Lombardy attractions

More things to do in the area

Showing 16-45 of 78 attractions in Lombardy

#16

Como-Brunate Funicular Railway (Funicolare Como–Brunate)

This historic single-track funicular railway has been carrying passengers up and down the steep mountain slope between the lakeside city of Como and the village of Brunate since 1894. The 7-minute ride passes through a scenic stretch of countryside with sweeping views over Italy’s Lake Como as far as the Swiss Alps.

7 Tours and Activities

#17

Sirmione

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Set on the tip of a promontory jutting out into the waters of Lake Garda, and guarded by the fairy-tale-like Scaliger Castle, Sirmione is one of the most picturesque villages in Italy’s northern lake district. Explore the town’s postcard-perfect center and sights such as the nearby Roman Grottoes of Catullus.

35 Tours and Activities

#18

Te Palace (Palazzo Te)

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.

5 Tours and Activities

#19

Church of San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore (Chiesa di San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore)

1633

Milan’s best-preserved 16th-century church, the Church of San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore (Chiesa di San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore) features frescoes by Bernardino Luini as well as the oldest pipe organ in the city. It is also home to the Archaeological Museum of Milan (Museo Archeologico di Milano), which displays artifacts from the Etruscans, Greeks, and Romans.

21 Tours and Activities

#20

Sempione Park (Parco Sempione)

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Chic Milan is known for its contemporary elegance and relentless pace, so it may come as a surprise to learn that one of Italy’s loveliest city parks sits at its heart. Sempione Park (Parco Sempione) covers 116 acres (47 hectares) of central Milan, offering a welcome respite from the surrounding urban hustle and bustle.

17 Tours and Activities

#21

Piazza delle Erbe

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.

6 Tours and Activities

#22

Brera Art Gallery (Pinacoteca di Brera)

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The Brera Art Gallery (Pinacoteca di Brera), one of Italy’s most important museums, is a highlight of Milan’s fashionable Brera neighborhood. This impressive collection of medieval and Renaissance paintings includes masterpieces by Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Tintoretto, Piero della Francesca, and Andrea Mantegna.

23 Tours and Activities

#23

Desenzano del Garda

The pretty resort town of Desenzano del Garda is on the southern shore of Lake Garda (Lago di Garda), Italy's largest lake that straddles the northern regions of Lombardy, Veneto, and Trentino. A popular destination for ancient Roman nobility from nearby Verona, the town is home to the ruins of a Roman villa and a museum of artifacts unearthed during its excavation. There is also an archaeological museum, a picturesque harbor, and a waterfront promenade.

3 Tours and Activities

#24

Colossus of San Carlo Borromeo (Sancarlone)

The towering bronze figure of San Carlo Borromeo near the town of Arona on Lake Maggiore is impossible to miss. Second in size only to New York’s Statue of Liberty, the hollow statue has steep stairs and ladders inside leading up to its head, where visitors can peer out over the surrounding landscape.

1 Tour and Activity

#25

Scaliger Castle (Castello Scaligero)

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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.

24 Tours and Activities

#26

Arch of Peace (Arco della Pace)

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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.

19 Tours and Activities

#27

Serravalle Designer Outlet

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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.

10 Tours and Activities

#28

Navigli District

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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.

14 Tours and Activities

#29

Corso Buenos Aires

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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.

3 Tours and Activities

#30

Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio (Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio)

1275

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.

16 Tours and Activities

#31

Columns of San Lorenzo (Colonne di San Lorenzo)

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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.

18 Tours and Activities

#32

Church of Santa Maria at San Satiro (Chiesa di Santa Maria presso San Satiro)

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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.

11 Tours and Activities

#33

Ambrosiana Museum and Library (Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana)

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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.

10 Tours and Activities

#34

Piazza Gae Aulenti

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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.

12 Tours and Activities

#35

Via Monte Napoleone

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.

12 Tours and Activities

#36

QC Termemilano

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.

#37

Milan Monumental Cemetery (Cimitero Monumentale di Milano)

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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.

7 Tours and Activities

#38

Basilica di San Lorenzo Maggiore

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.

14 Tours and Activities

#39

10 Corso Como

1664

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.

5 Tours and Activities

#40

Franciacorta Outlet Village

Milan is famous for its fashion and design, and the Franciacorta Outlet Village is one of the largest and most popular outlet centers outside Lombardy’s cosmopolitan capital. Browse Italian and international brands at the more than 70 retailers offering deep discounts off retail prices.

2 Tours and Activities

#41

La Triennale Museum (La Triennale di Milano)

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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.

6 Tours and Activities

#42

Bernina Express

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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.

#43

Porta Nuova

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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.

6 Tours and Activities

#44

Ticinese

1378

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.

4 Tours and Activities

#45

Church of San Bernardino alle Ossa (Santuario di San Bernardino alle Ossa)

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.

8 Tours and Activities