Discovery Italy

Lombardy is located in peninsula's northern part.
It borders with Switzerland and its geographical area extends from the Alps to Po Valley including a wide range of landscapes: mountains, hills, plain areas, rivers and lakes.
In Lombardy can be found the magnificent scenery of the Alps with Valchiavenna, Valtellina and Valcamonica that give the opportunity to practice winter sports and take advantage of facilities with modern equipment in renowned ski resorts: Tonale, Bormio, Livigno, Madesimo.

The Lombard hills with beautiful vineyards, famous for wine production are another great attraction for tourists.
The rivers are also fascinating (including Po, the largest river in Italy) and the numerous natural and artificial lakes:

• Lake Maggiore with the beautiful Borromean Islands, surrounded by old stately homes, parks and villages
• Charming Lake Como which has always been of great interest
• Lake Garda with the renowned resorts like Sirmione
• Lake Iseo

One of Lombardy’s distinctive feature are the plains, covered with water and planted with rice in areas rich in history, culture and folklore.
Lombardy is a region of a thousand aspects where nature, history, art and culture blend harmoniously with modern aspects, technology, fashion, entertainment and nightlife.
The capital of Lombardy is Milan, also called the “City of Madoninna” (recalling its protector saint) and is an active and elegant metropolis, centre of high fashion, finance and the heart of Italian economy as well as a large concentration of historical, artistic and Italian cultural heritage.
It is a modern-looking city but in its historical center are being preserved ancient monuments that witness the important role played by the city in different eras.
Splendid palaces, Duomo Cathedral, the most famous Italian gothic monument, Sforzesco Castle, behind which it extends
a vast park where can be found Arena, Arco della Pace, Pinacoteca di Brera founded by Napoleon, Teatro La Scala…..are all "living" testimony that nicely mix the history, art, traditions with the contemporary modernity

Lombardy Lakes

• Lake Iseo: with the river Oglio
• Lake Garda: the largest Italian lake with the river Mincio
• Lake Como: reminded by Manzoni in his famous "Promessi Sposi" with the river Adda
• Lake Maggiore: with the River Ticino
• River Po: from east to west

Lake Como, of glacial origin, belongs entirely to the region of Lombardy and is ideal for vacations and outdoor sports.

Some beautiful locations along lake Como are:

• Como and Lecco
• Menaggio
• Pianello Lario
• Dongo
• S. Maria Rezzonico

The landscape surrounding the lake is the Alpine mountain chains of different altitude, rich forests and green areas.
The territory of Lake Como is full of opportunities for those who enjoy mountains and outdoor sports holidays: through rough and rocky environments tourists can enjoy trekking, climbing, skiing and paragliding, and immersed in green meadows and hilly areas you can bike or choose the horseback. Along the shores of the lake there are also many small ports and ship berths equipped for navigation: tourists can stop their boats and stay on the beaches near the coast on the camping areas or choose to use ferry and boat service of the local navigation.
The climate along the lake is generally mild during the winter but very windy: for this reason very often are being organized international sailing regattas.

The Food and wine tradition in the lake area is very rich and different depending on location: the typical dishes are, mainly fish cooked in different ways, polenta and the delicious Taleggio cheese. A considerable important part of the territory is covered by the presence of olive trees in the inland lake areas where is being produced a very tasteful oil.The wines of Lake Como are not so many but among the most popular can be found the red of Bellagio and Domasino, a sparkling good white wine.

Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy with many tourist resorts, ideal for holidays.
Lake Garda stretches along the regions of Lombardy, Trentino and Veneto and the main tourist resorts: Sirmione, Desenzano del Garda, Salò, Gardone Riviera, Peschiera del Garda, Riva del Garda, Limone, Bardolino, Manerba, connected to each other by navigation services.

The main turist resorts of Lake Garda are:

• Sirmione
• Desenzano del Garda
• Salò
• Gardone Riviera
• Peschiera del Garda
• Riva del Garda
• Limone
• Bardolino
• Manerba

Lake Garda is a destination for tourists, including foreigners, who visit Garda's resorts throughout the year. In summer time can be practiced water sports such as windsurfing, sailing, canoeing and outdoor sports in the many green areas existing along the shores sports like hiking and biking.
In spring and summer time amusement and theme parks as Gardaland and Movie Studios are being open, full of attractions and shows, ideal destinations for family holidays with children.
Lake Garda is situated on a large area of northern Italy and is surrounded by picturesque landscapes ranging from mountains to green hills and plains where can be found parks and nature reserves: the Natural Park of Garda with Mediterranean vegetation and alpine landscapes, and the Sigurtà Garden in the Venetian shore of Lake Garda are the most important natural parks.
The area of Lake Garda is also suitable for wellness holidays at the Spa of Sirmione and cultural visits to ancient castles and villas on the hills: the most important and significant historical building is Vittoriale in Gardone Riviera.
Along Lake Garda can also be enjoyed gastronomic tours: lake Garda's farms and wineries open their facilities to tourists that can taste gastronomic products of the lake prepared with natural ingredients such as fruits, nuts, lemons and chestnuts as well as delicious wines: the most famous and popular are Bardolino and Valpolicella wines.

Lake Maggiore is the second largest lake in Italy after Lake Garda.
The lake resorts are suitable for family holidays with children.

The main tourist resorts of Lake Maggiore are:

• Luino
• Laveno
• Stresa
• Angera
• Sesto Calende
• Arona
• Baveno
• Verbania
• Pallanza

Lake Maggiore is of glacial origin and it extends to the whole Lombardy region, part of Piedmont in the provinces of Novara and Ossola and, in the northern part, in Swiss territory.
The area around the lake, particularly the Lombardy side, is characterized by beautiful hills rich in vegetation sloping down to the shore.
The resorts near the lake are Stresa, Verbania, Luino and Laveno with excellent holiday and vacation facilities.
Tourism by Lake Maggiore is favored by mild weather and the excellent accommodation facilities such as hotels, holiday farms, bed and breakfasts and camping areas that offer comfortable services.
The vacation at the lake offers many attractions and opportunities for recreation and outdoor sports: there is, in fact, the possibility of trekking in parks and nature reserves, rich in flora and fauna or to practice sailing, windsurfing, canoeing and kayaking on the lake and mountain biking along the shores.
The area of lake Maggiore is also a destination for cultural tourism: on the hills surrounding the lake, in fact, can be visited medieval castles and fortresses, archaeological sites and museums that witness the history of an ancient civilization that used to live along the shores.