Summer 2011 in Northern Italy

Tour of main sights of Milan - plus of course Leonardo Da Vinci's famous Last Supper mural

This gothic cathedral and landmark dominates central Milan and is the perfect plaoe to start a walking tour of Milan.

Roman and medieval remains vie with faux-history of Juliette Capulet. An inviting city with excellent bus transportation to get around when you are not walking.

Must-see Roman theatre in Verona. Opera tickets can usually be found at the last minute as the arena seats up to 30,000 at a time.

I rented this villa through Vittorio Veneto Holidays for an extended family group (9 of us in total stayed there) for 2 weeks. It has a swimming pool and 3 bathrooms (sleeps up to 12).
I liked: large pool, lots of outdoor space, convenient location for trips to various towns and cities in Veneto, well-equipped kitchen, large dining table, good plumbing!
I didn't like: dodgy electrics; not good for public transport (car required), small kitchen, basic too-small lounge indoors, too-small kitchen for multiple cooks when large group catering, only 2 keys and remote controls for entry; very pricey electric.

This must be the smallest Guggenheim Museum, but it is well worth a visit, especially on a hot August day.

Despite a few canals and some similar architecture, Treviso feels nothing like frenetic Venice. A delightful city to walk round and some amazing frescoed churches to view.

A university city with a rich history and relaxed atmosphere. Visiting in August it felt like the tourists had all gone elsewhere. A lovely day out. Book ahead for the Scrovegni Chapel but there are many other gorgeous frescoed churches to see as well.

Frescoes and more frescoes.

Palladian splendour is a marked contrast to the frescoed cities of the Veneto. Leave enough time to see the palazzos that are under reconstruction.

Delightful walled medieval town in the foothills of the Dolomites.

On the top of a cliff overlooking the river, this city is worth a stop when in northern Veneto.

I visited Bolzan to see the remains of Otzi the Iceman and the related exhibition, but it turned out to be an interesting town to wander. Italy with more than a little hint of Austria!
Gorgeous mountain location.

This museum is currently exclusively dedicated to an exhibition about Otzi the Iceman. Must-see if in the area.

Delightful medieval walled town with castle.

Once moated city with many remaining steep streets of medieval architecture; including frescoes. The Palio (horse racing) is a major spectacle here and the buildings are decorated with crests of the different teams.

There is not much to the village of Cappella Maggiore: two gelateria, a baker, a butcher and one supermarket (on the road to Vittorio Veneto). It was a nice location for 14 days at Villa Il Casale Le Burle, with its mountain backdrop.

At the southern tip of Lake Como and the perfect place to start your tour of the lake. Boat tickets are reasonably priced.

Pretty and popular town in the central part of Lake Como.