Hang around here enough, and you know full well how I, as an Italian-American who used to live there, am 1000% biased toward Italy.
So it should be no surprise that one of our first Salt & Wind trips was to Italy. A group of ladies joined me on a trip to Italy, where we visited one of my favorite parts of Italy: the Lombardy region.
Yes, I was based in Florence when I lived in Italy, and most of my travels were in Central and Southern Italy, including Rome, the Amalfi Coast, and the Tuscan beaches. But that is all the more reason that Northern Italy was alluring. Milan is the capital of fashion, finance, and design, but it’s a quick jump to the Italian Lakes, some world-class wineries, and local hilltowns.
The more time I spent in this underappreciated area, the more I fell for it. I have done street food crawls in Milan, wine tastings in Franciacorta and Lugana, and visited adorable towns like Brescia, Bergamo, and Sirmione. We send a lot of our Italy travel clients to this corner of Italy these days and think you too should consider it. So, here are eleven things you’ll want to do to know the Lombardy region.
11 Things To Do In Italy’s Lombardy Region
Why, you ask, am I so partial to the Lombardy Region? It’s not only home to Milan (which is having a profound cultural zeitgeist moment) but also where you can find Italy’s lesser-known sparkling wine region of Franciacorta. Who can even skip Italian wines when planning a trip to Italy? Not us!
But enough talk from me; here are 11 of my favorite things to do in Italy’s Lombardy region along with many gorgeous photos.
Explore Milan’s Neighborhoods
To get to know the Lombardy region, you’ll want to see a mix of it all: cities, small towns, lakes, and wine country. Let’s start with Milan.
It’s easy to head to Milan and only see the historic city center because it’s gorgeous and easy to get around. But just seeing the Duomo and Parco Sempione is like going to New York and only seeing Times Square: just part of the story.
On our trip, we went from classic neighborhoods to more boho areas and everything in between, including Chinatown, Brera, Cinque Vie, the Darsena, and the Quartiere del Silenzo to get an accurate idea of what the city is like.
Meet Local Artisans
Since hosting the TV Show Foodcrafters, I’ve enjoyed the small indie makers. From handmade tabletop wares to artisan food, I want to know if it’s in the food and beverage world. Milan has a rich history of makers in everything from fresco work to home decor and fashion, but it’s easy to miss.
The main shopping drags house all the mega multinational brands and, though I love some &OtherStories like the next gal, visiting the local Milanese makers is when you get a feel for the city’s creativity.
Do A Cocktail Crawl
Okay, Italy doesn’t have the cocktail culture of the United States, but the whole country of Italy is the size of California, so that comparison is apples to oranges. While you may not have hipster mixologist after mixologist competing for the latest cocktail creation spotlight (though to be fair, there is some of that), they have a history of cocktails that runs deep.
Take, for example, Campari, which was created by Gaspare Campari in Milan back in the 1860s. It has such a foothold in Milan (along with Aperol) that it’s hard to go to aperitivo without crossing a glass or ten. That said, we did a cocktail class devoted to Campari and twists on classic Italian cocktails, and even I, a self-proclaimed Campari obsessive, learned a ton!
Go On A Milan Street Food Crawl
Rome, Venice, Palermo, and Naples are the cities you likely think of when you think of Italian street food, but Milan can hold its own. From local pastries to gelato and fried pizzas, we crisscrossed the town to search out the best bites in Milan. In our book, any trip, no less a journey to Italy, is complete until we uncover the best digs and eat like the locals.
Day Trip To Lake Como
Okay, yes, anywhere George Clooney hangs is good by me, but, truth be told, I fell in love with Lake Como long before he set up camp there.
That’s why we spent a whole day on the chicest lake in Italy (according to me) and racing around on a classic speed boat as we visited villas, idyllic villages, and botanical gardens that were so gorgeous we lingered there for hours.
See The Historic Towns
What I love about Italy is that it’s a country of small to medium businesses and small to medium towns. That means that even if you’ve been to the big 5 — Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, and Naples — there is still plenty to see. Each town has its charm, like Bergamo, Sirmione, or Brescia, where you can find some of the best Roman ruins (and local pastries) in Northern Italy.
Taste Local Desserts From Lombardy
Though Northern Italy doesn’t have the reputation of Sicily or Southern Italy when it comes to over-the-top desserts, there are still a lot of treats to try. If you travel to Lombardy, a couple of classic Italian desserts almost every bakery will have are panettone (during the holidays) and the almond-and-cornmeal cookie known as Torta Sbrisolona.
Support Slow Food Producers
Slow Food was created in Northern Italy, so you have to pay your respects when you’re in the country. We spent a whole day learning about local extra virgin olive oil (some of the only olive oil produced north of Tuscany!) and other local products from the Lombardy area. Seeing a handful of people keep some of these food traditions alive is inspiring. If you want to meet some of these artisans in real life, reach out, and we’ll set up a private tour!
Do A Hands-On Cooking Class
I’m a cook first and foremost, so any chance I can get in the kitchen, I’m game. On each Salt & Wind Travel group trip, we cook with a local chef (though I’m there to assist), and every time, I learn something new, different, and engaging.
Cooking in the Lombardy region means diving deeper into the local ingredients like risotto, saffron, olive oil, veal shank, lake fish, Alpine cheeses, and more. During recent cooking classes, our clients have made homemade pasta, a twist on classic tomato bruschetta, and the Torta Sbrisolona I was talking up earlier!
Taste The Local Wine
Though Tuscany, Piedmont, and the Veneto are better known for classic wines, Lombardy is home to one of my favorite Italian sparkling wine regions in Italy: Franciacorta! IMO, the sparkling wines in Franciacorta are on par with the best of champagne, but they are virtually unknown outside Italy.
Many Milanese go to the Franciacorta wine region for a long weekend (similar to how San Franciscans go to Sonoma or Napa), and we think you should, too. There are cute towns, lovely hotels, and even a castle on the lake! But this is just one area of wine production in the Lombardy region. There is also Valtellina, Garda Bresciano (near Lake Garda), Oltrepo-Pavese, and Lugana.
Soak In The Views
No wonder there are Italy travel guides strictly based on finding the best views. Italy has some of the most gorgeous scenery; you know it as soon as you see it. Even though I’ve lived there and spent years in the country, I’ll be honest: I never get tired of the eye candy in Italy.
From picturesque towns to grand villas and jaw-dropping cliffs to rolling hillsides, Italy brings it when it comes to beauty. But, if I had to choose, I’d say my favorite views on this trip were from the lakes as we’d jet from one shore to the other in search of adventure.
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Classic Lombardy Region Recipes
Want to get a taste of the food from this Northern Italian area? Here are a few classic Lombardy region recipes to try:
Lombardy Travel Guide
Want to get to know Italy’s Lombardy region better? Check out our Lombardy Travel Guide that has itinerary ideas, advice on what to eat, and local recipes!
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Did you know we’re also a boutique travel agency that specializes in Italy travel planning? If you’re looking to plan one of the best trips to Italy, our Italy trip planner services are here to help you plan your perfect itinerary.
Photo Credit: All photos by Christine Davis
