Lombardy is one of Italy's largest regions by size, and easily its most wealthy and populous, both due to it being where Milan is located. The region borders three Italian regions as well as Switzerland.
The northern part of Lombardy is taken up by the Alps along the border with Switzerland, with hills and flat plains covering the rest of the region. Some of Italy's most-loved lakes are in Lombardy, including Lake Como, Lake Maggiore, and Lake Garda.
Milan is Lombardy's economic and population center, home to most of Italy's business and banking sector, as well as the fashion industry. It's also where you'll find one of Lombardy's UNESCO sites—Leonardo da Vinci's exceptional fresco of The Last Supper. The hilltop historic center of Bergamo is a popular day trip from Milan, as are the aforementioned lakes. Music lovers may be interested in a visit to Cremona, the birthplace of both the Stradivari and Guarini violin-making families.
Milan is a major transportation hub in Italy for both rail and air travel, with high-speed train service from both Trenitalia and Italo. There are frequent trains to and from other cities in Italy, as well as major cities elsewhere in Europe. In more rural parts of Lombardy, such as many of the lake and mountain towns, train service may not exist.
Photo credit: Boris Stroujko