Lake Como
Lago di Como's northernmost towns of Dongo, Gravedona and Sorico once formed the independent republic of the Tre Pievi (Three Parishes) and were a hotbed…
Must-see attractions in The Italian Lakes
Como
Hemmed in by houses these days and enclosing one side of what was once a medieval grain market, this Lombard Romanesque basilica dates back to the 7th…
Mantua
The weather-worn, 11th-century, Lombard Romanesque Rotonda di San Lorenzo is sunk below the level of the square, its red-brick walls still decorated with…
Mantua
Piazza Sordello is the oldest square in Mantua, and was probably the location of the Etruscan town. The existing layout is thanks to the Gonzagas, whose…
Como
About 500m south of Como’s city walls is this austere 11th-century Romanesque church, once the seat of a bishopric built on the orders of St Amantius of…
Brescia
The original Mille Miglia (Thousand Miles) ran between 1927 and 1957 and was one of Italy's most legendary endurance car races – it started in Brescia and…
Como
Far from being a flashy collection of silk scarves, this highly educational study of Como’s long-standing textile industry explains the full silk-making…
Stresa
For the best passeggiata (afternoon stroll) on Lake Maggiore head for Stresa, where a 2km-long lakeside promenade meanders through florid gardens and past…
Mantua
One of half a dozen squares that embellish Mantua's historic centre, the Broletto is home to the Palazzo del Podestà, once home to the city's highest…
Mantua
If ever a theatre were set to upstage the actors, it's the 18th-century Teatro Bibiena. Dimly lit and festooned with plush velvet, its highly unusual,…
Como
A grand villa overlooking the lake, northwest of the centre, Villa Sucota was built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It has been home to various…
Cremona
A few kilometres southeast of the old city, the 15th-century Chiesa di San Sigismondo features a 16th-century fresco cycle that is a superb example of…
Orta San Giulio
Here's a picture of how life really should be lived: rise early and head for a coffee on Piazza Mario Motta, gazing across at the sun-struck Isola San…
Lake Garda
This atmospheric museum packs a wealth of history into the rough stone walls of a 14th-century castle. The fortification was built in 1338 as part of the…
Como
One of Como's most charming walks is the lakeside stroll west from Piazza Cavour. Passeggiata Lino Gelpi leads past the Monumento ai Caduti, a 1931…
Galleria d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea
Bergamo
GAMeC, as the gallery is known, sits opposite the more prestigious Accademia Carrara and displays modern works by Italian artists like Giacomo Balla,…
Lake Garda
There's old and there's...old. Hemmed in by houses and guarded by an agreeably shabby courtyard north of the main road, this tiny church, dating from the…
Orta San Giulio
This atmospheric church is the main attraction on the tiny Isola San Giulio and was built over various periods dating back to the 9th century. Its bell…
Stresa
More than 1000 alpine and subalpine species flourish in this 4-hectare botanical garden set partway up Monte Mottarone. It was founded in 1934 and…
Brescia
This 17th-century palace houses two separate museums, and it makes a worthwhile detour while exploring Brescia's historic sites. The Brixia Light Box …
Bellagio
The lavish gardens of Villa Serbelloni cover much of the promontory on which Bellagio sits. The villa has been a magnet for Europe's great and good,…
Lake Garda
The leafy headland of Punta San Vigilio curls out into the lake 3km north of Garda. An avenue of cypress trees leads from the car park towards a gorgeous…
Lake Maggiore
The otherwise sleepy town of Luino becomes a consumer madhouse on market day. This is no ordinary local flea market but rather an enormous bazaar that was…
Milan
Fashion house Trussardi's provocative, nonprofit foundation is neither a museum nor a collection, but acts as an agency for the promotion of contemporary…
Villa Cipressi Botanical Gardens
Lake Como
The villa itself is a hotel, but the steeply terraced grounds are open to anyone willing to part with €6. The gardens bloom with cipressi (cypress trees),…
Bergamo
The Cappella Colleoni, attached to the north side of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, was built between 1472 and 1476 as a magnificent mausoleum-cum…
Lake Como
Some 15km northeast of Lecco, the village of Barzio is important above all as the birthplace of Alessandro Manzoni. Nearby, Pasturo retains something of…
Lake Garda
Some 2km south of Bardolino in Cisano, the most impressive exhibits at this well-laid-out museum are the monster grape presses, some of which used mule…
Como
The photogenic lakeside Tempio Voltiano was built in 1927. This neoclassical temple is now a museum devoted to Como-born electric-battery inventor…
Como
Set facing the lake, the grand creamy facade of neoclassical Villa Olmo is one of Como's biggest landmarks. The extravagant structure was built in 1728 in…
Lake Como
Once an industrial centre, Bellano (5km north of Varenna) is a sleepy lakeside town with a singular sight: the Orrido, a powerful waterfall where the…
Sirmione
Expanding their influence northwards, the Scaligeri of Verona built this enormous square-cut castle right at the entrance to old Sirmione. Rising out of…
Mantua
Once the location of the town's vegetable market, Piazza delle Erbe is Mantua's most lively piazza. Its 13th-century Palazzo della Ragione sports a 15th…
Brescia
Set in a salubrious park atop a hill, Brescia’s impressive castle is a great place for aimless wandering (early mornings are best), soaking up views and…
Lake Garda
From Via Capitanato winding lanes lead to the chalky-white Castello Scaligero. This late-6th-century fortress was built by the Franks and consolidated by…
Milan
Designed by Fabio Novembre, this huge, glass wedge topped by a giant TV screen houses the new HQ of AC Milan, incorporating not only the club’s admin, but…
Lake Garda
Just off the main lake road and walkable from town, the Museo del Vino is set within the Zeni Winery, and rarely has a museum smelt this good. Rich scents…
Como
The polychromatic Broletto, or medieval town hall, sits right beside Como's towering duomo. Unusually, it butts right up against the cathedral and is very…
Lake Como
Cycling fans might want to make this top of their Lago di Como list. Set in a village that's frequently featured in the Giro d'Italia race, this museum is…
Bergamo
For a wonderful view from one of the highest points in the old town, climb the 12th-century Gombito Tower. Visits must be reserved in advance at the…
