Milan, Lombardy, and the Lakes Feature

During the Salone del Mobile, Milan's furniture fair, in early April, the city is a scene—there are showroom openings, cocktail parties, and product launches, and design types dressed in black and wearing funny glasses fill the sidewalks and bars.

Except for a few free days, the Salone del Mobile is for professionals only, but you can still participate. Newspapers such as Corriere della Sera usually run an English supplement, and special design-week freebies list public events around Milan called "Fuorisalone" (www.fuorisalone.it). Major players such as bathroom and kitchen specialist Boffi (Via Solferino 11) and Capellini (Via Santa Cecilia 4) launch new products in their stores. Warning: Do not visit if you have not planned ahead. Hotel rooms and restaurant seating are impossible to find. See www.fieramilano.it for dates.