The LIDAR (laser radar) is an active remote sensing technique, which allows for the altitude-resolved observation of several atmospheric constituents. A typical application is the measurement of the vertically resolved aerosol optical properties. By using aerosol particles as a marker, continuous determination of the mixing layer height (MLH) can also be obtained by LIDAR. Some examples of aerosol extinction coefficient profiles and MLH extracted from a 1-year LIDAR data set collected in Milan (Italy) are discussed and validated against in situ data (from a balloon-borne optical particle counter). Finally a comparison of the observation-based MLH with relevant numerical simulations (mesoscale model MM5) is provided.