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Lombardy [9]

Lombardy - Beyond the financial metropolis of Milan, the region is peppered with affluent towns that preserve pretty old centres and a distinct character: Mantua, Cremona, Bergamo, Brescia and Pavia are wealthy. Lombardy is Italy’s richest, most industrial and developed region including enchanting lakes from Lago d’Orta to Lago di Garda.
Milan is an international fashion city and most of the country’s major corporations and the nations’s largest concentration of industry are likewise here. The world’s most-famous designers have their flagship stores here and Milan’s clubbing scene is hip and theatre and cinema flourish. Milan’s cathedral is the world’s fourth largest. Most of Milan’s attractions are concentrated between the cathedral and Castello Sforzesco. Other parts of the town likely to be frequented are Brera, Navigli to the south and the Porta Garibaldi area north of town. Piazza del Duomo is home to Milan’s most visible monument, the cathedral. The central spire, 108m tall, is capped by a gilded copper statue of the Madonnina, the city’s traditional protector. The soutern side of Piazza del Duomo is dominated by the Palazzo Arcivescovile and Palazzo Reale. The Pinacoteca Ambrosiana is one of the city’s finest galleries. Piazza della Scala is dominated by Milan’s legendary opera house, La Scala. Castello Sforzesco is home to some excellent museums. The Museo Teatrale alla Scala is an enchanting museum inside Palazzo Busca. The Festa di Sant’Ambrogio on 7 Dicember is Milan’s biggest feast day. The Italian Grand Prix tears around the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in September. Milan’s two football clubs, AC Milan and FC Internazionale Milano (Inter) play at the San Siro Stadium. Streets for affordable fashion lie behind the cathedral around Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, and between Piazza della Scala and Piazza San Babila.
Pavia is an industrial and agricultural centre on the banks of the River Ticino, known for its university. The province produces about one-third of Italy’s rice. Pavia once boasted some 100 medieval watchtowers. The Castello Visconteo watches over the northern end of medieval Pavia. The medieval centre is dominated by the University of Pavia. The other old-town landmark is the cathedral. Certosa is a Carthusian monastery 10km north of Pavia. Behind the 122 arches of the larger cloisters are 24 cells, each a self-contained living area for one monk.
Bergamo’s walled hilltop città alta is surrounded by the città bassa, a sprawling modern addition to this magnificent former outpost of the Venetian empire. Although Milan’s skyscrapers to the southwest are visible on a clear day. Several small ski resorts speckle the Bergamo Alps around the town. The Piazza Vecchia is the heart of medieval Bergamo. The upper city’s western tip is filled by the defensive hulk of Bergamo’s citadel, occupied today by two small museums, the Museo di Scienze Naturali Enrico Caffi and the Civico Museo Archeologico.
Covering the band of Alps across Lombardy’s north, the Valtellina has some acceptable skiing and is well set up for walking. Alpine ski resorts are Bormio and Livigno.
Brescia is a provincial capital, an industrial centre and a transport hub. The region offers many good wines. Brescia’s historic centre is dominated by a hill, Colle Cidneo, topped by a rambling castle which has been the core of the city defences for centuries. The most compelling of Brescia’s religious monuments is the Duomo Vecchio. The International Piano Festival, held from early April until June, is staged in conjunction with nearby Bergamo, while the Estate Aperta festival of music occupies the summer months.
Cremona, the home of the Stradivari violin, maintains its centuries-old status as premier exponent of the delicate art of making the perfect string instrument. The Triennale Internazionale degli Strumenti ad Arco (International String Instrument Expo) is held every third October; the next will be in 2006.
On the shores of Lago Superiore, Lago di Mezzo and Lago Inferiore is Mantua, a serene and beautiful city. The Ducal Palace occupies a great chunk of the city’s northeastern corner.The centrepiece is Castello di San Giorgio. The cathedral pales before the magnificence of the Basilica di Sant´ Andrea.
Some 30km southwest of Mantua, the surreal town of Sabbioneta was created in the 16th century in a failed attempt to build Utopia.
Como Lake: Como, 50 km north of Milan, is the main access town to the lake and sits at the foot of the 146 sq km body of water. The town is a good base for exploring the fairytale lakeside villages.
Lago di Como’s western shore stretches a handsome 80 km from Como (south) to Sorico (north). In Cernobbio art exhibitions can be viewed in the Villa Bernasconi. In Tremezzo pergolas knitted from orange trees and some of Europe’s finest rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias bloom in the botanical gardens of 17th century Villa Carlotta.
Como’s eastern shore is the least scenic. The southern shore embraces the pearl of the lake, Bellagio – a pretty little town indeed, sitting square on the point where the lake’s western and eastern arms split and head south.
Lake Maggiore: Stresa is the main lakeside town of the Lake Maggiore. Stresa is 80 km northwest of Milan on the lake’s western shore. It’s commonly touted as a base for visiting the Borromean Islands. You can also ride the Funivia Stresa-Mottarone to the top of Monte Mottarone. The mountain offers good biking trails and walking opportunities. Most winters, skiers and boarders can cruise down the gentle slopes of Mottarone.
The Borromean Islands can be reached from various points around the lake but Stresa and Baveno are the best departure points. The four islands – Bella, Madre, Pescatori (or Superiore) and San Giovanni – form the lake’s most beautiful corner. Palazzo Borromeo is the main draw card of Bella. Madre provides fertile ground for Italy’s tallest palm trees.
Verbania is the biggest town on the lake; split into three districts, it is Verbania Intra – the Swiss end with an attractive old town and car ferry port to cross the lake – and Verbania Pallanza – that are the most interest.
Cannobio is a tiny town with spotless cobblestone streets.
Lago d’Orta is actually in the Piedmont region and is separated from its more celebrated eastern neighbour, Lago Maggiore, by Monte Mottarone. The main town on the lake is Orta San Giulio an idyllic spot. From the main waterfront square, regular launches make the short trip to the Isola San Giulio.
Lake Iseo: The Lago d’Iseo is shut in by mountains and it is scarred by industry and a string of tunnels at its northeastern end around Castro and Lovere. Heading south, the Franciacorta – a patch of rolling countryside that produces good wine – spills around the lake shore, while the mountainous hinterland offers interesting walking possibilities. The River Oglio winds to the lake through the Valle Camonica between two national parks. Iseo is a pleasant spot fronting the southern end of the lake. From Iseo you can catch a boat to Monte Isola, Europe’s largest lake island at 5 sq km.
The Valle Camonica weaves its way from the north of Lago d’Iseo to the vast Parco dell’Adamello and further north, to the Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio.

Hotels in the holiday region Lombardy

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