Lombardia on the Italian map

The region of Lombardy is one of the most important tourist destinations in Italy. The capital of the region is Milan which is known to be a major fashion destination in the world and is also known to the country's second capital. Apart from Milan too there are plenty of famous tourist destinations in the region like Pavia, Mantua, Cremona and Bergamo and lakes Iseo, Maggiore, Como and Lake Garda. Apart from being one of top tourist regions in the country, it is also an important economic center since the region has plenty of important industries in Italy. Lombardy is home to many industries but agriculture and animal breeding are still widely prevalent here.

Outdoor shopping in Lombardy

Lombardy has many famous tourist destinations that have many shopping streets selling high end fashion products. However, one of the best ways to shop in Italy is street shopping. Almost all cities, towns and even small villages have outdoor markets and flea markets where visitors would be able to find many locally made products and various other handicrafts.

Lombardia - Castiglione Olona - Photo courtesy of Idèfix/Wikipedia

In Castiglione Olona, every month on the first Sunday in Piazza Garibaldi there is a large market. In this market visitors would be able to purchase several unique items like antiques, glass, bells in unique shapes, silver candelabra and old books some of which are even centuries old. In Milan every month on the last Sunday in Ripa Ticinese one of the biggest markets of the region is held. There are hundreds of stalls in the market which are held along the Naviglio canal bank in a picturesque location. Visitors would be able to find almost anything in this market from jewelry, antiques, wooden items, handicrafts and several other items.

In Cremona, every month on the third Sunday is a large market in Piazza delle Erbe and piazza Cavour where many unique items can be found. The market is famous for its Danish porcelains, violins and other musical instruments, antiques and other handicrafts. In Pavia, every month on the first Sunday the market takes place in piazza della Vittoria. This is not a very large market but is definitely quite a good market. There is a small group of vendors which deal in specialized items like rare old books and furniture. Every year in September, the market is held in Castello di Sartirana which is quite a beautiful medieval castle. Items sold in the market are antiques of high quality.

In Monza, the fair takes place in April and September in Autodrome. In Bergamo Alta it is on the third Sunday every month and in Brescia the fair is every month on the second weekend. Other outdoor markets are held in Sabbioneta, Mantova, Varese and Como.

Shopping in Milan

Lombardia - Milan - Piazza Duomo

Milan is absolute paradise for shoppers, and is often called the fashion capital of the world. The main shopping center in Milan is the Fashion Quadrangle which is located between Piazza San Bablia, Piazza Cavour and Piazza Duomo. The area has many shopping different shopping streets like Manzoni street, Vittorio emanuele street, Della Spiga street and Monte Napoleone street. All of these streets are line with showrooms and boutiques that are famous all over the world. The stores are chic and fashionable and definitely very pricey.

The flagship store of Giorgio Armani, the Armani Megastore is located on Via Manzoni. The large store is spread over an area of 8000 sq feet and has several beautiful high fashion Armani creations. The showroom has not only the Jeans line and Emporio Armani but also Armani Casa which is a home furnishing store, art shops, books and flower shops. There is also a play center, a Sony electronics showroom, the famous Nobu sushi bar and even Emporio Café in the megastore; definitely worth a visit even if you don't want to purchase anything. Dolce e Gabbana store is located in Via della Spiga. The Etro showroom is located in Via Montenapoleone and is known for its high fashion clothes for men and women. Another high end store is the Ermenegildo Zegna which is located in Via P. Verri. This is a glamorous boutique which has an elegant collection.

Even those who do not want to spend money on high fashion costly items there are still plenty of places to explore. The Vercelli Avenue and Beunos Aires Avenue are two of the best places to shop in Milan. This is also known to be the longest shopping street in Europe. The Buenos Aires street is quite commercial and connects Piazzale Loreto to Porta Venezia. Visitors would find brands here like Nara Camice, Kookai, Benetton, Mandarina Duck and Timberland.

Lombardia - Milan - Porta Ticinese

The Porta Ticinese area is also worth visiting, especially on Saturdays. On Saturdays there is a large flea market known as fiera di Senigallia which is held close to Darsena. Here visitors can browse through dozens of stands to find inexpensive items. There are many second hand items like old furniture, clothes, fake art lamps, essence, comics, videos, books and perfumed candles.

The Mercatone del Naviglio Grande is another interesting market in Milan. This market is held each month on the last Sunday and takes place on Alzaia Naviglio Grande. There are more than 400 different stands in the market that sell antique items. This large market is a great place for those who want to purchase an authentic antique item at bargain prices. Even for those who do not really want to purchase anything, the market is good even for just browsing around.