Lombardy attractions

With its drawbridge entrance over a medieval moat, the 13th-century Scaliger Castle, set on the southern shore of Lake Garda, looks like something out of a fairytale. Climb the ramparts and main tower for sweeping views, and visit the collection of artifacts at the nearby Roman Grottoes of Catullus.

The Arch of Peace (Arco della Pace), located at the entrance to Parco Sempione in Milan, is a neoclassical arch begun by Napoleon during the early 19th century to honor his military victories. Made of marble from the Swiss Alps, the triumphal arch marks the beginning of the road that connects Milan and Paris.

The largest outlet shopping center in Europe, the Serravalle Designer Outlet outside Milan has more than 200 designer shops. Many stores offer discounts of 30 to 70 percent off retail prices all year round on brands like Furla, Armani, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Salvatore Ferragamo, and many more.

The Romanesque Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio (Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio) is dedicated to Milan's patron saint, St. Ambrose, who founded the church in the fourth century while bishop of Milan. The saint’s remains lay beneath the stunning ninth-century Golden Altar, a masterpiece of gold, gilded silver, precious stones, and enamel. The basilica’s unique architecture makes it a must-see.

The center of Milan was once crisscrossed with a series of interconnecting canals, called “navigli,” used to transport goods and people. Two still exist just south of the city center, and the surrounding Navigli District is one of Milan’s trendiest areas, full of galleries, cafés, restaurants, and clubs. It’s a hot spot worth a visit.

Soaring over the Bernina Pass and climbing to a dizzying 7,392 feet (2,253 meters) above sea level, the famous Bernina Express is one of Europe’s most beautiful railway routes. Running for 75 miles (122 kilometers) from Chur in Switzerland to Tirano in Italy, it’s the only railway that connects the North and South Alps, and offers dramatic mountain views.

Milan is the fashion and financial capital of Italy, but the city is also home to some surprising Roman ruins, including the Colonne di San Lorenzo (Columns of San Lorenzo. This row of 16 towering marble columns, part of a 2nd-century bath or temple complex, is among the top attractions in the Ticinese neighborhood today.

One of Milan’s jewels of contemporary urban design, the futuristic Piazza Gae Aulenti was inaugurated in 2012 and is named after the Italian architect who designed Paris’ Musee d’Orsay. The square is lined by three steel-and-glass towers—one of which, Torre Unicredit, is Italy's tallest building—and is known for its vibrant nightlife.

The Como-Brunate Funicular offers an easy escape from Como’s lakeside crowds. Shuttling you high to Brunate in mere minutes, the funicular doesn’t lend itself to views on the ride up. However, some of the best—and lesser-seen—Lake Como views await at the top. Let your gaze sweep over the mountain-framed lake from traditional restaurants, stroll cobbled streets to the Voltiano Lighthouse, or use Brunate as a starting point for hikes around the Larian Triangle Ridge.

The Church of Santa Maria presso San Satiro in Milan is a unique “two in one”, with the 9th-century church of San Satiro incorporated into the later 15th-century church of Santa Maria, both in design and in name.The Renaissance trompe l'oeil apse attributed to Donato Bramante makes it a must-see.

Via Monte Napoleone (sometimes written as Montenapoleone) is the most luxurious shopping street in the Italian fashion capital of Milan. It is lined with designer boutiques including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Valentino, and Prada as well as many jewelry shops. The decadent drag is located in the heart of Milan’s Fashion Quarter and is known as the most expensive street in Europe.

Milan is Italy’s capital of fashion, and the wide boulevard of Corso Buenos Aires is one of the city’s main shopping thoroughfares. Said to have Europe’s densest collection of clothing stores, this bustling street offers an endless array of ready-to-wear brands to browse, elbow to elbow with Milanese fashionistas.

Built in 1866, Milan’s Monumental Cemetery (Cimitero Monumentale) is the 2nd-largest cemetery in the city and the final resting place of wealthy folks and families including the Brunis, Bernocchis, and Camparis. The vast cemetery is an open-air museum featuring Italian sculptures, elaborate obelisks, and massive tombs commemorating the dead.

Milan’s historic Ambrosiana Museum and Library (Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana) was founded in 1618 by Cardinal Federico Borromeo. The cardinal donated more than 30,000 books, 15,000 manuscripts, and 12,000 pieces of artwork by famous artists such as Caravaggio, Raphael, Botticelli, and Leonardo da Vinci.

Step back into Naples’ layered history at the Basilica di San Lorenzo Maggiore, a gem of a basilica and monastery with a museum sitting above extraordinary Roman ruins. The basilica has one of Naples’ finest Gothic interiors and lies above the remains of a macellum—an ancient market that feels very much like an underground Pompeii.

10 Corso Como is one of Milan's trendiest addresses. Home to the Galleria Carla Sozzani art gallery, it also houses an ultra popular café, a fashion boutique, a roof garden, a restaurant, and a tiny hotel. If you want to see and be seen in Italy’s capital of chic, there is no better place.

La Triennale Museum (La Triennale di Milano) explores the history of Italian design, highlighting innovative works in furniture and industrial design, architecture, and decorative arts. Fittingly located in Milan (Italy’s design capital), the museum lies within the Palazzo dell’Arte—a venue originally built for the Triennale decorative arts show.

The Porta Nuova neighborhood in Milan was named after its elegant Neoclassical city gate built in 1810 by Giuseppe Zanoia. Known as the “new gate”, Porta Nuova is quite recent in comparison to the city’s ancient Roman gates, and is an architectural highlight of this business district, along with a number of award-winning skyscrapers.

Piazza delle Erbe is the beating heart of Mantua’s elegant Renaissance historic center. It is also home to three of the UNESCO World Heritage–listed city’s most famous monuments: the 13th-century civic hall, Palazzo della Ragione; Bartolomeo Manfredi’s 15th-century clock tower; and the 11th-century Rotonda di San Lorenzo, the city’s oldest church.

A chapel made from some truly unusual materials, San Bernardino alle Ossa is decorated by more than 3,000 human bones, arranged in Rococò-style patterns on the walls, cornice, pillars, and doors. Also of note are a series of 16th-century paintings, a ceiling fresco, and baroque-style decorations lining the walls.

For centuries, Mantua’s vast Palazzo Ducale was the seat of the Gonzaga dynasty, one of the most powerful during the Renaissance. Explore dozens of the palace’s sumptuous rooms (there are 500 in all), admiring art and lavishly decorated halls such as the whimsically frescoed Camera degli Sposi.

Once a working-class enclave, the Ticinese neighborhood today is one of the trendiest areas in Milan, known for its hip cafés, restaurants, and boutiques. By day, this urban hot spot is flooded with shoppers browsing the stores on Corso di Porta Ticinese and Via Torino. By night, locals gather here for an evening on the town.

Milan is known for its sophisticated style and unforgiving pace, but that doesn’t mean you can’t slow down and unwind in Italy’s fashion capital. If you need a break, QC Termemilano is an indulgent spa in the heart of the city with thermal baths, steam baths, relaxation rooms, massages, treatments, and more.

The northern Italian lakes are popular destinations, beloved for their placid waters and mountain scenery. Among these, however, sleepy Lake Orta (Lago di Orta) is one of the least well known. Overshadowed by its famous neighbor, Lake Maggiore, and slightly farther from Milan, Lake Orta attracts visitors who want to get away from it all.

Lining one side of Milan’s stately Piazza del Duomo, the Palazzo Real (Royal Palace is one of the most spectacular vestiges of the city’s royal history and a highlight of the main square. Today, the building is home to the Palace Museum and the Great Museum of the Duomo of Milan, as well as revolving art exhibitions.

This award-winning skyscraper is one of the most important examples of contemporary architecture in Italy, and a highlight of the Porta Nuova neighborhood in Milan. Completed in 2010, the building was the tallest in Italy at the time and the winner of the 2012 International Architecture Award for the best new global design.

Pull yourself away from Mantua’s elegant Piazza delle Erbe to visit another Renaissance gem, this one just outside the city center: Palazzo Te. Built in the 16th century as a retreat for Duke Federico II Gonzaga, this lavish palace and garden are testimony to the wealth and power the Gonzaga dynasty wielded for almost four centuries.

Milan's Museo del Novecento houses an excellent collection of 20th-century art and is one of the top museums in the city. Visit the galleries in Piazza del Duomo to see masterpieces by modern and contemporary artists including Modigliani, Picasso, Kandinsky, Mondrian, and Matisse, as well as special exhibits and concerts.

The Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology (Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci) features seven sections—one dedicated to the Renaissance genius, plus others covering transportation, energy, and communication. More than 10,000 objects are on display, including a historical aircraft and steam train.

Vicolo dei Lavandai, a narrow lane that was the public wash house from the Middle Ages until the 1950s, is a most charming corner in Milan’s trendy Navigli District. Where previously washerwomen scrubbed laundry from the stone stalls and brellins (wooden stools) along the central canal, hip restaurants and cafes beckon.