Where to go in Northern Lakes & Lombardy

A hideaway for poets, aristocrats and a few Hollywood movers and shakers, Lake Como is dramatic, theatrical and very, very beautiful. Its narrow, branching Y-shape creates steep wooded slopes that drop sharply into intensely blue water, the towns — Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio — carefully dotted in between. There’s a real hint of the Roman here, and the neoclassical estates and tiered wedding-cake gardens that cling to the shore are no less fabulous than they were centuries ago. The five-star hotels are numerous and legendary, and as much a part of Como as the scenery, especially when you’re on the terrace, spritz in hand. But the best way to admire the cinematic landscape is undoubtedly from the water, cruising on a traditional, Venetian-style vessel or an elegant Riva boat before arriving back to land for sunset.

At roughly 370 square kilometres, Lake Garda is the largest of Italy’s lakes and its wide shores are laidback and distinctly unfussy. In the north, pretty limonaie and lemon groves thrive beneath the Dolomites in a glorious microclimate of their own (in fact, the lake is generally milder and sunnier year round than its neighbours). Olives are also grown up here, and the resulting oil is delicate and fragrant – the perfect accompaniment to a long lunch of fresh lake fish. Sailors and windsurfers take advantage of the steady breezes in the north, whilst hikers and cyclists will be kept busy on the hilly trails. On the southern shores, it’s all about elegant promenades and pretty towns, including Sirmione with its Roman ruins and medieval castle, and some of the country’s hottest new restaurants…

A place to dress well and eat exceptionally, Milan is the economic and fashion capital of Italy. Yes, it might not compete with the Romes and the Venices, but with the Duomo, the third largest Gothic cathedral in the world, dominating the skyline, the chance to see Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, The Last Supper, and the great La Scala opera house, it can certainly offer a dose of the cultural. And then, the modern. All of the world’s haute-couture houses have their flagships on the Via Monte Napoleone and whether you’re interested in a new handbag or not, they’re worth an ogle, as are the art galleries and design studios in Brera. In the evening, Navigli is the spot for cocktails and people-watching – and then it’s time for dinner. Milanese take their food seriously and you’ll be spoilt for choice for restaurants to feast on saffron-rich risotto alla Milanese and ossobuco slow-braised to perfection.