Lombardy has the most extensive waterway system in all of Italy with its ten flowing river and many streams. One big river is the Po River which has a length of 260 km and which is the most important river crossing Lombardy. Another river is Ticino which marks the region’s western border and which is the region’s largest protected area.

Lombardy is not just rich in rivers, there are lots of parks and recreation areas. At the river Oglio there is the Adamello Natural Park with beautiful nature and waterfalls (Miller Falls).

If you think you have seen everything of Milan, then visit other cities, because Milan is quite central to many other interesting places.

You can get to all places fast and comfortable by train: www.trenitalia.com

Lago Maggiore

Stresa

the small and beautiful town along the lake and offers a stunning atmosphere. It is a place with lots of green areas like gardens, palms and flowers. It provides a beautiful view over the lake and the Borromeo Islands (Isola Bella, Isola Madre, Isola dei Pescatori). Stresa gives an awesome panorama with mountains and the lake. It is a small city with a warm atmosphere and an elegant surrounding. On the right sight of the church Sant’Ambrogio, there is the Villa Ducale, built in 1770, which is also in neoclassical style. Close to the villa is the Palazzo dei Congressi which is modern and a host for international congresses. There is a cable railway up in the mountains, which takes you to a ski area in winter, to see the town from above and to get an even better and unforgettable impression.

Borromeo Islands

are worth to see with there long and important history. Lago Maggiore disposes of a mild climate with a lush vegetation. It is a favourite destination for tourists. Cities are linked by ferries and motor boats and you can have a great view of the lake on the lake.

The Borromeo Islands

named after the wealthy family Borromeo and situated in the Borromeo Gulf, contains of 3 islands: Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola dei Pescatori.

Isola Madre

with its botanic garden, is the most green island of the three islands. You enter in a subtropical ambiance with rare plants and exotic flowers. There is another impressive building of the Borromeo family built in 1590.

Isola Bella

got the name like your impression will be of that island - “bella”. You could say that the island consists of a big “palast” which looks like in a fairytale. Carlo III Borromeo ordered to build it in dedication to his wife Isabella D’Adda. The architectural style is baroque and even the garden shows this epoch. In the park there are the truncated pyramid which contains statues, a fountain and different exotic plants.

Isola Pescatori

is north of Isola Bella and in front of Stresa. It is an old fishermen’s island and more like an ancient, rustic village and still untouched. It is a quiet and natural atmosphere in the “centre” with many “Trattorie”.

http://www.lagomaggiore.net/

Lago di Como

is another beautiful lake and very close to Milan. By the slowest train it just takes an hour. This lake is also called “the star with the three points” because of its form. There is the Coloco’s branch which is savage and pure; the Lecco’s branch which is natural jeweller and the Como’s branch which is refined and elegant. At the lake there is a mild climate and you can enjoy the quiet ambience and the beautiful view. This area has been a famous destination since the Renaissance, also for poets, writers and philosophers.

Como - Villa Olmo

There is a city called like the lake – Como, which is situated in the south. Como is a quiet and peaceful town on the lake with many villas. One nice villa to name is Villa Olmo. You can walk along the lake and pass the villas to get to this special and romantic place where weddings, conferences or exhibitions take place. It has an enormous park with a fountain in front of the building and statues everywhere on the courtyard. It was built in the 18th century by Simone Cantoni for Count Innocenzo Odescalchi and today it is owned by the Town Council. The villa contains richly decorated rooms where famous people as Napoleon or Garibaldi stayed. There is also a family chapel and a splendid ballroom.
The Tempio Voltiano (Volta Temple) which is dedicated to Alessandro Volta, who was citizen of Como and who changed the world with his studies on electricity, is another itinerary.
It is open November - March from 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 and from 2.00 to 6.00 p.m., April - October from 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 and from 3.00 to 6.00 p.m., and closed on Mondays. This temple is a neoclassical building which was built in 1927 for the centenary of Volta's death. Now it is a museum showing instruments built by the great scientist and used to carry out the experiments with gas and electricity that led to his invention of the battery in 1799.
The true heart of the city is the piazza across from the church S. Fedele. From this place you can go to Via Natta with the 16th century building which has the same name and then to Via Adamo del Pero until Via Vittani which is also a very old street and with many buildings from different epochs and interesting frescoes.
Another must is “il Broletto” which is just next to the Duomo. The Duomo was built in 1397 and was originally just an enlargement of the church S. Maria Maggiore. The Broletto, the ancient Palazzo of Reason from 1215. It was used as a theatre and now it is host for exhibitions.
Porta Torre, which is an ancient gate, is situated in the southern part of the centre of the city walls. This tower is the only still standing gate of the city wall which was rebuilt by Barbarossa after it got destroyed by Milan in the war. The street outside the walls is three times a week used for markets.

http://www.lakecomo.org/default_apt.html

Lago di Garda

The most Mediterranean of the Alpine Italian lakes, offers nature and colours in a beautiful surrounding. It is surrounded by small towns and little villages and offers all kinds of sports. That is why it is a favourite tourist spot in all seasons. There are relicts of Roman settlements, medieval castles and noble villas, as well as churches in baroque style.
Desenzano, which is situated in the south-west of the lake, is a lively town with culture, history, folklore etc. As Desenzano is central and easy to reach other cities and also in between the airports of Montichiari and Verona, Desenzano is considered to be the “capital town” of the lake. A trip to Desenzano offers a variety of opportunities for sports (especially water sports), excursions (e.g. by ferry) and events through the whole year.
You can combine your trip with a visit to Sirmione which is a peninsula in the east. It is a historic town with a nice atmosphere surrounded by water. At the end of the peninsula there are the remains of an old Roman villa, the Grotte di Catullo which has different legends. To get there you have to pass the Castle Scaligero which provides you a perfect view over the lake.

Sirmione - Castle & Grotte

http://www.lagodigarda.it/index.asp

For more information about the lakes, please visit the following websites:
http://www.navigazionelaghi.it/
http://www.distrettolaghi.it/en/index.html

There are many interesting cities around Milan, let’s start a short tour:

Pavia

was the capital of the Italian Kingdom a long time ago. Churches, towers and other monuments stand as a testimony to the city's greatness. The Charterhouse (Certosa), built in Renaissance style, is a visit worth. But there are also other sights: There are beautiful churches as the San Pietro in Cel D’Oro, San Michele Maggiore or San Teodoro. The University of Pavia is rich in architecture and decoration of statues. At the Visconteo Castle are exhibitions all the time and there is also the civic museum of Pavia. The Coperto bridge is another monument you have to see.

Monza

is situated in the province of Milan. It is famous world-wide for the Italian Grand Prix of Formula 1 which takes place at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza and the Ferrari Team. It has also a beautiful centre and it is known for the textile and glass manufactory.

Brescia

is Lombardy's second largest city after Milan. Major sights after the main square, Piazza Vittoriale are: The Tempio Capitolino, which is a museum and theatre, the Pinacoteca Civica Tosio Martinengo, containing works by Raphael and Lotto and the market at the Piazza della Loggia.

Bergamo

is a medieval hilltop town that has been influenced by Venice in artistical and architectural way. Bergamo is divided into upper and lower parts - Bergamo Alta, the hilltop medieval city and Bergamo Bassa, the lower city. The city has the airport Orio al Serio which is host for many tourists who want to visit Milan and the surrounding area.

Torino

The city which will be host for the Olympics 2006, has lots of attractions. The Mole Antonelliana is the symbol of the city. It was built like a synagogue and now it is the National Cinema Museum. Piazza Castello is the heart of the city with many great buildings back-going to the Roman era. In the middle of this square is Palazzo Madama, close to the Royal Theatre and the Royal Library which houses Leonardo da Vinci’s operas. From Piazza Castello start many important streets like Rome Street, Po Street, Garibaldi Street and Pietro Micca Street. Another monument is the Castle Medievale, a castle and village. The castle is an exact replica of the Castle of Fenis (Aosta Valley) and the village is similar to a Piedmont medieval little township.

Parma

is not just the city of ham and salami, it also has other attractions like the cathedral and bell tower. A gorgeous building is Palazzo della Pilotta which is now the National Museum of Antichità.

Modena

offers great monuments and museums. The tower Ghirlandina is the symbol of the city. In Piazza Grande is situated Palazzo Comunale. Palazzo Ducale is host for the Military Academy.

Verona

a city with about 2 millenniums of history. Verona has a variety of possibilities. But the most important part of Verona is the connection with Shakespeare’s Romeo & Julia: The story took place in Verona and now you can visit the house with the balcony of Julia, a statue of Julia in this court and the tomb of Julia. You can see that the Roman era was very important in this city: the Arena, the Roman Theatre, the arch of Gavi, Porta Borsari or the area of Prta Leoni and the Scavi Scaligeri which is an excavation. There is still the ancient town wall which you can pass everywhere in Verona.

Genova

has Europe's biggest aquarium and it is second’s biggest in the world only to Osaka's in Japan. There are fifty tanks of marine species, including sea turtles, dolphins, seals, eels, penguins, and sharks. To receive further information you can visit the website of the Aquarium: www.acquario.ge.it The Aquarium is situated in the Porto Antico, the antique harbour. The Palazzo Ducale was the former registered office of the government, today it is host for social and cultural activities. You can see other sights in the beautiful historic centre.

Bologna

is a longer trip to travel, but worth to go. The Archiginnasio Palace houses the Municipal Library. The Two Towers at Piazza di Porta Ravegnana are the landmarks of Bologna. Towers in Italy were a sign of the fertility of a family and it was kind of a battle to show who is more important and built the towers higher. On the higher tower you can go up, the smaller one is tilted. The town hall is called Palazzo Comunale and it is host for the Municipal Art Collection and other museums. The church of San Petronio is the fifth largest church in the world, but it is not the Duomo of Bologna.