Palazzo Moscova Hotel, Milan - Centre

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.

Monte Tamaro rises 1,961 metres above the lake and in this beautiful hilly area there are plenty of wonderful trails and hikes. Notably it is the starting point for the Tamaro-Lema hike. This peak is also worth visiting for the contemporary and innovative Santa Maria degli Angeli church designed by Mario Botta and painted by Enzo Cucchi. It sits on the edge of the hillside with amazing views. There is also an adventure park and mountain bike trails. Something for everyone.

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.

Elevated in the hills on Lake Garda's western side, Bogliaco golf course and resort is blessed with a Mediterranean setting and superb views.

Heading up the hills from Lake Garda is the beautiful Monte Baldo region of sloping forests, lush greenery and flowing rivers.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Meaning "heart", this vibrant, friendly, atmospheric spot is worth seeking out down a side street for its changing interior, DJ sets and mixed clientele.

This trendy bar and restaurant combines two of the most traditional yet innovative Italian brands: Dolce & Gabbana and Martini. This is a unique place where you can have lunch, aperitivo or dinner inspired by Sicilian cuisine.

This Indian bar offers a great selection of cocktails, many based on Indian spirits, serves a good aperitivo buffet and has African-themed evenings, as well as DJ sets late into the 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.

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.

The Big Pirelli or 'Pirellone', as the tower is affectionately known by locals is, with its tapered sides, a feat of architectural prowess. In the 1950s, the 32-floor tower became Italy's first skyscraper and is still one of the tallest in the country.

Carlo Maciachini built the Monumental Cemetery between 1863 and 1866. The 250,000 m2 cemetery grounds are home to an eclectic assortment of memorial headstones, sculptures and monuments.

The Brera Art Gallery hosts one of Lombardy's most important permanent art collections. Though modest in breadth, the collection is outstanding in quality covering the works of acclaimed Italian artists from the 13th to the 20th centuries including masterpieces of Bellini, Raphael, Carvaggio, and Bramante.

Located at an old industrial facility, this multifunctional space is managed by Milan Town Council and open to all. It has a gallery exhibition space and offices of 200m2.

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.

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.