Milan is best known for its architecture and fashion scene, but the natural landscapes around the city equally impressive and add to the area's overall appeal. Located in the Lombardy region, Milan is home to natural features that have much to offer to all sorts of travellers.
When exploring the nearby countryside, you'll find a variety of parks and lakes, especially in the nearby Italian Lake District. Take a look at some of the best natural sights around Milan to plan your well-rounded holiday.
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Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio
One of Italy's oldest national parks
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Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio is a national park dating back to 1935 that's home to towering mountains and pristine valleys packed full of scenic sights to enjoy on your holiday. Among the natural features here, you'll find lakes, tree-filled forests and even waterfalls.
The park has several walking paths, and they can offer any adventurer stunning sights of the countryside with its verdant flatlands set at the foot of snow-capped mountains. It's all located several miles to the northeast of Milan, near the Switzerland border.
Location: Via Alberto de Simoni, 42, 23032 Bormio SO, Italy
Phone: +39 0342 900811
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Parco dell'Alto Garda Bresciano
Visit an open-air ecological museum
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Parco dell'Alto Garda Bresciano is a stunning natural park in the Lombardy region that offers a pristine, sparkling lake and a picturesque valley with a built-in ecological museum. Garda Lake is one of the most prominent features here, but your visit will likely also include Valvestino, the central valley.
In Valvestino, the ecological park offers a wide variety of plant species to explore. Plus, you'll find mountains here, with the tallest being Monte Caplone, which towers nearly 1,976 metres. It's located several miles east of Milan, near the border of Lombardy and Veneto.
Location: Via Oliva, 32, 25084 Gargnano BS, Italy
Phone: +39 0365 71449
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Lake Como
Relax on the shore or take to the water at one of Italy's largest lakes
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Lake Como is an inviting glacier lake with both natural and cultural features. In fact, this lake has been a popular holiday retreat for people in the area since the reign of the Romans.
The lake has a microclimate, making it particularly relaxing due to a slightly higher temperature than the surrounding region. You'll find plenty of lakeside villas and relaxing walking paths, but Lake Como is also a great place to take in more thrilling activities, such as sailing, windsurfing and kitesurfing. It's located due north of Milan.
Location: Italy
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Parco Naturale Regionale Campo dei Fiori
Geological phenomena abound in this nature park
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Parco Naturale Regionale Campo dei Fiori is a fascinating park with a vast network of caves and other geological formations you can explore. The park has about 130 caves along with staggering cliff faces, vertical walls and steep slopes, though that's typically only on the north side. The southern side is softer with dense forests.
Within this park, you'll find quite a few waterfalls, including the Pesegh waterfall, in addition to erratic boulders that appear to have been moved to peculiar locations through mysterious circumstances. See it all several miles northwest of Milan, past Como.
Location: 21030 Brinzio Province of Varese, Italy
Phone: +39 0332 435386
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Parco Agricolo Sud Milano
Explore natural sights with a touch of history
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Parco Agricolo Sud Milano is a park area that's been thoroughly anthropised, so you'll find castles and abbeys in addition to its natural features and various wildlife. Agriculture has been a common practice here for centuries, but the natural features are well preserved among its woods and springs.
The fauna in the park varies quite a bit and includes animals you may expect, like European squirrels, badgers and foxes, alongside non-native species like Louisiana red shrimp, American marsh turtles and Asian woodworms. See it for yourself just southwest of the city, less than 10 miles from the city centre.
Location: Viale Piceno, 60, 20129 Milano MI, Italy
Open: Monday–Thursday from 9 am to 5 pm, Friday from 9 am to 12.30 pm (closed Saturday–Sunday)
Phone: +39 02 7740 3469
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Lake Iseo - Lago d'Iseo
Spend a day at the lake
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Lake Iseo - Lago d'Iseo is one of Lombardy's largest lakes, and you'll find lake ferries and plenty of walking paths here, as well as a road encircling the lake. Nature lovers will especially enjoy the variety of parks and nature reserves set around the lake.
One of the more notable aspects of this Lake Iseo is the rock formations around Fossil Lakes Park, which formed some 800,000 years ago. Of course, you'll find terraced meadows and olive trees in the surrounding area too. It's all located several miles east of Milan, past Bergamo.
Location: Italy
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Parco Naturale Valle Ticino- Piemonte
From woods to wetlands, this park has it all
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Parco Naturale Valle Ticino- Piemonte is a unique kind of park with several ecosystems, including woods, moors, meadows and wetlands. The woods are particularly interesting, as the variety of trees includes elms, locusts, oaks, and poplars, among others.
The kind of wildlife you'll see depends on what part of the park you're in. The less humid areas are home to creatures such as hares, foxes and squirrels. The wetlands are home to amphibians, while the rivers host fish like trout and pike. It's all located several miles northwest of town.
Location: Province of Novara, Italy
Phone: +39 011 432 0011
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Val di Mello
A free-climbing paradise
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Val di Mello is a picturesque and breathtaking natural valley with an abundance of vertiginous granite walls perfect for climbing. Climbers from all over the world travel here to enjoy the extensive free-climbing opportunities and take in stunning sights in virtually every direction.
Even if you're not interested in climbing, you can enjoy the valley's natural wonders and the nature reserve with calm bodies of water and vibrant trees. Plus, the well-maintained walking paths make it easy to get around. See it for yourself north of Milan, near the Swiss border.
Location: 23010 Val Masino SO, Italy
Phone: +39 338 561 2670
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Parco Regionale Adda Sud
Hit the trails at a riverside park
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Parco Regionale Adda Sud is a riverside park comprising mostly nature preserves and farmland you can explore on foot or with a bike. Hiking and cycling are the most common activities here, and you'll find well-maintained paths and trails that network through the park area.
A lot of the park's natural features function as terraces, offering stunning views of the surrounding nature from several key spots. Additionally, you'll find a massive variety of vegetation with vibrant greenery and more colour than you might expect. It's located southeast of Milan, past Crema and Lodi.
Location: Italy
Phone: +39 0371 411 1292
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Parco del Roccolo
An ecological oasis in an urbanised area
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Parco del Roccolo is a lovely park and nature preserve that offers a relaxing break from the city's hustle and bustle. Much of the park is agricultural and there are numerous irrigation ditches, but you'll find plenty of lovely walking paths too.
Several walking and cycling paths weave throughout this park area, and you may discover flora and fauna that use the park as a connector between the Ticino and Olona rivers. It's all located just northwest of Milan past Rho.
Location: Metropolitan City of Milan, Italy
Phone: +39 0331 463870
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