Lombardy, Italy: Things to Do, Provinces & Towns — Complete Guide | BigItalia

With ten million residents, Lombardy is Italy's most populous region — yet half an hour by train takes you from Milan's rush into landscapes writers have loved for two centuries: lakes Como, Garda and Maggiore, lined with villas and gardens dropping straight into the water. Milan itself runs on fashion, design and finance, but it also guards Leonardo's Last Supper, a UNESCO treasure since 1980, and a marble cathedral six centuries in the making.

Don't skip Bergamo's upper town, ringed by UNESCO-listed Venetian walls, or Mantua, the Gonzaga dynasty's dream in stone.

Lombardy

The provinces of Lombardy

Map and list are connected: hover one to light up the other, click to enter.

1 / 12 Bergamo 243 towns Open the guide →

12 provinces

BG Bergamo 243 towns → BS Brescia 205 towns → CO Como 148 towns → CR Cremona 113 towns → LC Lecco 84 towns → LO Lodi 60 towns → MN Mantua 64 towns → MI Milan 133 towns → MB Monza and Brianza 55 towns → PV Pavia 186 towns → SO Sondrio 77 towns → VA Varese 138 towns →

Not to be missed

The best of Lombardy

The places worth the trip on their own, picked by our editors.

People and bicycles at the Bicycle Adventure Meeting in Mantova.

Mantua 🏛 Mantua The dream of the Gonzaga dynasty

Elevated view over the rooftops of Sirmione with a church bell tower and Lake Garda in the background

Sirmione ♨⛰ Brescia Thermal baths on Lake Garda

Night view of the illuminated ski slopes in Livigno, Sondrio, Italy.

Livigno ⛰ Sondrio The duty-free "little Tibet"

View of Bormio with the Stelvio ski run finish area and surrounding Alps.

Bormio ⛰ Sondrio Thermal baths and legendary alpine climbs

The top 8 places in Lombardy

Our editors' ranking: the area's most important places, drawn from the individual town guides. See the national rankings →

Ornate Gothic spires and detailed marble facade of the Duomo di Milano against a blue sky.

1 ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries Duomo di Milano 📍 Milan The largest church in Italy, constructed over six centuries from Candoglia marble and crowned by the Madonnina.

Decorative frescoes and windows along the wall of the Cenacolo Vinciano in Milan

2 🖼️ Museums Cenacolo Vinciano (Ultima Cena) 📍 Milan Painted between 1494 and 1498, Leonardo's masterpiece dominates the Santa Maria delle Grazie refectory in Milan.

Scenic view of Bellagio and central Lake Como with colorful flowers in the foreground.

3 🏛️ Squares & old towns Bellagio and mid-lake Como 📍 Bellagio Positioned at the fork of Lake Como, Bellagio combines Celtic and Roman history with a spectacular alpine landscape.