Milan surroundings

Monza
Monza has ancient roots and dates back to the Celts. It flourished under the Romans and was
named Modicia. Under the Longobards the town gained influence and power and Queen
Teodolinda chose Monza as her royal residence. She built a palace and the Basilica di S.
Giovanni Battista (St John the Baptist).
You must not miss the Basilica di San Giovanni Battista (Duomo) where the Iron Crown is
kept, the Villa Reale, the Arengario, the Autodrome.

The Abbey of Chiaravalle
This Cistercian monastery funded in 1135 by Saint Bernard, abbot of Clairvaux, who gave his
name to the abbey. On the outskirts, south of Milan.

The Lakes
Lake Garda is one of the largest lakes in Italy. It is situated under green hills and mountains
and it is surrounded by beaches and bays full of scents and colours. Where the lake wedges
towards Trentino, from Limone to Riva del Garda, the wind blows incessantly, sometimes
gently, sometimes wild and strong. This is a place loved by surfers and yachtsmen and the
destination of important regattas.
Lake Como is located in a valley surrounded by mountains and it offers a very varied
landscape. Along its shores are meadows and pastures, woods, harsh rocks, picturesque
villages overlooking the lake and beautiful villas with parks and gardens.
Lake Maggiore is a most entertaining lake to visit from Milan, especially because of the
Borromean Islands in its center (most easily reached from Stresa). If you have time, drive
around the entire basin; on a more limited schedule, you might find the resort-studded western
shore the most attractive.

The Mountains
The image of Lombardy usually overlaps with that of highly-urbanised Milan. Actually,
21.33% of the territory is formed by natural reserves and the largest national park in Europe,
Parco dello Stelvio, is in Lombardy. The dominant colour in Lombardy is green, shared by
mountains and plains alike. Alps and Pre-Alps form 40 % of the territory, hills form 12% and
plains more than 45%. There are peaks that are higher than 4000 metres, such as Pizzo
Bernina, the highest of the region, Cevedale, Adamello and Disgrazia. The mountain
landscape in Lombardy is varied, never boring, as is seen by looking at the peaks of the
Grigna group, constantly eroded by the weather and by the glaciers of the Bernina group,
which attracts both climbers and walkers. Valcamonica and Valtellina are famous valleys for
winter sports. Ponte di Legno and Bormio are the most visited resorts.

The towns

Bergamo
Bergamo is divided into two parts: the medieval upper town(Città Alta) rich in monuments,
and the very modern lower town (Città Bassa).We recommend you visit: Palazzo della
Regione built before 1200, next to the tower of the city council building built in the thirteenth
century; Piazza Vecchia, in the old historical centre of the upper town, built in the fifteenth
century; Via Pignolo: a street linking the upper and lower town where many palaces were
built between the fifteenth and the sixteenth century; the walls built in the sixteenth century.

Cremona
The town was funded in 218 B.C. In 1567 the great musician Claudio Monteverdi was born
here and started the long-standing musical tradition which is still alive today and reached its
peak in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries with violin-makers Andrea and Nicolò
Amati, Giuseppe Guarneri and the great Antonio Stradivari.
We recommend you visit: the Stradivari Museum, Palazzo del Comune, the Portico del
Bertazzola and the Torrazzo (the highest bell tower in ltaly), the Duomo, the Loggia dei Militi
and Palazzo Raimondi.

Mantova
Mantova, a town rich in art and history, surprises visitors with the exceptional nature of its
features. A town built on a human scale, but magnificent and aristocratic, built in a natural
environment where earth and water mix in an unusual design. A town which is worth visiting
also because of its gastronomic tradition .
We recommend you visit: Palazzo Te, Palazzo Ducale, the Basilica di Sant'Andrea and the
Teatro scientifico del Bibiena.

Pavia
Sprawled on the left shore of the river Ticino, where it was founded over 2000 years ago,
Pavia boasts a rich historical, artistic and natural heritage.
We recommend you visit: the Duomo, the Castello Visconteo, the University, the Ponte
Coperto and its medieval towers. On the outskirts: the Certosa and the castello di Belgioioso.