Things to Do in Lombardy

Villa del Balbianello is one of a number of elegant historic villas that sit directly on the water’s edge at Lake Como. On the tip of a small promontory on the lake’s western shore, Balbianello is particularly lovely, with luxurious interiors, scenic loggia, beautiful gardens, and romantic lake views.

The villa was built in 1787 on the site of a Franciscan monastery, but by the early 20th century the buildings and grounds had fallen into a state of neglect. American businessman Butler Ames bought and refurbished the villa in 1919, creating the elaborate terraced gardens that you can see today. In 1974 Italian explorer Count Guido Monzino purchased the villa and decorated it with collections of Chinese and African art, French furniture, and other artifacts from his expeditions before leaving the estate to the FAI (Italy’s National Trust) upon his death in 1988.

By far the best way to appreciate the estate is by taking a guided tour that offers insights into the history of the villa and explores both the impressive interiors and the extensive gardens. Consider opting for a private tour that combines Villa del Balbianello with visits to Villa Melzi and Villa Carlotta, also on the shores of Lake Como.  

 

The most scenic way to approach Villa del Balbianello is on foot from Lenno, a 25-minute walk with excellent views of the lake as well as over the towns of Tremezzo and Lenno. You can also take a small-group boat tour or water taxi from Lenno, Varenna, Sala Comacina, Ossuccio, or one of the other towns along the lake shore.

Villa del Balbianello is open on Tuesday and Thursday through Sunday. Spring and fall are the best seasons to visit, as the gardens are verdant and can be enjoyed without the summer crowds.

This dramatic villa has been used as a location for a number of movies, including Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and the James Bond film Casino Royale.

Some cemeteries are like small cities, such as the Monumental Cemetery in Milan. It's the second-largest cemetery in Milan, and its paths are adorned with a fantastic array of sculptural tombs.

Milan's Monumental Cemetery (Cimitero Monumentale in Italian) was opened in 1866, originally built to consolidate the large number of smaller cemeteries around the city. Two new and very large cemeteries were created: one for the wealthy (Cimitero Monumentale) and one for everyone else (Cimitero Maggiore). Because it has been the final resting place for so many wealthy and famous people over the years, the tombs and mausoleums are often works of art.

Argentina's Eva Peron was secretly buried in this Milan cemetery until 1971 because of anti-Peron sentiments in her home country, and Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi was buried here for about a month before his body was moved. Today, the main draw for non-Italian visitors is the way the cemetery resembles an outdoor sculpture garden.

A lasting remnant of medieval Milan, the historic alleyway of Vicolo dei Lavandai juts out from the Naviglio Grande canal, close to the Darsena di Porta Ticinese (dockyards). Taking its name, which means ‘Alley of the Launderers’, from its previous incarnation, the alley was used as a wash house from the Middle Ages up until the 1950s, where washerwomen would plunge clothes and linens into the stream and scrub them with soap on the waterfront. 

The focal point of the Vicolo dei Lavandai is a narrow central canal way and along its banks the stone stalls and old ‘brellins’ (wooden launderers’ stools) can still be seen. Overlooking the canal, the former grocer’s store, where soap and bleach was sold to the workers, has now been transformed into the El Brellin restaurant, and a number of other cafés line the banks.

The town of Vicolungo is in the Piedmont region near Novara, not far from the border with Lombardy. It's home to one of the many outlet shopping centers near Milan – Vicolungo The Style Outlets.

The Style Outlets is a chain of outlet shopping centers in Europe (there are two in Italy). The Vicolungo location has 150 boutique stores, each offering discounts of 30-70% off regular retail prices. Some of the brands represented in the shopping center are Armani, Missoni, Trussardi, Swarovski, Sisley, and Kappa.

In addition to the shopping, The Style Outlets at Vicolungo also have an exhibition space that regularly features art shows and events.

Milan is world-famous for its fashion industry, much of which is located in one small section of the city – including along the Via Manzoni. The Quadrilatero della Moda, or “fashion quarter,” sits northeast of the Duomo, with Via Manzoni serving as its northwestern border. Unlike some of the other streets in the quarter, Via Manzoni is not pedestrianized – it's a relatively major street leading from the Teatro della Scala almost to the Giardini Pubblici in the northeast of the city.

In addition to the shops on Via Manzoni – Armani Casa and Paul Smith among them – this street is also home to the Armani Hotel, the Grand Hotel et de Milan (where Verdi died in 1901), and the Museo Poldi Pezzoli (with a collection of artists from northern Italy, the Netherlands, and Flanders).

Shopping in Milan isn't limited to the boutiques in the city center; there are outlet malls near Milan, too, including the Serravalle Designer Outlet. The town of Serravalle Scrivia is southwest of Milan, en route to Genoa, and the outlet center there has nearly 200 shops. You'll find designer brands like Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli, Prada, and more, all at discounted outlet prices of 30 to 70 percent off retail.

The outdoor shopping center at Serravalle is Italy's first and largest shopping mall, and the architecture is designed to reflect Italian style.

Milan is known as Italy's fashion capital, and there are several areas in the city known for shopping. One street with a particularly high concentration of clothing stores is Corso Buenos Aires.

The Corso Buenos Aires is a major thoroughfare in central Milan, running from Piazzale Loreto in northeast Milan toward the cathedral in the heart of the city. Closest to the Duomo, the street turns into Corso Venezia.

Unlike the cobblestone lanes of the Quadrilatero d'Oro shopping district, Corso Buenos Aires is a broad street that's busy with traffic - but it's also packed with shops. This street is said to have Europe's densest population of clothing stores. These are primarily ready-to-wear instead of the high-end fashion on display in the Quadrilatero d'Oro.

While mainly known as a shopping destination, Corso Buenos Aires also has several hotel options and is not far from the main train station in the city, Milano Centrale. Where the street becomes Corso Venezia is also one corner of the large park that includes the Museo Civico and a planetarium.

The Torba Monastery is nestled in the woods near the Castelseprio Archaeological Park, and is part history and part legend.

Some of the structures date from the 5th century, when this was part of a Roman military post. A group of Benedictine nuns added the monastery to the existing buildings in the 8th century, and a small church was added in the 11th century. The site has been open to the public since 1986.

There are some wonderful frescoes visitors to see in the monastery buildings, some of which date from the 9th century. In one area, three “faceless nuns” can be seen - their figures remarkably well-preserved, but their faces completely devoid of paint. There are legends and stories about these figures, including that their gestures are sending a secret message or that the spirits of those three nuns still haunt the area.

Guided tours of the Torba Monastery are available with advance booking, or you can simply buy an entrance ticket and explore the site on your own.

Chic Milan is known for its contemporary elegance and relentless pace, so it may come as a surprise to learn that one of Italy’s loveliest city parks sits at its heart. Sempione Park (Parco Sempione) covers 116 acres (47 hectares) of central Milan, offering a welcome respite from the surrounding urban hustle and bustle.

Located just behind Sforza Castle (Castello Sforzesco) and adjacent to the fashionable Brera neighborhood, this public park was laid out in the late 1800s. The grounds include gravel paths, the triumphal Arch of Peace (Arco della Pace), a lake, and even the small Arena Civica used for concerts and sporting events. The park’s Torre Branca tower offers a bird’s-eye view of the entire city. Museums inside the park include the Triennale contemporary art and design museum in the Palazzo dell’Arte and the city’s small aquarium.

Sempione Park is one of the best places in Milan to take a relaxing stroll or bike ride, perhaps as part of a walking or bike tour of the city’s highlights. On sunny weekends, many city residents relax in the park—and there’s no reason you shouldn’t follow suit. It’s also an excellent stop on a Segway or rickshaw tour and is especially recommended as a stop on a kid-friendly private tour.

Parco Sempione is in Milan’s city center, an easy walk from the Duomo and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The Cadorna and Cairoli Castello metro stops are both just outside the park. Milan is well connected by train to other Italian cities like Venice, Florence, and Rome. 

Sempione Park opens at 6:30am daily and closes at 9pm in winter and as late as 11:30pm in summer. It’s relatively empty in the early morning and late evening hours, but during the day—especially in summer—the park serves as a cool oasis for locals and tourists alike.

Santa Maria delle Grazie, the church and monastery that houses Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic The Last Supper mural, is just a 15-minute walk from Parco Sempione, so it’s easy to combine the two sights into a single tour.

Milan's Ticinese district is in the southern part of the historic center, known for its shops and restaurants. It houses one of Milan's old city gates, originally built in the 16th century, while today's gate dates from the 19th century and marks the southern end of the Corso di PortaTicinese. This street is lined with shops, and "“ along with nearby Via Torino "“ is known particularly for its shoe shops.

The Ticinese area is historically working class, as is the nearby Navigli district, but both are becoming more upscale as hip cafes and restaurants move in. There are historic attractions here, including Milan's best-preserved Roman ruins, as well as a weekly antiques market.

The town of Sirmione occupies the tip of a tiny peninsular that protrudes into the southern edge of Lake Garda in northern Italy. Its unique position makes it a popular tourist destination.

Sirmione is known to have been a popular resort town since the 1st century B.C.E., largely because of its thermal hot springs. Much of what you see in Sirmione today is newer, but there are Roman ruins in the historic center, too. The remains of a Roman villa are at the end of the peninsula, and are called the Grottoes of Catullus - the name of a Roman poet whose family lived in Sirmione in the 1st century B.C.E.

Another attraction is the Rocca Scaligera, a 13th-century castle. The picturesque and small historic center gets very crowded during the summer months, so if you can spend the night you may enjoy some peace and quiet.

Lying on the western flank of thin, wispy Lake Maggiore, Stresa is an elegant resort backed by the Alpine foothills of Monte Mottarone and beloved of travellers for the grandiose hotels spread along its tree-lined promenade. Summer sees lidos bordering the lake and visitor-thronged craft markets on Thursday afternoons; come the balmy evenings the cobbled streets of the town are equally packed with locals and tourists alike enjoying a passeggiata (nightly stroll) before they settle down to dine al fresco in leafy Piazza Cadorna.

Once the hang out of literary stars Charles Dickens and Ernest Hemingway, the jewels in Stresa’s crown are undoubtedly the three miniature Isole Borromee (Borromean Islands) just minutes away across Lake Maggiore by ferry. Owned by the all-powerful Borromeo clan since the 12th century, today they exist in a Baroque time warp; while Isola Bella and Isola Madre both boast extraordinary 17th-century palazzi decorated with unbelievable decadence and surrounded by formal terraced gardens – built as the Borromeos’ private pleasure grounds – every inch of Isola dei Pescatori is smothered in miniscule churches, art galleries, souvenir shops and fish restaurants with lake views at each turn. The aristocratic Borromeo family ruled over tracts of Lombardy for centuries, building another elaborate palace at Rocco Borromeo on Maggiore’s southwestern shore; Archbishop Carlo Borromeo was canonized in 1610 and a vast bronze statue stands in his honor at Angera. 

The stately Villa Melzi d’Eril sits at the edge of Lake Como in the picturesque town of Bellagio, while the peaceful Villa Melzi Gardens stretch out around it, hugging the lake. Both the villa and gardens were built in the early 19th century as the summer home for an Italian duke. The gardens were designed in the English style with statues, and the grounds include a traditional orangery (which today houses a museum) and a small chapel. Inside the museum, you'll find a bust of Napoleon and a set of ceremonial keys to the city of Milan. The small chapel is where the Melzi family is entombed.

While the villa itself is not open to the public, there are lots of walking paths through the gardens, ideal for getting away from the crowds in Bellagio. Some of the paths run right along the lake, with blooming plants on the opposite side and benches placed along the path so you can stop and enjoy the view for awhile. Visit the gardens on a full-day walking and boating tour of Lake Como to explore the nearby city of Varenna, taste local olive oil, and enjoy a boat ride across the lake.

Insider's Tip: Look out for the historic Venetian gondola on display in the gardens, which was brought to the property at the request of Napoleon.

Milan is well-known as a major shopping destination, but some of the streets in its city center – including Via Monte Napoleone – are particularly famous for their designer boutiques.

Via Monte Napoleone (also spelled Montenapoleone) is Milan's foremost shopping street in the shopping zone called the Quadrilatero della Moda, or “fashion quarter.” It's lined with high-end boutiques bearing world-famous designer names – Armani, Ferragamo, Fratelli Rossi, Zegna, Louis Vitton, Gucci, Valentino, Prada, and more.

Many of the streets in this area are pedestrianized, making it easy – and pleasant – to simply window shop if your wallet won't stretch to accommodate the boutique prices. The window displays along Via Monte Napoleone are often elaborate, making window shopping well worth your while.

Milan's fashion sense is world famous, and one of the streets to visit to see where the locals buy their designer brands is Via della Spiga. Along with other nearby streets such as Via Monte Napoleone, Via della Spiga is considered to be part of the Quadrilatero della Moda, or “fashion quarter.” Via della Spiga forms the northeastern border of the quarter.

Some of the designer names you'll see along Via della Spiga are Prada, Bulgari, Tod's, Armani, Hermes, Tiffany, Dolce & Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli, and Moschino. It's a pedestrianized street, making it a pleasure to wander – even if you're not planning to buy.