As you may know, Italy is one of our favorite destinations because we find everything we love: culture, architecture, picturesque villages and towns and excellent cuisine that we enjoy more than anything else.

We spent 7 days in Lombardy to discover places we did not know or that we had not yet visited. Explora inLombardia offered us the opportunity to live this experience at the beginning of December, an offer that we could not decline.

During this week, we discovered little jewels that are often unknown but worth a visit. Our program has taken us to several small towns and villages such as Cremona, Mantova, Monza, Como, Lecco, Traona and Morbegno. Except for one morning when it was snowing, the rest of the time we had sunshine. We spent the last two days in the Valtellina region, between the Alps. A very rich week that we wanted to share with you.

How to get to Lombardia?

It is very easy to get to Lombardy. The best way is to go to Milan, then take the train to the Centrale Station for only 13 euros.

During this tour, Milan was our starting point, easy to access with very affordable flight tickets with low-cost airlines. However, beware of departure times, which are often very early in the morning and can spoil your day because you don't get enough sleep.

Things to do in Lombardia

Day 1 - Cremona

We started this trip by visiting Cremona, only 1 hour from Milan by car or train.

Cremona is a charming and peaceful little town, famous all over the world for its violins and violin makers, who are known to be the best in the world. It should be noted that Antonio Stradivari or Stradivarius was born here.

The walk began with the beautiful Piazza del Comune. It is surrounded by the medieval cathedral of Cremona, the second-highest bell tower in Italy with an astronomical clock more than eight meters wide, the baptistery and the town hall.

The interior of the cathedral is sumptuous. There are monumental frescoes very impressive by its 3D drawings. We had the chance to visit the town hall from where we had a breathtaking view of the square and the cathedral.

We were not aware that traditional violin craftsmanship was included on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2012. The city has no less than 150 luthiers who make violins and other stringed instruments for customers all over the world. We met Stefano Conia, a violin maker for three generations. He was very passionate and explained how to make a violin piece by piece. We didn't think it could be that interesting. We completed this visit with a visit to the Violin Museum where we had the opportunity to admire, among other things, some of the oldest Stradivarius.

To visit the city of Mantova, we spent our first two nights at the Astoria Hotel, located in the heart of the historic center of Cremona.

Day 2 - Mantova

From Cremona, we went to Mantua at 1 hour's drive to spend the afternoon. This charming city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located on the shores of Lake Superiore, formed by the loops of the river Mincio. We had a guided tour to understand its history and the important people who built it. Our guide took us on a tour of the historic center, the old Jewish ghetto, the oldest grocery store and the canals surrounding Mantua. In the 16th century, the Jewish community was the second most important after Venice and played an important role in the city.

We continued the visit through the majestic St. Andrew’s Church, which contains some beautiful stories. Finally, we headed for the Ducal Palace, which was the main residence of the Gonzaga family. It was built as a city within the city in the 14th century. To end the day, we went to the Bibiena Theatre. It's amazing how different this theatre is from the ones we're used to seeing. There is no scene and it is made of stone.

Day 3 - Monza

On the road to Como, we made a stop in Monza, which is only 15 km from Milan. We wanted to visit the old town and the Formula 1 circuit.

The old town is very pretty and lively. While strolling through the old streets, we admired the old towers, the canals, the old town hall - the Arengario - and of course its 13th-century cathedral. We went to see the exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci's drawings at the Musei Civici that ends on January 6, 2020.

We took the opportunity to take a VIP behind the scenes tour of the famous Formula 1 circuit. The tour ended with a full tour of the circuit by minibus. We have seen how rigorous this sport is. The visit was a very immersive one even though we are not fan of Motorsport.

Day 4 - ComO

We woke up in Como with a view of the snowy mountains. We didn't expect such a show after it snowed all night. We passed through Como last summer (see our article) and we didn't think that the atmosphere would be festive in winter. The whole city was illuminated by Christmas projections on many buildings and squares in the city, not to mention the large Christmas market.

We wandered around the streets of the old town, some of which lead to very pretty squares. The historical center is small. It takes a maximum of two hours to visit Como including the cathedral. After that, we went to the Silk Museum or Museo della Seta. A very instructive visit to learn about the silk-making process, from silkworm breeding to finishing. Did you know that 90% of silk in Europe comes from Como?

After lunch, we went to Villa Bernasconi, a jewel of Liberty style, in Cernobbio to explore this original interactive museum. We sailed back to Como after a short boat cruise on the lake to admire the panorama.

Before going to dinner, we had mulled wine at the very cute Christmas market and enjoyed the light show.

To discover Lecco and Bellano the next day, we stayed at the Albergo Terminus Hotel in Como.

Day 5 - Lecco & Ballano

The morning was devoted to a visit to the Lecco Mountaineering Observatory. We didn't know that Lecco was surrounded by mountains. They are part of the city, which is why they have dedicated a museum to better understand the history of this city. A fun and interactive tour that showed us how much mountaineering has evolved.

Then we stopped in Bellano to admire the Orrido di Bellano, a lush and magnificent canyon. It is located in the heart of the city, rare enough to mention it. During these fifteen minutes walk, it was snowing, which made the place even more spectacular. For information, the entrance is closed in winter.

We spent the last part of the day visiting the agricultural village of Traona in the Valtellina Valley at 2,500 feet above sea level. The valley is known for its wine. The Vineyards are cultivated on terraces which is not common and that is why the Valtellina wines are unique. To enjoy the sunset, we climbed to the Chiesa di S. Alessandro church. The show from the belvedere was extraordinary.

Day 6 - Valgerola & Morbegno

Our last two days in Lombardy have allowed us to have a little more insight into Valtellina. We did a snowshoe walk in a pine forest with our super guide Patricia. It should be noted that we are not keen on mountain holidays and even less on snow, despite this, we loved this beautiful walk between Valgerola and Gerola Alta. It must be said that the views of the forest and the Alps were breathtaking. After this hike, we had lunch and had the opportunity to taste the delicious Pizzoccheri, a specialty of buckwheat pasta from the Valtellina region.

In the afternoon, Patricia showed us the very pretty town of Morbegno, including the famous Fratelli Ciapponi, a fine grocery store opened in 1883. There are high-quality food products such as cheeses, wines, delicatessen, cakes,... And we didn't leave empty-handed.

After a stop at the cathedral and the town hall, we visited the Palazzo Malacrida, which contains splendid stucco and fresco decorations.

Also, remember to look up to admire the very typical balconies of this city.

Day 7 - La FioriDa

Before leaving this beautiful region of Valtellina, we visited La Fiorida, the first farm to have a Michelin star with its restaurant La Preséf.

It is a modern farm with dairy cows, goats, and pigs. They make Casera, a cheese well known in the region and of course use the milk produced on-site. The complex also has a hotel, a SPA, and two restaurants. Laura, our guide, gave us a tour and introduced us to butter and cheese making. It is always interesting to see how the products we eat are made.

How we can manage to be Vegetarian in Lombardia

Honestly, it is always possible to request restaurants to have vegetarian or even sometimes vegan dishes prepared if you don't find any on the menu. So never hesitate to ask. However, it is quite easy to eat vegetarian food, especially as a large part of the cuisine in Lombardy is made with cheese.

All the restaurants we made during these 7 days adapted. The biggest surprise was at the restaurant La Fiorida to find a vegetarian or vegan menu.