& THE LAKES

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© Lonely Planet Lonely © Nago-Torbole

Lago di Isola Bella AREA : 23,835 SQ KM 23,835 : AREA

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( p265 ) Nago-

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(see boxed text, p274 ) p274 text, (see boxed ( p299 )

Peck

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Piazza Vecchia Vecchia Piazza ( p310 )

Lago di Como Stroll among the peacocks in the palace island, prettiest gardens on Lago Maggiore’s Isola Bella Spend 15 minutes face to face with Leonar­ Spend 15 minutes Last Supper do’s famous mural, The Try to control overtly salivating over the salivating over Try to control overtly at Milan’s 19th-century gourmet treasures food emporium, Take a ferry at twilight for mesmerising views a ferry Take of Ride Lago di Garda’s winds at the home of the World Windsurf Championships, Torbole Go back centuries amid the medieval beauty of Bergamo’s

POPULATION: 9.64 MILLION POPULATION:

     HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS  The catch? Lombardy’s style comes at a price. Milan could be loosely compared with London. Milan could be loosely compared catch? Lombardy’s style comes at a price. The Fresh lake fish grace Lombardy’s tables, along with risotto and polenta from the plains. Alpine Alpine lake tables, along with risotto and polenta from the plains. fish grace Lombardy’s Fresh South of the main chain of lakes, cities steeped in history include medieval Bergamo, Roman medieval Bergamo, in history include of lakes,South of the main chain cities steeped Sparkling lakes are strung along the north of the region like a glittering necklace. necklace. like a glittering strung along the northSparkling lakes are of the region Dominating it all is Lombardy’s capital and ’s economic powerhouse, Milan. capital and Italy’s economic powerhouse, Dominating it all is Lombardy’s Home to

 are ways to keep the costs down – but this region rewards you when you splash out. rewards ways to keep costs down – but this region the are agriculture make it one of the most affluent parts of Italy and one of the most expensive. There There make of the most affluent parts it one agriculture of Italy and one of the most expensive. It’s a frenetic place that ‘enjoys’ a climate reminiscent of London. The region’s industry and industry region’s of London. The reminiscent ‘enjoys’ a climate place that It’s a frenetic fizzy Franciacorta, same double-fermentation produced using the method as Champagne. butter, cream and cheese from the Valtellina are prized, as are the dry Valtellina red wines and red the dry Valtellina as are prized, are and cheese from the Valtellina cream butter, , the age-old violin-making centre of Cremona and the Renaissance city of Mantua. the age-old and the Renaissance city of Mantua. Brescia, violin-making of Cremona centre Switzerland are home to national parks and good skiing around Bormio. to national parks and good skiing home are around Bormio. Switzerland the shores. Further north still, the Valtellina and the wall of Alpine mountains abutting and the wall of north still, the Valtellina Further the shores. Wedding-cake villas set in tiered gardens adorn elegant towns and coquettish villages along elegant towns and coquettish villages along gardens adorn Wedding-cakeset in tiered villas tional fashion hub, it is Italy’s second-largest metropolis after Rome. Rome. metropolis after Italy’s second-largest tional fashion hub, it is the nation’s prime stock exchange, one of Europe’s biggest trade-fair exchange, one of Europe’s the nation’s prime stock and interna­ grounds interspersed with powdered slopes, lemon groves, crop fields, vineyards and rice paddies. vineyards and rice paddies. crop fields, lemon groves, slopes, with powdered interspersed Italy’s most varied landscapes. Industrious cities, medieval hill towns and lakeside resorts are medieval hill towns and lakeside Industrious cities, resorts are Italy’s most varied landscapes. Sprawling between the Alps and the river Po’s plains, Lombardy (Lombardia) has one of (Lombardia) has one Po’s plains, Lombardy the river the Alps and Sprawling between Lakes Lombardy & the ��� ��� ���

LOMBARDY & THE LAKES streak andhigh-speed feel. cosmopolitan really isitscreative Milan apart, however, sets What also scrapedthrough. Scala operahouse Last Sforzesco. SupperandtheCastello TheLa daVinci’sThe elaborate cathedral,Leonardo from AlliedbombingduringWWIIinclude its economy. Treasures damage thatsurvived areyes, substance, more than skin deep. and noobvious soul.ButMilan’sstyleand, striking newarchitecture), extravagant taste bone structure (intheshapeof historicand one of themodelsgracingitscatwalks:great At first glance, Milan (Milano)canappearlike pop 1.3million 260 MILAN To Turin (110km) Stresa Baveno d'Orta Lago To Domodossola PIEDMONT Maggiore LOMBARDY SR229 Milan istheengineroomof thecountry’s A4 Lago (40km) Orta SanGiulio Verbania A26 (1491m) Monte Mottarone SS32 LOMBARDY &THELAKES Arona Laveno Novara Malpensa Locarno SS34 Borromee Airport Cannero Isole Riviera Cannobio Tradate

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Malcesine lonelyplanet.com aperitivo, Mt Baldo(1790m) Mt Brione (374m) Nago-Torbole San BenedettoPo A22 ALTO ADIGE TRENTINO­ Verona Rovereto Trento 30 miles akind To Padua 50 km (100km) (80km); Venice