Where to go for a day in Lombardy surrounded by nature or immersed in art and culture? This region, like the rest of Italy, truly offers an embarrassment of riches. Here are, then, to help you choose, 6 ideas for day trips in Lombardy to explore the most beautiful places in the region discovering art and landscapes.
Cremona
Cremona is known as “the city of the three T’s”: “turòon, Turàs, tetàs,” meaning nougat, tower, and breasts, apparently plentiful.
The honey and almond nougat, a typical Christmas sweet, can be found year-round in historic pastry shops in countless varieties, ranging from vanilla to chocolate, both soft and hard, even salty and filled with marrow!
As for towers, there are 83, but the tallest is the Torrazzo at 111 meters, the third tallest brick bell tower in the world. This tower was completed in the 12th century and its seven 18th-century bells are all tuned to the A major scale.
Cremona is one of the lesser-known day trips in Lombardy, but it’s definitely worth a visit if you want to explore a beautiful historic center and enjoy good food while discovering local history. An hour and a half from Milan.
Zavatterello and the Oltrepò Pavese
Zavatterello is an interesting historic village nestled in the Oltrepò Pavese, a beautiful corner of Lombardy that combines two great Italian attractions: excellent wines and stunning landscapes. A grand castle majestically overlooks the town, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside from its terraces. Also, a curious sight is the local cemetery with its peculiar octagonal shape.
A trip to Zavatterello can easily be combined with visits to some local wineries and other lovely spots like Fortunago, Varzi, and the mysterious – and rather isolated – Abbey of Sant’Alberto di Butrio to further explore this totally unexplored side of the region.
Your day trip is served!
Sabbioneta
Just half an hour’s drive from Mantua, in the Po Valley, Sabbioneta is a gem of Renaissance architectural and urban style. It was built in the 1550s when Vespasiano Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua, decided to create an “ideal city” based on Roman aesthetic and architectural principles. Solid walls enclose the village, forming a six-pointed star.
The oldest building in Sabbioneta is the Ducal Palace, the duke’s former residence. Other points of interest include the Teatro all’Antica, the first example of a civic theater in Europe, Palazzo Giardino, the palace built for the duke’s “delights and entertainments,” and the Jewish quarter with its splendid synagogue. An invaluable heritage, one of the most beautiful destinations for your art tastes.
Cornello dei Tasso
Cornello dei Tasso is a tiny medieval village perched on a rocky spur in the Brembana Valley, in the province of Bergamo. Certainly among the most beautiful villages in all Italy, Cornello is accessible only on foot and is exceptionally well preserved, with charming cobbled streets and arcaded alleys. It is here that the modern postal service was born in the 14th century, thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit of the local Tasso family. Their story is well told at the local museum, where a letter sent in 1840 with the world’s first postage stamp is displayed.
The village has a popular trattoria that attracts locals and visitors on weekends and a small church, and from Milan, there is a beautiful natural park. At the top of the hill is the Sacro Monte di Varese, a small village with a lovely church and some religious buildings.
You can also visit the Pogliaghi Museum, which is the fascinating home of artist Lodovico Pogliaghi, where you can see many interesting objects.
If you want to reach the Sacro Monte, you can follow a path through the woods where you can see many small and precious chapels.
Rock Engravings in Val Camonica
In Val Camonica, in the province of Brescia, history is written on the rocks. The ancient inhabitants of these areas made many millennia-old rock engravings.
The best place to visit is the Naquane Park in Capo di Ponte where you will find many beautiful rock engravings.
You can also visit the Romanesque churches in this valley, such as San Siro di Cemmo.
We highly recommend this day trip in Lombardy because it is one of the incredibly interesting places in this area, unknown to many, certainly original for a getaway.