© Lonely Planet 259 Lombardy & the Lakes Sprawling between the Alps and the river Po’s plains, Lombardy (Lombardia) has one of Italy’s most varied landscapes. Industrious cities, medieval hill towns and lakeside resorts are interspersed with powdered slopes, lemon groves, crop fields, vineyards and rice paddies. Dominating it all is Lombardy’s capital and Italy’s economic powerhouse, Milan. Home to the nation’s prime stock exchange, one of Europe’s biggest trade-fair grounds and interna­ tional fashion hub, it is Italy’s second-largest metropolis after Rome. Sparkling lakes are strung along the north of the region like a glittering necklace. Wedding-cake villas set in tiered gardens adorn elegant towns and coquettish villages along the shores. Further north still, the Valtellina and the wall of Alpine mountains abutting Switzerland are home to national parks and good skiing around Bormio. LOMBARDY & THE LAKES South of the main chain of lakes, cities steeped in history include medieval Bergamo, Roman Brescia, the age-old violin-making centre of Cremona and the Renaissance city of Mantua. Fresh lake fish grace Lombardy’s tables, along with risotto and polenta from the plains. Alpine butter, cream and cheese from the Valtellina are prized, as are the dry Valtellina red wines and fizzy Franciacorta, produced using the same double-fermentation method as Champagne. The catch? Lombardy’s style comes at a price. Milan could be loosely compared with London. It’s a frenetic place that ‘enjoys’ a climate reminiscent of London. The region’s industry and agriculture make it one of the most affluent parts of Italy and one of the most expensive. There are ways to keep the costs down – but this region rewards you when you splash out. HIGHLIGHTS Take a ferry at twilight for mesmerising views of Lago di Como ( p299 ) Try to control overtly salivating over the gourmet treasures at Milan’s 19th-century food emporium, Peck (see boxed text, p274 ) Lago di Como Isola Go back centuries amid the medieval beauty of Bella Bergamo’s Piazza Vecchia ( p281 ) Bergamo Nago-Torbole Spend 15 minutes face to face with Leonar­ do’s famous mural, The Last Supper ( p265 ) Milan Stroll among the peacocks in the palace gardens on Lago Maggiore’s prettiest island, Isola Bella ( p297 ) Ride Lago di Garda’s winds at the home of the World Windsurf Championships, Nago- Torbole ( p310 ) POPULATION: 9.64 MILLION AREA : 23,835 SQ KM 260 LOMBARDY & THE LAKES lonelyplanet.com 0 50 km LOMBARDY 0 30 miles S W I T Z E R L A N D Livigno Madesimo ��Bormio Parco TRENTINO­ Nazionale ALTO ADIGE dello Stelvio Ponte di Legno Passo del Edolo Tonale Locarno Sorico Nuovo Sondrio Domaso Parco Olonio a Lago c dell' SS34 Gravedona Aprica i Maggiore n Adamello Colico o Trento Pianello del Lario a To Cannobio Cadenabbia Abbazia di Piano V a l l i n m Capo di Parco Nazionale ����t e l a Domodossola Menaggio C Cannero Porlezza Ponte delle Incisioni Mt Brione (40km) e Varenna l Rupestri Riviera Tremezzo Parco Regionale l (374m) Verbania Lago di Boario a Lenno Bellagio delle Alpi Orobie V Arco Baveno Isole Lugano Argegno Terme Cascata del Varone Borromee Lierna Lago di Val Seriana Rovereto Stresa Laveno Parco Regionale Riva del Bisuschio Como Costa Volpino dell'Alto Garda Monte Mottarone a Lecco Darfo Garda Nago-Torbole (1491m) Cernobbio n Lovere Bresciano a Varese Adda b Castro Limone Orta San Giulio m Pisogne A22 Como e sul Garda Arona r Riva di Salto Zone Lago Tradate B Malcesine laV Bergamo Lago Marone Monte Spino Gargnano d'Orta ����d'Iseo Monte� (1486m) Brenzone A9 Isola A8 Sarnico Toscolano-Maderno Mt Baldo (1790m) SS32 Orio al Iseo Sulzano Gardone Riviera Mt Pizzicolo (1582m) Serio F r a Lago Malpensa SP35 Monza A4 a n r t di Torri del Benaco c o Airport SS42 i a c Salò SR229 SS33 Rho Brescia Garda Garda To Padua Treviglio Desenzano (80km); SP11 del Garda Sirmione CanevaWorld Venice A4 (100km) Novara Linate Gardaland Airport A4 SS11 Parco SS45b MILAN SP415 Brescia Peschiera Parco dell'Adda del Garda Verona SP35 Sud Oglio Airport Lombardo ��Lodi � SP236 Verona della Valle A7 Certosa A21 Airport VENETO del Ticino di Pavia Ticino A1 Pavia Codogno Acquanegra SP10 S Chiese Cremona Mantua Po A21 Po To Turin Piacenza Sabbioneta San Benedetto Po LOMBARDY & THE LAKES (110km) �� A22 A26 PIEDMONT EMILIA-ROMAGNA Parma To Bologna A7 (65km) To Genoa (75km); Ventimiglia (240km) Reggio Emilia Armani, Versace, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, MILAN Gucci and many more took off on Milan’s pop 1.3 million runways (although many, like Gucci, first At first glance, Milan (Milano) can appear like came to the world’s attention in Florence). one of the models gracing its catwalks: great Fashionistas make a pilgrimage here to bone structure (in the shape of historic and shop at the designers’ flagship stores in the striking new architecture), extravagant taste Quadrilatero d’Oro (Golden Quad). and no obvious soul. But Milan’s style and, By night, the Milanese know how to enjoy yes, substance, are more than skin deep. themselves. They start with the aperitivo, a kind Milan is the engine room of the country’s of extended happy hour in which the city’s best economy. Treasures that survived damage bars offer a cornucopia of free bar food to go from Allied bombing during WWII include its with wine and cocktails. Some head later for the elaborate cathedral, Leonardo da Vinci’s The many bars lining canals in the Navigli area. Last Supper and the Castello Sforzesco. The La Fashion and finance aside, Milan’s other Scala opera house also scraped through. What religion is calcio (football). The city is home really sets Milan apart, however, is its creative to both AC Milan and Inter, two of Italy’s top streak and high-speed cosmopolitan feel. teams (the latter won the national champion­.