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Tours with a Taste of Summer
An itinerary of lakes, alpine meadows, hills and countryside to enjoy all the taste of Lombardy in the brightest season of the year.
What does summer taste like? In Lombardy, June is the perfect month to find out. The start of the summer season combines the pleasure of savouring typical products with the appeal of exploring the area with outdoor experiences.
From the delicacy of lake fish, to fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables, the sparkling wines from Oltrepò Pavese and Franciacorta, and the bold flavours of alpine cheeses: every province has its own specialities. Here, food is the absolute best way to rediscover scenery, villages, and local traditions, with lakeside strolls, boat trips, and panoramic trails for walking or cycling. To give your summer the unique taste of Lombardy.
Freshwater fish tastings (LC, CO, BS, VA)
On Lake Como, lavarello, perch, Mediterranean shad, and missoltino [sundried shad] showcase the culinary traditions of Lake Como and become a starting point for exploring its shores. Follow the sections of the Viandante Trail from Lecco and Abbadia Lariana, while on the Como side of the lake, the Lake Como Greenway will take you to villages, villas and panoramic views, starting out from Colonno. If you’d rather explore Lake Iseo, one of its best known dishes is baked tench, served in Clusane. It is well worth tasting before continuing by boat to Monte Isola. On the Brescia side of Lake Garda, after a stroll on the Ciclabile dei sogni, the Garda Cycle Path to Limone sul Garda, you can reward yourself with a well-deserved Luccio alla gardesana, poached pike in a savoury sauce. The cycle paths and nature walks along the lakes of Comabbio and Monate in the province of Varese, are a great way to get out of the city and enjoy dishes made with pike, whitefish, freshwater bass, and other freshwater fish.
Mountain flavours (SO, BG, LC)
The Bitto and Casera cheeses of Valtellina are an extra temptation to seek some relief from the heat in Morbegno and Val Gerola. Here you can travel the Via del Bitto Cycle Path, an itinerary that takes you through meadows, past alpine huts and other sites of the transhumance. In the valleys of Bergamo, a taste of Formai de Mut cheese is the perfect way to enjoy the mountains: made with milk from cows that graze freely on alpine herbs and flowers at an altitude of more than 1200 metres. A delicious way to get a taste of the Val Brembana and Val Seriana, on excursions from the the Piani dell’Avaro plains to the routes through the Bergamo Alps. In the province of Lecco, on the other hand, Taleggio is the cheese to accompany your hikes through Valsassina, where you can take the Barzio-Taceno cycle path from Pasturo or go up to the Piani di Bobbio, visiting the local dairies and enjoying the high mountain walks.
Wine in the hills (BS, PV)
A great glass of wine is always the right time to fall in love with the hills, vineyards and villages. The Franciacorta Wine Route is your path to winery tastings, vineyard walks, and a stop in the Torbiere del Sebino Nature Reserve, with the Monastery of San Pietro in Lamosa as your backdrop. In the Oltrepò Pavese, Bonarda, Pinot Nero and Riesling will show you a landscape just waiting to be discovered along the panoramic routes from Santa Maria della Versa and up to Montecalvo Versiggia and Canneto Pavese. Between Golferenzo and Fortunago, your journey proceeds through villages, wineries, and vineyards, transforming your tasting experience into the arrival of a nice hike or bike ride.
Country Flavours (PV, MN)
June is the month of the Breme Red Onion Festival, a typical product of Lomellina. An invitation to explore a landscape of rice fields, canals and country roads, where you can stop off at local producers and follow cycling itineraries like the Tour of Lomellina. A little further south, the cherries of Bagnaria will lead you towards the Valle Staffora, with its orchards, seasonal festivals and routes like the Voghera-Varzi Greenway, which in itself is an invitation to enjoy the scenery by bike or on foot. The Melone Mantovano or Mantuan melon is a speciality from the farmlands of Commessaggio, where growing this fruit is a part of local tradition. Visitors can continue towards Mantua and the Mincio Valleys, which you can discover by bike, along the Mincio Cycle Path or by boat, from Grazie di Curtatone to Rivalta.
Farm picnics (MB, LO, CR, MI)
If, however, what you are looking for is a picnic in a nature setting, then the farmhouses of Lombardy are the ideal place for you to ring in the summer season. Around Milan, in the Parco Agricolo Sud [Rural Park, South Milan], some farms offer picnics and packed lunches to enjoy in a green setting, before or after taking a walk or ride along the Abbey Route, between Chiaravalle, Mirasole and the large farmhouses. In the Lodigiano area, you can follow the Muzza canal from Lodi, or go down towards Orio Litta and Corte Sant’Andrea, alternating stays in farm tourism facilities with Grana Padano cheese tastings. In the Cremona area, between Oglio and Po, country farms and villages become ideal stops along the way where you can enjoy local flavours on a day out, while between Monza and Brianza, Monza Park and Valle del Lambro offer routes for walking and cycling or even - thanks to the stables in the area – riding.
