Milano and West Lombardy – Day 2
Welcome to the Italian Lake District! Our journey to West Lombardy has started near Milano and continues today in one of the most beautiful areas in the whole of Italy. The Northern Lakes combine great tourist attractions and facilities with fantastic scenery, especially where the lakes reach deep into the Alps. The climate here is mild in both summer and winter, producing Mediterranean vegetation, with beautiful gardens growing rare and exotic plants. The area around Lake Como, in particular, has been always very popular with North European tourists since the 19th century. Its atmosphere and natural surroundings have inspired countless painters and architects that contribute to the region’s history and notoriety abroad. This unique mix between dramatic nature and ancient splendour it’s what impresses most visitors. However tourists are also attracted by the vast range of activity available all year round on the mountains, famous worldwide for their ski slopes – and, of course, their manned huts providing gorgeous hearty food, warm drinks, heat and shelter. Polenta – a golden-yellow cornmeal made from dried, ground maize – is the staple food of the region, always served with local cheeses and cured meats. I’m feeling hungry already!
Bergamo
Bergamo – or Bèrghem, in the Bergamasque dialect – is just 25 miles from Milano, with the foothills of the Alps that begin immediately north of the town. Very close to both Lake Como and Lake Iseo, it was founded as a settlement by the Celts. Thanks also to the many rivers crossing the province, it has always been one of the main points of trade between Northern Europe and Milano. An interesting fact about the city is that Bergamo has two centres: Bèrghem de sura – Bergamo di sopra, the upper city – a hilltop medieval town, surrounded by 16th Century defensive walls built by the Venetians, and Bèrghem de sota – Bergamo di sotto, lower Bergamo. The two parts of the town have been connected by a very cute cable car since 1887 – definitely worth a ride!
After the climb to the upper town, you’ll find numerous places of interest like the Duomo, Piazza Vecchia – the old square – or the Cittadella, a citadel built by the Visconti family of Milano in the mid-14th Century. The local cuisine is very rich and complex, in some regard quite similar to the Milanese one, and combines typical produce with ones from the region around Venezia (Venice) and the Alps. The great variety of ingredients and techniques – brought by the different rulers of the city across the centuries – it’s what makes Bergamo a city not to be overlooked by foodies.
Como
The area around Como has been inhabited since the Bronze Age. The town centre of Como was actually situated for many centuries on the nearby hills, but it was then moved to its current location by order of Julius Caesar. The Romans had the swamp near the lake drained and laid the plan of the walled city in their typical grid of perpendicular streets. Lake Como has been indeed a popular retreat for aristocrats and wealthy people since Romans times, with many villas and palaces still open to visit. At least the ones not owned by celebrities like Richard Branson, Madonna, George Clooney, Sylvester Stallone… You really don’t need me to tell you why Lake Como is regarded as the most beautiful lake in Europe! I can tell you however that the best way to visit the lake is by ferry. I suggest a long stop for a coffee and ice-cream in the picturesque town of Bellagio, situated on the promontory between the two ‘legs’ of the lake. Here’s a picture taken by me and Laura in Bellagio a few years ago:
Tempted? 🙂
Lecco
The origins of the second largest city on Lake Como can be easily found just thinking about its name: Lecco – in the local dialect Lech – sounds a lot like the word lake! Lecco was indeed founded by the Celts. Another town founded by the Celts in this area is Nesso, on Lake Nesso – Lech Ness in dialect… can you spot a connection here? While in Loch Ness you might not be able to fish a ‘monster’, in Lecco you can definitely find a great variety of fish – trout, sturgeon and carp over all – widely used in the local cuisine. The local restaurants serve very refined and delicate dishes, mixing often expensive ingredients from the city of Milano with more simple and hearty ones from the mountains. Don’t forget that one of the produce of the region is Taleggio! Have you tried it with pear yet? 😉
This concludes our visit to the region of West Lombardy, some of its cities and local produce. Hope you’ve enjoyed this quick guide and I’m looking forward answering any question you might have!
Buon appetito!
Giordano