Lombardy Car Hire

Lombardy is Italy’s economic engine, the symbol of Italian design. It is also the most cosmopolitan region of the peninsula, and a land of great charm that offers a rich historical and artistic heritage and spectacular natural environments, capable of alternating mountain landscapes with peaceful lakes and quiet valleys.

Spending a holiday in Lombardy allows you to immerse yourself in a varied territory in which you can visit magnificent cities of art and small villages, spending time in the mountains or on the shores of its most famous lakes, without giving up on having fun and tasting excellent cuisine, since the region has an important wine and food tradition.

What to see in Lombardy: the most beautiful cities of art

Given the quantity and variety of places to visit in Lombardy, a car is the perfect means of transport for getting from one place to another in complete comfort, following the itinerary you prefer.

In the region, you can rent a vehicle at Maggiore’s car rental agencies in Lombardy. Maggiore is a leading company in the sector that offers modern vehicles to guarantee your safety and comfort.

What’s more, renting a car with Maggiore is easy since you’ll find an office in the main cities of the region, from Milan to Bergamo, as well as Varese and Brescia.

Your trip should start from the capital, Milan, the most important metropolis in Italy, which will captivate you with its cosmopolitan atmosphere and artistic treasures, such as the magnificent Duomo or the stupendous Sforzesco Castle.

Just under an hour from the center of Milan towards the North West rises Legnano, a small Lombard city. Reaching it is very easy, thanks to the numerous trains that connect the two cities.

And then move on to Bergamo, where you will be amazed by the charm of the Città Alta (Upper Town), its historic heart. 

About 17 kilometers from the city is Pontirolo Nuovo, a small village that has many attractions including: Laghetto Sgagna, Renova Park and Lake Arcadia where you can relax and be in contact with nature.

Another city directly connected to Milan is Sondrio, reachable by direct trains that depart from Milan Central. Furthermore, Valtellina cuisine adds an essential reason to visit the city and its surroundings.

Take the A4 motorway and in about 40 minutes by car you will arrive in Brescia, an ancient city that holds treasures of rare beauty such as Piazza della Loggia, with its Clock Tower dating back to 1540 and the Monte di Pietà Vecchio dating back to 1484, or Piazza Paolo V, dominated by the city’s two cathedrals, namely the Summer Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and the Winter Co-Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta.

From here, make sure to visit Cremona, in the heart of the Po Valley, a town known not only for its Torrazzo, a 112-metre-high tower with a magnificent view, but also for the invention of torrone (nougat candy bar) and the production of handmade violins.

Other cities to visit in Lombardy are Pavia, a charming medieval city located along the Via Francigena, where you can’t miss the Visconti Castle, built at the behest of Galeazzo II Visconti in 1360, and the Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro, which also houses the Ark of Sant’Agostino, and Mantua, a Renaissance city on the UNESCO World Heritage List, where you can visit the Palazzo Ducale, a surprising architectural complex made up of several buildings linked together by courtyards and gardens, Palazzo Te, with its stupendous frescoed rooms, and the San Giorgio Castle, a city-fortress built between 1395 and 1406 that preserves a work of great importance, the Camera Picta or Bridal Chamber by Mantegna.

Not to mention Monza, capital of the elegant and refined area of Brianza which offers numerous attractions such as the Duomo of San Giovanni Battista, the neoclassical Villa Reale or Reggia di Monza, and the Arengario, the ancient Palazzo Comunale dating back to the 13th century.

However, your tour of the most beautiful places in Lombardy will not be complete without a visit to Lecco, the city of Alessandro Manzoni’s famous novel “I Promessi Sposi” (The Betrothed), to Como and its famous lake, which is surrounded by other fascinating places such as Cernobbio, Bellagio and Isola Comacina, and to Varese, the “Garden City” or the “Versailles of Milan” as Stendhal called it, renowned for its stupendous and numerous green spaces and its architectural treasures, such as the Palazzo Estense built by Francesco III d’Este, Duke of Modena.

Lombardy to discover: a tour of the villages and unique places

In addition to the cities of art, there are many other towns to visit in Lombardy, as the region is full of characteristic villages that will amaze you with their incomparable beauty.

Starting your tour from the province of Milan, among the first places to see are the small town of Morimondo, included in the list of “The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy” and known above all for its magnificent Abbey, built in the Middle Ages by Cistercian monks from the French town of Morimond, and Trezzo d’Adda, where you should not miss the Visconti Castle and the workers’ village of Crespi d’Adda, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Moving on to the province of Brescia, we suggest a stop in Caverago, the “Village of Two Castles” (Malpaga Castle and Martinengo Colleoni Castle) and the magnificent Serio River Nature Reserve, and in Lovere, a town on the northern tip of Lake Iseo, known for its charming lakeside promenade and the Tadini Academy, which houses many works by Canova.

Stop off in the medieval village of Bienno in the middle of Valle Camonica or in the small mountain village of Bagolino, where you can admire the majestic Church of San Giorgio, nicknamed the “Cathedral of the Mountain”.

The other provinces of Lombardy also have many interesting villages to be discovered.

You can visit the Lagusello Castle in the province of Mantua, a medieval village where time seems to have stood still, Soncino in the province of Cremona, a medieval village surrounded by the beautiful Oglio Park and Barco Woods, Tremezzo in the province of Como, an elegant village renowned for its beautiful villas such as the famous Villa Carlotta, and Zavattarello in the province of Pavia, a “green” pearl of the Oltrepò Pavese, famous above all for its Dal Verme Castle.

If, on the other hand, you are looking for something different, there are many unusual places to visit in Lombardy, such as the famous Vegetable Cathedral by the Lodi artist Giuliano Mauri, the Quarzi di Selvino, in the valleys of the same name, and “El Sercol” in Nuvolera, an enormous and mysterious stone circle also known as the “Stonehenge of Brescia”.

Lakes and mountains in Lombardy: places not to be missed

Not only can you visit cities of art and characteristic villages in Lombardy, but you can also spend a holiday dedicated to nature, moving from the most beautiful lakes to the most spectacular peaks.

As far as lakes are concerned, the region has a large number of them, and among the most beautiful to visit is certainly the magnificent Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy, overlooked by breath-taking places such as the characteristic Sirmione, the Liberty-style Gardone Riviera or the captivating Limone sul Garda.

Lake Maggiore has been a renowned tourist destination since the days of the Grand Tour, and Lake Como is a true corner of paradise surrounded by elegant villages such as Cernobbio, Bellagio and Laglio.

In addition, there is the smallest of the large lakes, Lake Iseo which is home to the captivating Monte Isola, Europe’s largest lake island, as well as many Alpine lakes, including Lake Livigno, which is very beautiful to visit in summer, Lake Azzurro in Valchiavenna, and Lake Gera, situated at an altitude of 2,000 metres.

And speaking of heights, the mountains of Lombardy will leave you breathless.

Once again, there are so many things to see and do when it comes to this aspect of the region. Among the most popular winter and summer destinations are the peaks of Bormio, Ponte di Legno, Madesimo and Livigno, true paradises for those who love winter sports, trekking and unspoilt nature.

The mountain villages are also very characteristic, such as Santa Caterina Valfurva in the Stelvio National Park, Campodolcino in the Spluga Valley and Montecampione in the Camonica Valley, which has an amazing view of Lake Iseo and Lake Garda.

Finally, if you want to admire the most beautiful views of the Alps, we recommend a day on the Bernina Red Train, departing from Milan or Bergamo and arriving in St. Moritz.

Amazing nature, cities of art, picturesque villages, Lombardy has so many different souls that can only be fully appreciated with a driving tour.