LAKES OF NORTHERN ITALY – SWITZERLAND – 5 DAYS – MAY 2025

Meeting at the airport and direct flight to Milan. Arrival in the metropolis of fashion, design and architecture. Our tour will begin at the Sforza Castle (Italian: Castello Sforzesco), whose tower is often considered the most important Renaissance monument in the city and owes its current appearance mainly to the continuous restorations that took place at the beginning of the 20th century. We will walk along the busiest commercial pedestrian street in the city (Via Dante) to end up in Piazza Duomo, in the heart of the city where we will encounter the homonymous Gothic church that is also the symbol of Milan. Then we will see the Palazzo Reale (exterior), which houses the Duomo Museum, and we will cross the famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (exterior), dedicated to the then king of Italy. Next is the famous neoclassical Teatro alla Scala in Milan (exterior), which first opened in 1778. We will have enough free time for anyone who wishes to visit the Teatro alla Scala in Milan as well as the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum, the Gallerie d'Italia and the Brera Gallery. Then transfer & check-in to the hotel where we will spend the night.

Today we will start with a visit to Switzerland to get to know the largest city in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, the charming Lugano, located to the north of the lake of the same name. Visit the city and time for coffee and a walk in the large park and on the shores of the lake. From there we will return to Italy and to the beautiful, cosmopolitan Como, located on the shores of the lake of the same name. Lake Como is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in Europe and the third largest in Italy. Since the 19th century, it has been a favorite destination for many celebrities, including European writers and artists for whom it was a place of inspiration due to its unparalleled beauty. “The shores of Como are the ideal setting for a happy love,” once wrote the composer Franz Liszt, who lived and was inspired by some of his most beautiful musical works here. We will tour the historic center of Como among the narrow cobblestone streets, we will see the cathedral that incorporates many different architectural styles, the Basilica of San Abbodio, the central square with beautiful cafes and restaurants, the Town Hall, etc. and of course we will walk along the shores of the lake to enjoy the wonderful landscape that surrounds it. We continue to Tremezzo, from where we will board a boat for Bellagio, the most famous, perhaps the most beautiful resort on Lake Como. It is a very picturesque village, built on a peninsula, which has gathered for centuries much of the aristocracy and intellectuals of Northern Italy and Europe in general. The lakeside villas of the Italian Renaissance with their huge gardens - works of art of incredible architecture are characteristic. Apparently the aristocrats of the time competed with each other to build the most beautiful villa on the magical lakes of Italy. Today, all these beauties become part of our dream trip… Return to Milan where we will spend the night.

Leaving Milan we will make a stop in Sirmione, perhaps the most picturesque village on Lake Garda, located on a peninsula. We will enjoy a walk through the village. We will see the medieval castle of the Saligheri, the famous church of St. Peter, the church of the Virgin Mary and the house of Maria Callas. In the afternoon we will go to Padua. Arrival and check into our rooms where we will spend the night. Evening walk in Padua.

Breakfast and then we will begin the tour of the city with its 118 islands, 160 canals and 400 bridges, the homeland of Casanova and the traveler Marco Polo, whose foundation dates back to the 5th century. The entire city is a work of art and its buildings in Venetian-Gothic style will leave you speechless. On our tour we will see, among other things, the Rialto Bridge, the Clock Tower, the Bridge of Sighs, St. Mark's Basilica (exterior) and the square with the Doge's Palace. The rest of the day will be free to wander the city's canals with the gondolas, enjoy your coffee at the famous "Florian" cafe. Overnight in Padua.

Breakfast at the hotel. After checking out, we will tour the old city of Padua. We will admire the diverse architecture of the city, starting from the largest square in Italy, and one of the largest in Europe, the Prato della Valle, the "grass of the valley" as the exact translation is, and the 90-acre expanse in the middle of Padua looks exactly like that. Two steps from Prato della Valle, the Botanical Garden of Padua, the oldest of its kind in the world, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as "the model of all botanical gardens throughout the world". We will continue our walk to the great Basilica of St. Anthony, the imposing Cathedral with its ecclesiastical architecture, the Scrovegni Chapel with its rich interior, but also the much-photographed Basilica of Santa Justina. Then we will depart and visit Verona, the city where the greatest literary love was born and died, that of Romeo and Juliet. Here, we will see, among other things, the Roman Arena, the second largest after the Colosseum, as well as Piazza Erbe, one of the most central squares in the historic center of Verona, with its magnificent buildings and statues. We will also see "Juliet's house" and the balcony where she went out to see Romeo (if we assume that there really was a figure who inspired William Shakespeare). After our tour, there will be free time for a leisurely walk around the city, coffee and lunch. Late afternoon departure and transfer to Milan airport for our return flight.