Philips Travel Guides - Lombardy - The Italian Lakes

Photos by Charlie Waite. Extraordinarily rich in both natural and artistic beauty, Lombardy offers some of the most dramatic landscapes in Italy and art and architecture to rival anything in Florence or Rome. Lombardy's five great lakes - Garda, Iseo, Como, Lugano and Maggiore - are romantically set among wooded hills rising steeply from the water, with views to the snow-capped Alps beyond. Lemons, oranges, myrtles and other exotics flourish in the mild lakeside climate, conjuring up a vision of the Mediterranean... To the south is the fertile Po valley, where forbiddiong castles, elegant palazzi and churches filled with artistic treasures reflect a past that was both turbulent and culturally rich... Other highlights are resorts such as Bormio and Madesimo; the tiny atmospheric towns and villages such as Sabbioneta; Mantua where the Palazzo Ducale has special apartments for the court dwarfs; the medieval-towered Pavia; and Milan, the city of La Scala, Toscanini and Verdi.... Flower's carefully devised tours explore every corner of this magical region of Italy...