DK Travel : Milan and the Lakes : Editor's choice

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San Nazaro Maggiore

St Ambrose’s fourth great basilica was overhauled in the 16th century, when Bramantino added the Cappella Trivulzio as a grand entrance. Lanino’s Martyrdom of St Catherine of Alexandria is among other highlights.
San Sepolcro

Built in 1030 on the site of the ancient Roman forum, this church preserves a long Romanesque crypt.
San Siro (Stadio Meazza)

“The Scala of football”, shared by rivals Inter and AC Milan.
Seeking out the Region’s Rock Carvings

The prehistoric Camuni tribes etched many rock faces in the pre-Alpine valleys of eastern Lombardy with curious figurative images and symbols. The oldest date back 11,000 years, while the most recent are medieval. Most carvings are in the Val Calmonica Villages. However, if you’re on Lake Garda, detour at Torri del Benaco to the hillside hamlet of Crer, where a trail leads to some nice carvings.
Sesto Senso Club, Desenzano

Popular nightclub with laser lights pouring over a pounding dance floor shaking to house music, pop and Europop.
Shoes

Italian shoes range from the practical to the gorgeous and outrageous. Some will last you a lifetime; some are just for very special occasions. All the famous labels offer lines of shoes, but you’d do best to seek out the specialists, whether it be a haute-couture work of art at Ferragamo, a mass-produced Italian brand name or a designer bargain from Rufus.
Silk

Como has long been Italy’s chief purveyor of finely spun silk fabrics. The Milanese maestros of haute couture come to Como to finger the fabrics that will soon be draped across a supermodel’s shoulders. These same sought-after silks are available to the public in factory warehouses around Como and in shops across Lombardy.
Snacking on a Café Crawl

After 5pm or so, many Milanese bars and cafés practise the lovely habit of laying out platters of mini-sandwiches, canapés, olives, crisps and other snacks at the bar, all free for the munching as long as you order at least one drink. You can easily flit from one bar to the next, and make a decent early dinner out of it all.
Sports on Lake Garda

The northern end of Lake Garda is buffeted by strong winds blowing down from the Sarca Valley in the north in morning (the sover ) and south up the lake in the afternoon (the ora ). Together, they make for some of the best wind-surfing and sailing conditions on any lake in Western Europe, and all summer long watersports fans flock from far and wide to Riva and its neighbour Torbole to thrash the waves (see Limone sul Garda).
Strangolapreti

They’re called “priest-stranglers” because these little balls of ricotta and spinach are deemed so rich they’d choke a poor prelate’s simple palate. Usually served under a butter and parmesan glaze, though sometimes with tomato sauce.