The Adamello Group is home to Italy’s largest glacier. Its area is currently estimated at around 18 square kilometres. From this natural landscape to historic factory towns and routes through vineyards, Lombardy reveals many different sides. If you are planning a trip, these contrasts can help guide you: landscapes and trails, traces of industrial history, or urban planning and regional cuisine.
Mountain Landscapes and Trails
On the Lombard side of the Adamello Group, Parco dell’Adamello covers 51,000 hectares. Its trail network is almost 1,000 kilometres long. One clearly named route offers a different point of reference: the Alta Via dell’Adamello, trail number 1, runs for about 50 kilometres through almost the entire park. The approximate length of the route and the size of the trail network offer different ways to get a sense of the hiking opportunities in the park.
Nature experiences are also a focus in the Lombard sector of Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio, including alpine biodiversity and the relationships between people and nature. The visitor programme includes activities, excursions, workshops and events. They take place throughout the year at representative locations on the Valtellina and Brescia sides of the park; dates for individual programmes may vary.
Another geographical point of reference is Val Camonica, also known as Valcamonica or Valle Camonica. The valley stretches for about 90 kilometres between the provinces of Brescia and Bergamo, runs alongside Lake Iseo and ends at the Tonale, Aprica and Gavia passes. These named sections and passes show how many geographical landmarks are associated with the valley.
Industrial History and Urban Planning
Crespi d’Adda is an outstanding example of factory towns built in Europe and North America in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The town was founded to house the workers of a textile factory. Its industrial townscape includes factories, homes and services that have been preserved there. The connection between production, housing and related services is part of what makes Crespi d’Adda a factory town.
Urban planning offers a different perspective on the built heritage. Mantua and Sabbioneta represent two aspects of Renaissance urban planning. Sabbioneta is laid out on a grid; its fortification walls, public spaces and monuments make it one of the finest examples of ideal cities built in Europe. The Mantua and Sabbioneta World Heritage site also includes numerous historic buildings, among them an 11th-century rotunda and a Baroque theatre.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sacri Monti, also known as the Sacred Mountains of Piedmont and Lombardy, consists of nine separate complexes in the mountains of northern Italy. In Franciacorta, the Monastero di San Pietro in Lamosa reveals another facet of the cultural heritage: the monastery has important frescoes. These places offer different ways to explore history and art, without reducing Lombardy’s cultural heritage to a single period or form.
Wine, Cuisine and Activities
Franciacorta is associated with traditional dishes, renowned wines and special food and wine routes. Franciacorta vintage wines are aged for at least 37 months before they come to market. This long ageing period is a concrete point of reference when exploring the region’s wines. Manzo all’olio is a traditional dish from Rovato: the meat is served on a bed of polenta.
For getting active among the vineyards, Franciacorta offers cycling routes as well as trekking and Nordic walking trails. The region’s cycling options also range from flat paths for families to rides on e-bikes or gravel bikes and more technically demanding routes for road cycling and mountain biking enthusiasts. These options differ both in the type of bike and in technical difficulty, making it possible to choose according to your interests.
Discover More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Lecco, Lodi, Mantua, Milan, Monza and Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio, Varese.
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