Italy is made up of 20 regions, each with distinctive characteristics. Here, you’ll get an overview of Lombardy to get you started on planning a Lombardy trip.
The region of Lombardy in northern Italy is one of the largest in the country, and it’s by far the most populous.
It’s home to one of Italy’s main international airports in Milan, so may well be your entry point into the country. The Alps occupy much of the northern part of Lombardy, and three of Italy’s most famous lakes are at least partly in Lombardy – including the gorgeous Lake Como. It’s a region that is often defined by the business epicenter of Milan, but in which there is much more to entice the traveler.
Lombardy Basics
- The Italian name for Lombardy is Lombardia, and it’s pronounced lom|bar|DEE|ah.
- The demonym for people or things from Lombardy is lombardo (masculine singular), lombarda (feminine singular), lombardi (masculine plural), or lombarde (feminine plural).
- The capital of Lombardy is Milan.
- Lombardy is in northern Italy and shares borders with the regions of Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, and Trentino-Alto Adige, as well as the nation of Switzerland.
- There are five UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Lombardy – Santa Maria della Grazie, the church where Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” fresco is; the 19th-century company town of Crespi d’Adda; the Renaissance cities of Mantua and Sabbioneta; Monte San Giorgio on the border with Switzerland; the rock drawings of Valcamonica; and the Sacri Monti.
Lombardy Travel Tips
creative commons graphic by Otourly, modified by me
Lombardy is in the central part of northern Italy, with (as mentioned) a mountainous swath where the border of Italy meets Switzerland. There’s another mountain range in the southern part of the region, too – the Apennines – along with part of Italy’s longest river. The rich and famous have considered the banks of Lake Como to be villa-worthy for centuries.
Even if Milan doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, Lombardy has a lot to offer.
Getting around in most of Lombardy by train is no problem, with Milan on Italy’s high-speed rail lines. You can even reach some of the lakeside towns by a much-used combination of trains and local buses. To get up into the Alps or to any of the smaller towns, however, you’ll have better luck if you have access to a car.
Milan is worth at least a couple of days – the Duomo and “The Last Supper” alone make that true, and that’s just scratching the surface. The historic hilltop center of Bergamo is all kinds of delightful, and even if you’re not a musician you’ve probably heard of Stradivarius violins (they originated in the Lombardy city of Cremona). In short, even if Milan has a so-so reputation as a tourist city, there’s plenty to appeal to travelers about Lombardy.
Guided Tours in Lombardy
These are affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you book one of these tours – but it won’t cost you anything extra.
- Context Travel Walking Tours in Milan
- Viator Tours in Lombardy
- Viator Tours in Milan
- Viator Tours in Lake Como
- Viator Tours in Lake Maggiore
- Walks of Italy Tours
Further Reading on Lombardy:
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