1. ENJOY A BOAT TRIP ADMIRING THE AMAZING VILLAS OVERLOOKING LAKE COMO

It is no coincidence that Lake Como is the destination of thousands of tourists every year and many VIPs have chosen to buy a house here, it is truly magical and there are really beautiful places to visit, your trip to Italy absolutely deserves at least three days on the lake Como, and Lake Como is certainly the most interesting attraction in all of Lombardy. There are truly magical and fairytale places. One thing not to be missed is a boat ride on Lake Como. I recommend 4 hours as a duration because less are very few. You do not need a boat license to rent the boat and you will be given a map with the main charming villas overlooking the lake. You can also take a packed aperitif in a nearby bar to have an aperitif on the boat at sunset! In addition to the boat ride, which is an unforgettable experience, a visit to the beautiful villages of Nesso, Varenna and of course Bellagio cannot be missed. Furthermore, if you like walking you can take the Greenway, a walk along Lake Como of about 10 km that passes through some villages along Lake Como. In short, you are spoiled for choice!

2. WALK ON THE HIGHEST TIBETAN BRIDGE IN EUROPE IN VALTELLINA

The Ponte nel Cielo is a pedestrian path 234 meters long and suspended at over 140 meters high that connects the two sides of the Val Tartano overcoming the stream of the same name: with its numbers, the Ponte nel Cielo is the highest Tibetan bridge in Europe! The bridge is made up of 700 wooden planks and when I walked it I really enjoyed a unique panoramic view: from the mountains to the green Tartano valley, from the Colombera dam to the Valtellina valley floor which culminates in Lake Como. The ticket is valid for a back and forth passage only. Once you cross the bridge there are various excursions that you can do and also some refuges where you can have lunch or drink an ice-cold beer while admiring the view!
The advice is to check the weather before leaving because the view will be much more pleasant if there is a sunny day, walking on the bridge while it rains will not be the same, I say this from experience!

3. GO SHOPPING IN MILAN

Everyone knows that Milan is the capital of fashion and in fact in your visit to Lombardy you cannot miss a day of shopping, buying one of the garments of the famous Italian fashion brands. I live very close to Milan and regularly go shopping near the Duomo, being careful not to finish my entire salary!
Between one purchase and another, you will surely arrive in Piazza Duomo and Vittorio Emanuele gallery, and you will be fascinated by its beauty. Also near the center, another stop not to be missed is the Sforza castle in Milan. And then of course you need to go to the “fashion district”, so called because it is bordered by four streets – Via Monte Napoleone, Via Alessandro Manzoni, Via della Spiga and Corso Venezia. This is the neighborhood where the best fashion designers offer their extraordinary creations: Dolce and Gabbana, Armani, Prada, Valentino, just to name the most famous, but there are many other glamorous Italian fashion brands and also jewelry stores such as Tiffany, Cartier, Bulgari. In short, a few hours here and you will be broke!

4. EXPLORE THE BEAUTIFUL VILLAGES ON THE GARDA LAKE

We have spent 4 wonderful days in the summer of 2022 exploring the coast of Lake Garda. Lake Garda is within three Italian regions: Trentino Alto Adige for a small part in the north, Lombardy in the southern west part, and Veneto in the southern east part. We began our stay in Limone sul Garda, a pretty town famous for its lemon houses and delicious limoncello, and we made a day visit to Pieve di Tremosine, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy with its colorful houses overhanging the lake. The next day we visited the part in Trentino Alto Adige, in particular Arco and Riva del Garda, amazing village famous for the windsurfers thanks to its strong winds, and we have ended our lovely small holiday with the southern part, that is Desenzano del Garda and Sirmione with its spectacular castle. We stayed only 4 days, but there are many alternatives for a holiday on Lake Garda, among magnificent villages, water activities and beaches, or paths for mountain biking and trekking enthusiasts.

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5. RELAX IN THE INFINITY POOL OF THE BORMIO SPA

Do you like the idea of ​​being in a spa in the middle of the mountains, surrounded by silence and relaxation? if so then you absolutely cannot miss a weekend at the Bormio thermal baths. There are two spas in Bormio, the “Bagni Nuovi” and the “Bagni Vecchi”. The old baths are characterized by the infinity pool, a swimming pool totally immersed in nature and peace, in the middle of the mountains. The thermal baths from 8 to 10 in the morning are accessible only for hotel guests, so if you stay at the Hotel of the Spa, you can wake up as we did in the early morning, and enjoy the empty pools and admire the sunrise while you are soaking in the warm pool. Often early in the morning you can also see some mountain goats that roam free in the surroundings. In the evening, for dinner, you will have a huge choice among the numerous mountain restaurants in Bormio that cook typical dishes (you absolutely must try the typical dish of the area, the pizzoccheri) The Bormio spas are an ideal solution if you want to disconnect from the chaos and daily stress, relaxation is guaranteed and you will come out regenerated!

6. ENJOY THE VIEW AT SUNSET OF “CITTA’ ALTA” IN BERGAMO

Bergamo is a city in Lombardy north-east of Milan. It is famous for its oldest area, called the “Upper Town” (Città Alta) and characterized by cobbled streets. It is surrounded by Venetian walls and is also accessible by funicular. I have visited Bergamo several times, the last time around September last year. The upper town can be reached on foot in a few minutes, and as soon as you arrive you will find yourself in a path made of narrow cobbled streets overlooked by various types of shops and bars. You can then re-emerge from the center and go out and take a walk around the walls, and there you can enjoy a spectacular view over the whole city. I visited it in the afternoon and stayed there until the sun went down. At sunset the lights illuminate all the walls and this is also an unmissable sight because you have a view of the whole city from above, which is why Bergamo is also a very romantic location. And if you are hungry I recommend, after a visit to the unmissable Piazza Vecchia, absolutely a stop at the “Fornaio” nearby, you will recognize it by the queue at its entrance, it makes incredible slices of pizza!

7. ENJOY A 360 DEGREE VIEW FROM THE HIGHEST POINT OF LAKE ISEO, MONTE ISOLA

Lake Iseo is a real corner of paradise, with its intense blue color, the greenery that surrounds it, the beautiful beaches that are found along the banks of the basin and the villages that overlook it, almost embracing it. Among the most beautiful villages overlooking Lake Iseo are Lovere, on the Bergamo side of the lake, Sarnico and Iseo. The lake became famous in 2016 when the Bulgarian artist Christo created the Floating Piers, the floating walkway that connected the Brescia shore of Lake Iseo with Monte Isola and the islet of San Paolo, allowing visitors a unique walk on the water.
Also at Lake Iseo there is a mountain in the middle of the lake, declared one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, Monte Isola. The highest point of the island is the sanctuary of Madonna della Ceriola. There are ferries from various villages on the lake that take you to Monte Isola, we took a ferry in the morning from Iseo and got off at Peschiera Maraglio, and spent the whole day in Monte Isola, deciding to get to the Sanctuary on foot. The walk was not the easiest, especially under the August sun, but the view once you get to the top is worth it! In fact, the sanctuary offers a unique 360 ​​degree view of the lake.

8. SNOWSHOWEING IN LIVIGNO

Livigno is an Italian town of about 7,000 inhabitants in the province of Sondrio in Lombardy. It is famous because it is a duty free area, so all the purchases you make in this area will have much lower prices than in the rest of Italy, because they are exempt from VAT. The main reason for the birth of the free zone was related to the isolation that has long characterized the locality and its inhabitants. Indeed until the 1950s, Livigno remained without any means of communication during the winter. But Livigno is not just a place to go shopping, it is a winter and summer tourist resort in the Alps. Here it is possible to enjoy a day on the snow skiing or snowshoeing on one of the many marked trails. We chose to take a walk in the snow on an uphill path that allowed us to see the city of Livigno from above. It was a walk in the silence of the snowy mountain, we walked for about 3 hours in total, first the path was uphill and then slowly the descent towards the city began. It was a very, very relaxing day and we even got a tan!

9. WINE AND FOOD TASTING IN A WINEYARD IN FRANCIACORTA

Franciacorta is a hilly area located between Brescia and the southern end of Lake Iseo, in Lombardy. It is a territory also known for the homonymous wine and one of the most famous areas in Lombardy for vineyards and wine production. As you know, I am extremely passionate about wine and good food, so I decided to give myself a weekend in this magnificent place, full of nature and relaxation. We then booked a visit to one of the most famous wineries in the area, Bersi Serlini, and we made a visit to this winery which included a walk in the vines listening to an audio that tells the story of the winery, then a visit to the cellars to understand how the wine is made, and then a tasting of wine and local food. We have chosen the Mega Sparkle Experience among the various types of tastings: it includes 3 glasses with loaves and focaccias, cold cuts, cheeses, cold rice, mega appetizers, sweets and coffee. Is there a better way to spend the weekend?

10. HAPPY HOUR WITH NEGRONI COCKTAIL ON NAVIGLI IN MILANO

What is Negroni? it’s my favorite cocktail! apart from this it is an alcoholic aperitif cocktail with a typical light red color, based on red vermouth, Campari bitters and gin. It was invented in Florence by Count Camillo Negroni. In Italy it is very widespread and there is also its lighter variant, the “wrong” Negroni. For me it is really the best cocktail in the world for its sweet but also slightly bitter taste. Beyond the Negroni or whatever your favorite cocktail is, Milan’s bars overlooking the Navigli will serve you an incredible variety of alcoholic, non-alcoholic or wine cocktails, with sweet and savory dishes as an aperitif. During your visit to Milan you cannot miss a walk on the Navigli then enjoying a typical cocktail while watching people stroll by. The cult of the aperitif is widespread in Italy and it is very common to meet with friends before dinner to have a cocktail before dinner. In Italy, any excuse is good to go out, meet people, drink and eat!