Lake Maggiore Express
This round trip by boat and train, taking in the main sights and towns is a fantastic way of seeing the area around Lake Maggiore.
A perfect blend of Milanese style with 5-star Oriental splendour
A refined and sophisticated hotel housed in four 18th century buildings, the service and atmosphere is as expected from the international luxury hotelier group, Mandarin Oriental. A Michelin-starred restaurant and extensive luxury spa are the highlights.
The hotel is located close to La Scala theatre and only a few moments more on to the Piazza del Duomo and the central shopping district.
The rooms and suites were designed by Antonio Citterio, nine different types of suites are available alongside the three types of double or twin guestrooms. Soundproofing, under-floor heating, high-speed internet and a Nespresso coffee machine are featured in all rooms.
The Mandarin Bar & Bistrot hosts breakfast for guests from 7am until 10:30am. The lunch menu offers relatively simple options, such as sandwiches and salads, although these have been thoughtfully created by Antonio Guida. The bar area, inside lounge and outside courtyard take on a different atmosphere in the evenings, when 'Aperitivo' and 'After Dinner' starts the music and the bar's mixologists create cocktails that fuse Italian and Oriental ingredients.
The Michelin-starred Seta restaurant is the domain of head chef Antonio Guida and is fast becoming one of the highlights of the Milanese gastronomic scene. Firmly rooted in Italian cuisine, the menu puts a creative modern twist on some classic dishes and ideas. Pastry chef Nicola Di Lena works to complete the main meal with an exquisite dessert menu.
The open plan kitchen allows diners to gain an insight to the preparation of the meals and an outdoor terrace is available for warmer lunchtimes or evenings.
This round trip by boat and train, taking in the main sights and towns is a fantastic way of seeing the area around Lake Maggiore.
Elevated in the hills on Lake Garda's western side, Bogliaco golf course and resort is blessed with a Mediterranean setting and superb views.
The great little trains of Orta tour around this part of the lovely lake, taking in the main square of Orta San Giulio, the holy mountain of Sacramonte and its chapels, and the painted village of Legro. It's a great way of seeing this outcrop of land and is a big hit with children.
This 18-hole, par 72, golf course was designed by Franco Piras and realised in 2002.
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 18-hole course was built in 1928 in the historic Royal Park of Monza. The three paths of the course are set within an ancient wood, requiring the player to think carefully about each shot, with a focus on precision in the front 9 and long shots on the back 9.
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.
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.
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.
This elegant and sophisticated restaurant is located in a luxury hotel right in the heart of Milan and has been awarded a Michelin star. They serve traditional Italian dishes with innovative touches using local fresh ingredients.
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.
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.
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.
Located inside the Dondup flagship store, this restaurant boasts a wonderful bohemian decor with light whitewashed wood, vintage furniture, lots of candles and linen tablecloths. They serve seasonal dishes based on traditional Italian cuisine.
This club was created by the famous fashion stylist Roberto Cavalli and is located within the largest city garden, Parco Sempione.
This historical Milan club is known for its cocktails, notably its 'Eat and Drink' ('Mangia e Bevi') cocktail, and claims to have invented the Negroni Sbagliato, made not with gin, but with spumante!
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 museum is one of the most significant house-museums in Europe and shows the taste of one of the finest collectors in the 19th century, the nobleman Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli.
This gallery showcases the work of 19th and 20th-century local artists from the Lombardy region and the area around Venice.
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.
La Scala is one of the most important opera theatres in the globe, where many of the most famous operas were premiered. It now stages concerts, recitals and cultural events as well as ballet and opera.
Palazzo Marino has been the home of Milan's town council since 1861. Located in La Scala square, the palace was designed by architect Galeazzo Alessi, from Perugia, in 1558.
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.
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.