hear about the family’s long winemaking tradition, the process, and how their heritage is being preserved.

Scaligero Castle, or Castello Scaligero, guards the entrance to the medieval town of Sirmione, located about a two hour drive east of Milan. It’s perched on a thin strip of land stretching into Lake Garda and almost entirely surrounded by water, looking as if it’s floating with turreted walls that rise from the sapphire lake. Incredibly picturesque, Sirmione has been a popular resort town since the 1st century BC thanks to its natural hot springs, but today, it may best be known for its castle.

Built in the 14th century, it’s one of the lake’s most famous sights and has had various incarnations over the centuries, including use as an armory, military barracks, a police station, and a jail. It’s one of the most well-preserved castles in all of Italy and now serves as a museum. By climbing the 146 steps to the ramparts, you’ll enjoy a breathtaking view of the harbor from by the castle battlements.

If you want to take a trip far back in time to explore Lombardy’s ancient past, be sure to see the neolithic carvings in Val Camonica. The rock drawings make up the largest collections of prehistoric petroglyphs in the world. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, over 140,000 symbols and figures have been formally recognized and new discoveries bring that total to between 200,000 and 300,000, spread throughout all surfaces of the valley, with the highest concentration found in the areas of Capo di Ponte, Darfo Boario Terme, Cimbergo, Nadro, and Paspardo.

They range from geometric patterns to weapons and elaborate carvings of people and animals, including dogs, elk, and deer. Many were made over a period of 8,000 years, preceding the 1st millennium BC. The petroglyphs from the last period have been attributed to the people of Camuni. The earliest carvings date back to the 8th – 6th millennium BC and were the work of passing nomadic hunters.