There was a castle in San Vigilio but now it is reduced only to its base. The remains of the…read moreMedieval castle are still visible: the castle features four partially ruined towers from which you can picture of the scale of the ancient stronghold, and a well-preserved section of the surrounding walls. It has a park, a fantastic view and some underground areas including dungeons to explore. Take the Funicular at Colle Aperto (through the city doors) up to San Vigilio. Go right up the Via Castello, climb a flight of about 150 steps, and you are there. It's a lot of fun to explore - and the funicular ride is historic!

B o n g i o r n o... What a quant little Palazzo located next to Lake Como. Palazzo means square…read more Walk around on the ancient cobblestone streets to the many shops, eateries and churches. Plenty of Gelaterias for the ice cream addicts like myself. All though, it's a little hard to tell where one Palazzo ends and the other one starts, it's all one beautiful village.

Sirmione!!! What can I honestly say that hasn't already been said about this beauty?! In reading…read moresome of the previous reviews, the mentions of "drop dead gorgeous" quickly became a theme and rightfully so. This place is stunning beyond belief. A true encapsulation of one of Italy's brightest beauties. Sirmione is one of many island resort towns that sit on Italy's largest lake known as Lake Garda. I took a day trip to Sirmione from Milan and I was completely blown away by how immaculate it was. Walking into the resort, I was instantly enamored but the Scaligero Castle. It's the first view that you'll see when walking into town. Can you believe that? Just casually walking through town and then BOOM! A big ol' ancient castle right before your eyes. Although Sirmione isn't as popular or well known as Venice or Lake Como, it's still a wonderful place to visit. For one, the crowds aren't as heavy which makes for a more enjoyable experience (it's still a busy place though!). The beaches are walking distance from the parking lot and they are so clean, calm, and clear. The most popular beach on the resort is Jamaica Beach which is all the way at the tip of the island, but there are a few other beaches that are worthy of a visit as well. There's shopping, restaurants, and the famous Sirmione ice cream! That's right; this place is known for their giant ice cream scoops. I can confirm that the ice cream scoops are massive! The walking trails are lovely and the parks are so green. You have the beaches and walking trails on one side of the island, and then the stunning Lake Garda on the other side. It's popular to take boat rides on Lake Garda from here. What I enjoyed most was simply walking around. There are so many cute alleyways and beautiful structures to admire. And of course, laying out on the beach and catching those peaceful waves were pretty mesmerizing too. I'd say visiting Sirmione was one of my most memorable experiences while in the Lombardy region. I've been living in those memories for the past few days and I would love to visit again someday. It's truly such a magical place.

Drop dead gorgeous! The views were spectacular! It was extremely windy on the morning we visited so…read morebe sure to be dressed appropriately. We paid to park down the street before walking into the city. I would recommend spending an hour or more exploring the area. Many shops and gelaterias to explore.

This is possibly the most interesting tourist attraction of the city: it's a bell tower 112 metres…read morehigh, making it one of the highest in the world, and the highest red brick-built. It has been decorated with the biggest astronomical clock in the world, showing, along with date and time, lunar phases and zodiac signs. Getting to the top can be challenging, as there is no lift (not surprising considering that this building is nearly one thousand years old), but the views all the way up are superb, and get better as you appraoch the top. One should chose windier days, to enjoy the best views, and this can be problematic: the Po plain is enclosed by mountains, and wind is rare. The air is often very foggy, particularly in winter, or misty enough for people not to take the most of the views. When the alps are visible in the far distance from the roads around the town, one shouldn't miss the occasion to walk up the Torrazzo: they can be sure they won't be disappointed. The whole city can be seen, along with huge portions of the countryside and parts of the river. The price is usually around 5€ but it might vary, though not so much, as the building is managed by the Diocese who might decide that they need more money any time.

The name Villa Olmo is derived from a magnificent hundred-year-old elm that no longer exists. It…read morewas built in the neoclassical style on the commission of Marquis Innocenzo Odescalchi, from the family line of Pope Innocent XI (1676-1689). The construction of the Villa started in 1782 and finished in 1797. The director of the construction was Simone Cantoni, an eminent architect from Ticino who developed the original project drafted by Innocenzo Ragazzoni also from Ticino. Cantoni collaborated with Domenico, Carlo, Luca and Giuseppe Pozzi and the sculptor Francesco Carabelli. The Villa played host to a number of famous visitors, among the illustrious guests being Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797 and Ugo Foscolo in 1809. Upon the death of Innocenzo Odescalchi in 1824, the villa passed to the Raimondi family who took it upon themselves to put the large piazza opposite the villa in order. Once again the villa was witness to historical visits and meetings; in 1835, the Queen of the Two Sicilies and the Queen of Sardinia were guests of the Raimondis. In 1883, the heirs of Marquis Raimondi sold the villa to Duke Guido Visconti di Modrone who decided to carry out a programme of restoration and improvement which would include the interior of the building. In 1924, the villa passed from the Visconti di Modrone to the city of Como. Thus began the fourth period in its history under the banner of Art and Science. On the centenary of Alessandro Volta's death in 1927, the villa hosted numerous local events, congresses, conventions, symposia and shows. Since 1982 it has been the home of the Alessandro Volta Centre of Scientific Culture and hosts many international events.

This villa would be better is a more boring place, but the lake outside is so much better that's…read moreit's probably not worth coming here unless you have time to burn. This was the least impressive attraction I saw here, but it's free.

This seems the same listing but with different name for the Como Cathedral. The duomo in Como is…read moredefinitely worth visiting, which is usually referred as the last cathedral built in Italy. It's very beautiful and spectacular both outside and inside, and it's the most impressive church in this area. I'd certainly recommend visiting here.