I spent a day touring Milan in 2005, and have been back a few times since on work trips which involved a lot of time indoors. In 2026 we made a more extensive visit during Salone. It’s a big, grand
Lake Lugano is the Swissiest of the Italian lakes, with the border cutting through and around the shoreline. It’s very pretty and has lovely weather and food. I can’t say that Lugano is my favorite of the Italian lakes. It’s the
Valtellina is a valley with several offshoot spurs in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its ski center, hot spring spas, bresaola, cheeses, and wines. In past centuries it was a key alpine
I liked Lake Como, perhaps more than I expected to. It’s very lush - a tropical climate in the Alps, the highest point north where olive trees thrive. Palms galore. We booked at the very last minute, and didn’t make all
Bergamo is a beautiful medieval hilltop town, easily accessed from Milan and the A3. It’s often overlooked - but it’s worth a stop. Great food, friendly people, lovely vistas. Major food culture and reportedly excellent restaurants. We stayed for a day
Lake Iseo is the Italian lake ‘no one visits’ - and really should. It’s on the German & Dutch tourist circuit, but we saw few from anywhere else. It’s not fancy, not particularly busy, and is geographically blessed with steep
***Brescia is among the most prominent cities in northern Italy (that no one has ever visited). Located within its extended industrial area, the historic center is astonishingly full of impressive monuments, each with its own charm. We give it major
About 90 minutes by car from Turin, very close to the Milan airport. It is known for its Art Nouveau villas and UNESCO World Heritage-listed Sacro Monte, a holy mountaintop sanctuary. It’s a fairly minor experience, I wouldn’t go out