Hinterland Overview
Como, Monza and Varese, are part of Milan’s Hinterland, Northern Italy’s buzzing financial and business city.

Como is a lively and pleasant town with a very attractive historical centre, and is located in the southern end of the eastern side of Lake Como, a 50 kilometre long and extremely deep lake, and a popular tourist destination.

Situated in the southern end of the famous Como Lake (Lago di Como), Como was founded by the Ro mans some two thousand years ago. Following the Reneaissance period, it became famous place frequented by kings, writers, and philosophers.

Today, visitors can see countless villas that were built along the shores of the lake that are surrounded by beautiful gardens, and have a magnificent view of the lake. The most famous are probably Villa Olmo and Villa Erba.

Apart from its geographical location, Como is also famous for its silk and wood manufacturing. Impressive landmarks and monuments include the town’s cathedrals The Duomo and San Fedele. Another incredible thing to see is the nine-hundred-year-old gateway, Porta Vittoria, and the Romanesque church Sant’Abbondio.

Villa Reale

A popular place for expats is Monza, situated approximately 40 minutes by car outside Milan. Considered family-friendly and quiet, an international community has grown here because of its proximity to the international schools in the area. Housing consists of both villas with gardens and residential areas with swimming pools and tennis courts. The town also has a big park called Parco Reale, which is very popular as a recreational area.

Varese is a small, quiet, town in the northwestern part of Lombardia. It boasts a very picturesque setting, as it’s located around the Varese lake and it’s surrounded by the Alps. Thanks to its many hill and lakeside villas, Varese has been nick-named the “Garden City”.

The Estensi Palace

The most famous of its many villas and gardens is the Estensi Palace and its surrounding garden. Built in 1760 as a summer residence for the Duke of Modena, Francesco III d’Este, the palace today is the headquarters of the Town Council. The city centre of Varese is an entirely pedestrianized area with shops, boutiques, and restaurants. Corso Matteotti is the busiest meeting place of the city, where friends meet and go shopping. On the first Sunday of every month, the centre is transformed into a big open-air market thanks to the “Antico Mercato Bosino”, where antiques, African goods, and local products can be found.

Surrounded by mountains and lakes, Varese was in the old days considered a safe and popular meeting point for travellers and traders on their way to major cities like Milan and Turin. The town of Varese is surrounded by the Campo dei Fiori gardens to the West, the Sacro Monte to the North, and a valley called Valganna to the East. In the southern part of the city lies a beautiful lake, which is appropriately called, Lago di Varese.

CAR RESTRICTIONS IN MILAN
As of January 2008, the municipality of Milano has introduced an antismog tax for certain vehicles circulating in the city center.

The attached document (PDF) explains which catagory of vehicle should pay for an "Ecopass" (right to enter the restricted zone with certain types of vehicle), the various types of passes available, and how they can be purchased and activated.