Great ideas for the new year

The new year is a time to be thinking about your well-being, about culture, new flavours and new scenery

A new year can mean new expectations, wishes, and a desire for change.

It is the perfect time to make some changes, with good intentions that bring together exploration, creativity and wellness. From a peaceful lakeside stroll, to tours of historic villages, with art, architecture and countryside, leading to tastings of wholesome products.

Lombardy has so many opportunities to rediscover quiet moments in an original, inquisitive way. Discover some ideas to make the most your good intentions, with panoramic locations, peaceful, quiet places, and local specialities.

Find your peace in a quiet location (PV, VA) — If you are looking for a stunning atmosphere, with plenty of peace, the Charterhouse of Pavia is for you. A marvellous Lombard renaissance sanctuary in a green setting, just a few kilometres outside the city centre. Moving towards Lake Maggiore, on the other hand, is the Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso with its unique views: a church built on a rock overlooking the lake. At sunset, experience the stunning rose-coloured skies as they meet the water in a combination of spirituality and glorious views.

Regenerate with a lakeside walk (LC, VA, BS) — A stroll around the lake is the perfect way to slow down and regenerate in a natural setting. The cycleway loop around Lakes Garlate and Olginate is a flat route that lets you set out from Lecco. Ideal for a peaceful nature walk. Heading towards Varese, Lake Comabbio offers a route around the lake, and it is possible to visit the nearby Brabbia Marsh nature park, with its walkways and reed beds. And of course, the spectacularly enchanting Lake Garda, in Brescian territory, with panoramic walks, like the suspended cyclepath and walkway at Limone sul Garda.

Discover characteristic villages (MN, BS, CR) — Discovering Lombardy also means getting to know its most particular villages. Grazie di Curtatone, in the province of Mantua, is home to the famous Sanctuary of the Beata Vergine delle Grazie and in summer, the churchyard is filled with works by pavement artists created during the traditional Fiera delle Grazie [Fair of Grace]. Bienno, in the province of Brescia is known for its forges and water hammers along the Vaso Re, an old canal that once powered the village’s water wheels. The fairy-tale village of Soncino will charm you with its protective wall and Sforza Stronghold, guardians of the ancient urban layout.

Enjoy beautiful moments of art and history (BG, BS) — The essence of Lombard culture also passes through its museums, and is perfect for transforming good intentions into new discoveries. The Accademia Carrara Museum in Bergamo, often known as Italy’s museum of collecting, accompanies you on a journey through the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries, in sixteen rooms packed with masterpieces. Brescia, on the other hand, is home to the Museum of Santa Giulia, located inside the monastery of San Salvatore-Santa Giulia. Together with the archaeological area of Capitolium, the museum has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2011, as part of the “The Lombards in Italy. Places of Power (568-774 CE)”.

Choose 0km products from local markets (MI, MB, LO, SO) — As one of your good intentions for the new year, choosing 0km products is a simple gesture that is good for you and for the local area. The weekly farmer’s markets in Milan, Brianza and Lodigiano offer you the opportunity to shop straight from the producers, with local specialities like Brianza Salami, Gorgonzola, and Quartirolo Lombardo cheese. And while on a trip to the mountains, it is well worth trying out the culinary treasures of the valleys in the province of Sondrio, such as bresaola, Bitto and Valtellina Casera cheeses, pizzoccheri pasta and mountain wines.

Organise photo trips to make new memories (SO, CO, LC) — Lombardy has plenty of spectacular views for the photo enthusiast. Brunate, the “Balcony over the Alps”, is one of the most stunning viewpoints for immortalising the mountains and Lake Como. In winter, framed by snow, Lake Livigno offers charming hikes along the beaten tracks. Mount Barro opens out onto the area around Lecco and its lake, as well as the Piani Resinelli. And in the Parco del Valentino, a suspended walkway is easy to reach, free of charge, and is perfect for taking unique shots over Valsassina.

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