Milanese five-star fairytale hotel
Exquisite attention to detail and fantastical decor makes the Château Montfort a stand out place to stay in the centre of Milan. A stay here will conjure up any number of enchanting childhood tales.
Behind the fantasy-world fittings and atmosphere is a very modern and high-tech hotel, with free Wi-Fi (and newspaper downloads), advanced soundproofing, and cutting edge air conditioning amongst the features that it can boast.
There are five types of room to choose from, from double up to the five theatrically unique suites.
The hotel contains an enchanting spa that adds extra layers to relaxation, and has restaurant, bar, and separate wine bar.
In keeping with the overall theme of the hotel, two unique meeting rooms are available for banquets, conferences, weddings or any other occasion.
The Mezzanotte bar is themed on an antiques market and hosts breakfasts and lunches at the hotel, as well as aperitifs and cocktails in the evenings to complete the dining experience.
Meanwhile, the Cella di Bacco wine cellar provides an opportunity to try exquisite wines in simple but sophisticated surroundings. The bar credits the star wine to be the Venissa, with a production of less than 4,000 bottles that almost disappeared from production before being brought back to prominence by the Bisol family in 2002.
The Rubacuori by Venissa is the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant and has a dining experience to match the surroundings and decor of the hotel. The menu is inspired by Italian cuisine and the Venissa style. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner, where there is an a la carte menu and also a tasting menu available.
Amidst the beautiful surroundings of the Piedmontese coast of Lake Maggiore, this adventure park offers fun for all with high suspension bridge courses, cycle-cross, a free-climbing wall and an acro-jump. A great day out.
This large lake, on the eastern side of Milan, was originally built for Mussolini as an airport for seaplanes. Now it is a park for sporting activities and a summer meeting place. Boasting a beach, swimming pools and plenty of open space for walking and cycling as well as other team games, its bursts into life in summer and is a perfect family afternoon with a picnic on a hot day.
Elevated in the hills on Lake Garda's western side, Bogliaco golf course and resort is blessed with a Mediterranean setting and superb views.
This 18-hole, par 72, golf course was designed by Franco Piras and realised in 2002.
Heading up the hills from Lake Garda is the beautiful Monte Baldo region of sloping forests, lush greenery and flowing rivers.
Big-hitters will enjoy the generous width fairways but be aware of the lake-size water hazards.
Il Baretto has been running for over fifty years, delighting the great and the good of the city for half a century. The sophisticated, old English club house decor is host to a refined menu taking cues from Milanese and international cuisine.
The 2-Michelin-starred Seta restaurant located in the Mandarin Oriental Milan hotel is a new kid on the block for the Milanese restaurant scene. An open-plan kitchen gives guests a peak of how the stunning dishes are prepared and a more complete experience to their choices.
The elegant style and furnishings, the neoclassical pieces of art decorating the walls and the hand-painted high ceiling is a dramatic yet fitting setting for the fantastic food of the Palazzo Parigi restaurant. And when the weather is fine, the relaxed atmosphere of the private garden terrace provides an alternative atmosphere for visiting diners.
Part of the Armani Hotel Milan, this Michelin-starred restaurant takes a modern approach to classic Italian wining and dining. The stylish decor has been designed to the smallest detail by Giorgio Armani himself.
Michelin-starred experience that draws on the experimentation of the Venissa culinary approach. The enchanting decor completes the tone for dining in a very unique setting.
Located at the luxury Excelsior Gallia Hotel, this rooftop restaurant boasts a menu created under the consultancy of three-Michelin starred chefs Enrico and Roberto Cerea and the Lebano brothers. They serve modern Italian cuisine with a focus on the Lombardy region.
Located in the historic centre of Milan, in front of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, this is one of Milan’s hottest and trendiest bars in the city at any time of the day.
Located in south-central Milan, this former cycle shop is a funky art bar decorated with old bicycles and is a great place to enjoy an aperitivo, a tasty dinner or start your evening.
This super-cool cafe/bar, whose name is taken from the Austrian General who ruled over Lombardy, is frequented by the Brera fashion and arts crowd and is a great place to unwind. It has an old-world feel, fantastic aperitivo and superb brunches. Best enjoyed in summer.
Start your evening with a large aperitivo and a cocktail at the bar, and stay for the night's event - themed parties and renowned DJs.
This club was created by the famous fashion stylist Roberto Cavalli and is located within the largest city garden, Parco Sempione.
This upmarket bar offers cocktails and a light lunch menu to a typically well-dressed crowd, fatigued after shopping the Galleria. The bar is part of the arty-industrial Straf 'design' hotel.
This basilica, the second largest in size after the Duomo in Milan, is an important example of Renaissance architecture. It was part of a large monastery of Lateran Canons, and the adjacent buildings now house Milan's Conservatory.
The Milan Conservatory, named after Verdi though his application to study there was famously rejected, is Milan's most celebrated music college. Since 1808, it has been educating Milan's important, up and coming musicians.
PAC is Milan's most important centre for the exhibition of contemporary art, located in the heart of the city, near Porta Venezia's park.
This gallery is the oldest in Milan, originally founded in 1957, and initially focussed on post-war avant-garde.
A private foundation, set up by the Bagatti Valsecchi heirs, to open the family's late 19th-century residence and collections of artworks to the public.
Alessandro Mazoni, the famous literate and author of "I Promessi Sposi" or "The Betrothed", lived in this house from 1814 until 1873. It has been restored to show how it must have been when Manzoni died in 1873.
Located just within 15 kilometres north of Milan, this big but picturesque town, the third largest in the Lombardy region, has been transformed from a mainly industrial trade centre to a popular spot for good cuisine, pretty squares and of course the F1 Gran Prix.
The city of Bergamo is perched atop a hill just within a 30-40 minute train or car ride from Milan. The fourth largest city in Lombardy, it is located at the foot of the Alps.
The lovely town of Angera dates back to Roman times when it was an important stopping point for boats transferring their wares to the road, and vice-versa. Sitting high above the town is the Rocca Borromeo, a fortress dating back to the 11th century.
High up above the lakes is the village of Arcumeggia in the mountains. It is famous because in 1956 the local tourist office decided to ask important Italian painters to fresco the walls of the town's stone cottages.
