Explore Lombardy

Italy's wealthiest region and its economic and industrial center, Lombardia is a powerhouse. Milan is the country's most cosmopolitan and forward-looking city (and its least Italian), and the region often feels more like Central and Northern Europe than Mediterranean Italy.

The fabulously wealthy Sforza family ruled over this patch of Northern Italy (then known as the Duchy of Milan) for centuries, lavishing their wealth on artists, architects, and artisans of all kinds. The products of this patronage can be found all over the region's cities.

Fashionistas flock to Milan to wander the famous Galleria and shop to the point of exhaustion on the drags of Via Monte Napoleone and Via della Spiga, while outdoors lovers hike, climb, bike, ski, and boat all around the Alps and Lakes. For a dose of culture, one can catch shows at La Scala and city hop around places like Mantova, Cremona, and Bergamo.