A region of northern Italy, Lombardy (Lombardia) is bordered by Switzerland to the north, Piemonte to the west, Emilia-Romagna to the south, and Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige to the east.
A large, diverse and affluent region, Lombardy has good skiing in the north and is home to large parts of Italy's Lake District: the lakes include Maggiore, Como, Garda and many smaller stretches of water. The major towns of Lombardy include Milan (Milano), Bergamo, Lecco, Brescia, Cremona, Mantua (Mantova), Pavia, Como and Varese.
Must-sees include Milan, with superb shopping and the world's biggest Gothic cathedral, plus Leonardo's 'The Last Supper'. Mantua is an elegant city encircled by lakes, while the medieval Citta Alta of Bergamo is quite idyllic. The lakes are superb for watersports, boat trips or simply beach holidays, while the Carthusian monastery of Certosa di Pavia makes that town well worth a visit. Specialities include risottos, polenta, the rustic piatti poveri (peasant food), good cheeses such as Gorgonzola and Mascarpone, and pumpkin ravioli.
To the left you'll find a selection of hotels, just to whet your appetite,
as well as links to individual towns in Lombardy (top left);
See also Lombardy hotels (full listings) and our map of Lombardy.
