Many people think of Rome when Italy comes to mind, but northern Italy also has many beautiful and historical places to visit. Northern Italy is gorgeous and diverse, with vast, gorgeous lakes, the Alps, stunning coastlines, and fascinating historical cities.
When you visit Italy, be sure to check out the northern part of the country and the attractions below.
If you fall in love with northern Italy and want to stay on a longer-term basis, you may consider becoming an Italian citizen. However, there are several residency requirements to meet to attain citizenship. You usually must wait 10 years to move to Italy to work or for other reasons.
But if you can show evidence of heritage, you can get Italian citizenship by descent in just four years. If your parents or grandparents were born in Italy, you might not even have to meet residency requirements before submitting your citizenship application.
Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso, Aosta Valley
This national park in the Aosta Valley has 450 beautiful, marked trails for hiking and mule rides. If you love the outdoors, it is a paradise in every season. You can hike snowy mountaintops during winter, and in the spring and summer, enjoy the blossoming landscape.
You also may see many horned goats eating grass on many alpine pastures and look for many types of rare birds flying overhead.
Clinque Terre, Liguria
This lovely coastal region in Liguria features five wine and fishing producing villages situated dramatically on stunning cliff fronts. Brightly colored homes are perched on steep terraces, overlooking busy harbors and inlets. Olive tree groves and vineyards are ready for you to explore in inland areas.
This beautiful region is difficult to access by car, but walkers will find themselves in Italian paradise.
Bagni di Bormio, Lombardy
Bormio is a small town in the Valtellina part of the Alps near Switzerland and is constructed around hot springs that have been in use for hundreds of years. People have gone to Bormio looking for health and wellness from the relaxing thermal spa and refreshing mountain air.
Relax in the Roman baths nestled in the mouths of several mountain caves, or view the stunning Alp scenery from one of the Bagni Nuova’s thermal pools.
Lake Orta, Lombardy
Lake Orta is less crowded and smaller than other lakes in northern Italy, such as Como, Garda, and Maggiore, so there is a unique, intimate atmosphere that you will enjoy. The one island in the middle of the lake is gorgeous, as is Orta San Giulio.
Visitors relish the reclusive and calm feeling at Orta that has attracted writers for hundreds of years, including Lord Byron and Friedrich Nietzsche.
Lake Como, Lombardy
Lake Como is adored for its natural beauty, clear bays, and traditional architecture. It’s also a hot spot because it is only an hour from Milan. The lake is shaped like an upside-down ‘Y’ and is nestled against the Alps, with incredible lakeside vistas surrounding you at all points.
We recommend biking to one of the hillside summits or taking a boat to one of Como’s islands.
Lake Garda, Lombardy
Positioned at the edge of the Dolomites, this is the biggest lake in Italy. Its beauty has been noted by many writers, such as Ezra Pound and DH Lawrence. At the northern edge of Garda, the Gruppo del Baldos mountains create a stunning backdrop. At the center of the lake are several beautiful, small islands that feature spectacular villas.
Garda has several charming villages on its edges, and they feature gorgeous Mediterranean flowers and plants.
Any time you consider visiting Italy, remember to explore its beautiful northern regions. You’ll never regret it!
