• Active & Green
    • Parks
    • Unesco Sites
    • Art & Culture

Nature in Lombardy: five landscapes to die for

Orchids and plants from faraway lands are well acclimatised to their new life between lakeshores and neoclassical facades. Purplish-silver limestone slabs engraved with history and the Stelvio Wilderness. The nature in Lombardy is gorgeous.

 

1. Pavia’s botanical garden
The orchid house plays host to lovingly-tended plants from the Americas and Asia. All shapes and shades are here. You can also see plants from the Apennines of Pavia, the area south of the river Po (“Oltrepò”) where grapes grow, and much more. A profusion of colours can also be admired in the Tomaselli tropical greenhouse built in 1974, and the flowerbeds containing native plants from the Lombard plains. The pivot point of the Pavia botanical garden (established at the end of the 18th century for study and research) is the large plane tree planted at the time of its foundation and the keeper of its history. Don't miss it.

 

2. Stelvio national park
Anyone who has walked or cycled the route will know about the series of hairpin bends on the Lombard side flanked by woods, alpine meadows and rocky outcrops that lead inexorably to the Stelvio pass, the highest pass in Italy (2.757 m). Trekkers and cyclists owe a debt to the engineer Carlo Donegani, who was charged in the early 19th century by Francis II of Habsburg-Lorraine with planning a road to connect Bormio to Val Venosta. At a little under 600 km2, the Lombard sector is the largest of the three National Park sectors established in 1935. It can be explored through guided tours, workshops and activities at the Valfurva visitors centre While you are there, don’t miss the timeless lands of the upper Braulio Valley and a horseback ride around the Cancano Lakes.

 

3. Gardens of Villa Melzi d’Eril
Do you know of anywhere else able to combine with such panache a chapel, a Moorish-style shrine, Egyptian statues, an Orangery that is now a museum of Napoleonic treasures, a 19th-century villa and an 800 metre parterre? Get ready for a surprise when you arrive at the neoclassical Villa Melzi d’Eril, in Bellagio, on Lake Como, built for Francesco Melzi d’Eril, Vice President of the Republic established in Italy by Napoleon. The gardens, designed by Luigi Canonica and Luigi Villoresi, literally hug the lakeshore. See if you can find the camphor tree among the many other exotic plants from the smell of their leaves. Opening: March-October.

 

4. Villa Reale of Monza
The villa's rose garden (commissioned by Maria Teresa of Austria in 1780) was designed by the architects Francesco Clerici and Vittorio Faglia in one of the formal gardens of the Archducal Residence of Monza. It houses a permanent collection and a temporary collection associated with the International Rose Competition. This has been held since 1965 and was patronised by Princess Grace of Monaco in 1970. The roses, some climbing and some trained on pergolas, inhabit an extraordinary park with maples, anemones and hawthorns. It is criss-crossed by avenues and paths where you can run and walk all year round. You can even hire bicycles for children.

 

5. Park of Rock Engravings
Art or nature? The Park of Rock Engravings of Nacquane, in Capo di Monte, Valle Camonica, somehow succeeds in being both natural and manmade. The 200,000 engravings, symbols and signs of Neolithic origin would not exist without the landscape of rocks and slabs that form canvases of purplish-grey sandstone. The 104 slabs are smoothed by the action of glaciers and engraved using sharp instruments. The area is protected as a park, the first in Italy to be recognised as a UNESCO Heritage site.

-

Photo Villa Melzi d’Eril | Adobe Stock

On the same topic

Livignese Park

Park of considerable environmental interest, for the naturalness of the typically alpine landscape and for the richness of the fauna patrimony.
  • Active & Green
Livignese park

Noci park

The Parco delle Noci, located in Melegnano, is one of the first Urban Oasis built in Italy.
  • Active & Green
Noci Park

It's harvest time in Lombardy 

In the vineyards and cellars of Lombardy, you can take part in the ancient rituals of grape harvesting and pressing and get to know the land where some of the region's best wines are produced
  • Active & Green
È tempo di vendemmia in Lombardia 

Hiking: 6 easy routes

Walking in the Lombardy mountains: 6 routes suitable for kids
  • Active & Green
Gemelli e Pizzo Becco

Adrenaline 9 thrilling experiences in Lombardy

Rafting, Kitesurf, scalate sul ghiaccio... Esperienze ad alto tasso di adrenalina. Guida a 9 sport estremi in Lombardia
  • Active & Green
Adrenaline 9 thrilling experiences in Lombardy

Unforgettable Experiences on Lake Maggiore

  • Active & Green
Unforgettable Experiences on Lake Maggiore

Up and down on a funicular: the panorama seen from the sky

Lombardy funiculars: the most romantic means of transport man has created
  • Active & Green
Up and down on a funicular: the panorama seen from the sky

The green heart of Milan

Culture and nature: in the heart of Milan, our itinerary explores the city's most beautiful gardens and green areas
  • Active & Green
The green heart of Milan

Five panoramic viewing points in Brianza

  • Active & Green
Five panoramic viewing points in Brianza

Brescia Nature, taste and traditions: Val Sabbia

From multiple-day treks with night-breaks at mountain huts, to shorter walks open to all: a charming valley for all tastes set against the background of the little lake Idro
  • Active & Green
Brescia Nature, taste and traditions: Val Sabbia

The 10 Most Beautiful Trees in Varese, The Garden Province

Between scenic historic gardens, large forests and lakeside villages, the province of Varese is a treasure trove of arboreal jewels.
  • Active & Green
The 10 Most Beautiful Trees in Varese, The Garden Province

Journey to the centre of the earth in Lombardy

Discover the secrets of Lombardy's mines: history, culture, mystery, and trade in the heart of the mountains
  • Active & Green
Viaggio al centro della terra, in Lombardia

Spring in Valcamonica

4 ideas to enjoy the most sparkling season of the year in Val Camonica.
  • Active & Green
Signs of Spring at a Unesco Site

Lecco from Monte Resegone

Lecco – a city caught between the water and the mountains – is always looking upwards.
  • Active & Green
Resegone

Famous uphill cycling routes: Valfurva

The spectacle of the glaciers on the Confinale circular trail and great uphill cycle trails make this mountain popular with hikers and keen cyclists
  • Active & Green
Le salite dei campioni: la Valfurva

Trekking with Alpacas

Alpacas la Foppa: the first alpaca farm in Valmalenco.
  • Active & Green
Trekking with Alpacas

The Park Colonie Padane is open!

Come and discover the park!
  • Active & Green
The Park Colonie Padane is open!

Parks, waterways and castles near Lodi | A journey through history and nature

Waterways, castles and rare wildlife: Lodi is an ideal destination for outdoor trips in the beautiful Lombard countryside. Discover the best places to visit!
  • Active & Green
Parks, waterways and castles near Lodi | A journey through history and nature

Where to Go Fishing in Lombardy

Carps, chars, trout. River and lake fish. Some advice on where to go fishing in Lombardy. From Pavia to Como
  • Active & Green
Where to go fishing in Lombardy, hints and ideas

Foppe di trezzo

Trip outside the town of Trezzo d'Adda to discover a small but very suggestive WWF oasis.
  • Active & Green
Foppe di Trezzo