Lombardy
Past Milan's design district, Lombardy unfolds into glacial lakes ringed by villas, gardens and the Alps.
Five reasons Lombardy stays with you.
- Lake Como villas, Lake Garda's olive-grove shores
- Milan — design capital, Last Supper, Duomo rooftop
- Renaissance Mantua — Palazzo Te frescoes
- Walled Bergamo Alta and the Franciacorta sparkling wine country
- Easy alpine access to the Stelvio and Valtellina
Start here if you have a long weekend.
Eat and drink like you mean it.
Our editor's picks — the tables and bottles we'd cross the country for.
Michelin-starred kitchen at Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni.
Casoncelli alla bergamasca since 1956.
Italy's metodo classico answer to Champagne.
Three rooms with a view.
Three ways to go deeper.
Mahogany Riva ride past Bellagio, Varenna, Tremezzo.
Skip-the-line for Milan's two icons.
Two estates and a sparkling lunch.
Best time to visit · April–June and September–October. Lakes loveliest in shoulder season.
Beyond Milan — the great northern lakes.
A curated edit — what to see, where to eat what the locals eat, and where to sleep with intention.
Bellagio
The 'Pearl of Lake Como' at the fork of the lake.
- — Villa Melzi gardens
- — Punta Spartivento
- — Basilica di San Giacomo
- MistralMichelin-starred at Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni.
- Hotel FlorenceFamily-run lakefront since 1825.
Varenna
Quieter, slower Como — fishermen's lanes and botanic villas.
- — Villa Monastero
- — Castello di Vezio
- — Passeggiata degli Innamorati
- Il CavatappiTiny lakeside kitchen, big Lombardy wine list.
- Hotel du LacBelle Époque rooms over the harbour.
Sirmione
A peninsula on Lake Garda crowned by a Scaligero castle.
- — Grotte di Catullo
- — Rocca Scaligera
- — Aquaria thermal spa
- La SperanzinaLakeside Michelin tasting.
- Villa Cortine PalaceNeoclassical villa in cypress parkland.
Bergamo Alta
A walled upper city of Venetian bastions above the plain.
- — Piazza Vecchia
- — Cappella Colleoni
- — Venetian Walls (UNESCO)
- Da MimmoCasoncelli alla bergamasca since 1956.
- GombitHotelDesign hotel inside a medieval tower.
Mantova
A Renaissance court-city embraced by three lakes.
- — Palazzo Ducale
- — Palazzo Te
- — Basilica di Sant'Andrea
- L'Ochina BiancaTortelli di zucca, the Mantuan classic.
- Casa PoliDiscreet design hotel in the centro storico.
