The mountains of northwest Italy have Swiss and French influences, but the region becomes more Italian heading south, via Italy’s lake district, to Milan, home of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper and a super science museum. Turin is chocolate heaven, while harbour city Genoa has Italy’s best aquarium. Beaches beckon, from the sandy bays of the Riviera di Ponente to the rugged coves of the Cinque Terre.
Walking among the ornate carvings on the roof of Milan’s Duomo
Highlights
Milan’s Duomo
Climb 150 steps (or take a lift) to the roof and clamber among statues and gargoyles, with dizzying views (see Milan: the Duomo).
Lake Como
The most scenic of the lakes, Lake Como is surrounded by lemon trees and lush vegetation; zigzag slowly from shore to shore by lake ferry.
Mantua
Described by Aldous Huxley as the most romantic city in the world, Mantua has beautiful domes, towers and medieval squares.
Find out all about papyrus, the pharoahs and scarabs, and see mummies galore in one of the world’s most important Egyptian museums (see Museo Egizio).
Cinque Terre
Five fishing villages are shoe-horned into a steep part of Liguria’s coastline, linked by a coastal path with olive groves and vineyards (see Cinque Terre).