The magnificent Milan is a great place for a tourist trip. But if you have already visited all the most interesting places of the city, bypassed the main boutiques and shops, and before leaving home there are still a couple of days left - it's time to go to the surroundings. Most of these places are easily accessible on their own. If you wish, you can make a voyage with a guide to the car - a review of the proven guide BlogoItaliano published here.
Lake Como
The picturesque Lake Como, located 40 kilometers from Milan, is one of the main natural attractions of northern Italy, ideal for a day trip - in a day you can have time to see a couple of coastal towns, ride a boat on the lake and even take the cable car to the mountains.
In ancient times, Pliny and Virgil rested on the shores of this deepest lake in Europe, today celebrities have chosen the surroundings of Lake Como - the villas George Clooney, Madonna, Ronaldinho, Sylvester Stallone and other stars have built here. You can get to Como by train, the trip takes about an hour.
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Pavia
The city of Pavia, located 35 kilometers south of Milan, was once called the city of thousands of towers - today, unfortunately, only a few of them have survived.
Once Pavia was called the city of a thousand towers
But the magnificent Cathedral on Senate Square, the Basilica of St. Peter, the Church of San Michele Maggiore, Santa Maria del Carmine and Santa Maria di Canepanova, as well as the famous Cartesian Monastery of Certosa, are an excellent example of Gothic architecture. Pavia is about a half hour drive from Milan Train Station.
Brescia
Traveling from Milan to Brescia will undoubtedly interest architecture lovers. In the historical center of the city there are many magnificent historical and architectural monuments - the Old and New Cathedrals with amazingly beautiful bas-reliefs, the city hall of the Palazzo del Loggia, the ruins of the Roman Forum, as well as the magnificent Brescia Castle, the oldest buildings of which date from the 12th-13th centuries.
The oldest buildings in Brescia date from the 12th-13th centuries.
Now the castle has a picturesque park, there are also two museums - Risorgimento and the Museum of weapons, as well as an observatory equipped with a powerful telescope. The distance from Milan to Brescia is about 100 kilometers, travel time is from an hour to an hour and a half.
Cremona
The small Italian city of Cremona, located about an hour from Milan, is known, first of all, as the birthplace of the famous violin masters Stradivari, Amati and Guarieri. Today, there are about a hundred craftsmen who produce magnificent musical instruments, famous all over the world for their quality.
Cremona - the birthplace of the famous violin masters Stradivari, Amati and Guarieri
Famous Cremona and medieval monuments - the Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral, the bell tower of Torazzo, as well as the Baptistery, Loggia den Militi and the Palazzo Kommunale - the oldest buildings in Cremona - are of constant interest among tourists.
Stresa and Lake Marjore
Stresa is a small but very picturesque town located on the shores of Lake Marjore, the second largest lake in Italy. Among other cities located by the lake,Stresa stands out for its splendidly preserved architecture of the 19th century.
The town of Stresa is located on the shores of Lake Marjor
It is curious that the historical part of the city is located on the coast, and the rest on the islands that are on Lake Marjor. Stresa is also known as the capital of the music festival, which has been held here since the 60s of the last century. A train runs from Milan to Stresa, the journey takes about an hour.
Bergamo
Bergamo is an Italian town located in the Po Valley, 50 kilometers from Milan. The old part of the city - the main square with a medieval palace and a tower in the southern part, and the new palace, which houses the city library - in the northern part, is on top of a picturesque hill; more modern buildings are located at its foot.
Numerous churches of Bergamo, as well as the famous castle on a rock, which began to be built in the XIV century, and then expanded and completed several times, attract considerable interest among tourists.
By the way, due to the fact that 3 km from Bergamo one of the main airports of this part of Italy is located, many tourists begin their acquaintance with the Apennines from here. More details about this transport hub can be found in our article Bergamo Airport and how to get to Milan.
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Peschiera del Garda and Lake Garda
The tourist town of Peschiera del Garda is located on the shores of Italy's largest lake. The first thing that catches the eye of those who come to Peschiera is the walls that have been preserved since the Middle Ages.
In Peschiera del Garda come to enjoy the beauties of Lake Garda
On the main squarePeschiera del garda You can see the Officer Pavilion, built in the XIX century, and the Building of the Commander of the troops. The artillery barracks, ancient bastions, and military prison were also well preserved.
But most tourists come here to see the magnificent Lake Garda, on the banks of which grow picturesque olive and lemon groves. The journey from Milan to Lake Garda takes no more than an hour.
Parma
The city of Parma, located 120 kilometers southeast of Milan, is known worldwide as the culinary center of Italy - it is here that the famous Italian cheese Parmesan and delicious Parma ham are produced.
But not only exquisite delicacies attract tourists to Parma - the magnificent architecture of the city is no less attractive, as well as the greatest works of painting and sculpture, which can only be seen here.
Parma - the culinary center of Italy
The mainsights of Parma - delightful examples of Romanesque architecture - concentrated on Cathedral Square - Baptistery, Bishop's Palace, Cathedral of Santa Maria Asunta. The National Gallery of the city contains paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Aretino, Parmigianino, El Greco, Van Dyck, Murillo.
The journey from Milan Train Station to Parma takes about an hour and a half.
Bologna
This Italian city is famous, first of all, for the university - one of the oldest educational institutions in Europe. There is a museum at the university, which stores interesting exhibits collected during the centuries-old existence of the university.
One of the most striking sights of Bologna are the towers of Asinelli and Garisenda, built in the XI century, as well as the Basilica of San Domenico, decorated with magnificent old frescoes, paintings and sculptures.
Bologna is one of the most remarkable and richest cities in Italy.
The Basilica of San Petronio, one of the ten largest European churches, also attracts tourists - you can see murals depicting scenes from the New Testament, marble sculptures by Italian craftsmen, as well as the largest sundial in the world.
Despite the fact that Bologna is located quite far from Milan, you can get to it in an hour - by high-speed train. In high season train tickets Milan Bologna it makes sense to reserve in advance. This can be done via the Internet on this site.
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Turin
From Milan you can also go to Turin - the capital of Piedmont, whose visiting card is the Mole Antonelliana, or the Passion Tower - the highest stone building in Italy, built by hand.
Initially, a Jewish synagogue was supposed to be located in the building, but the synagogue was built elsewhere, and the National Museum of Cinematography is now located in the Tower.
Turin houses the tallest hand-made stone building in Italy
The Turin Egyptian Museum, Automobile Museum, Piedmont Puppet Museum, as well as magnificent medieval castles, palaces and churches are no less famous.
You can get from Milan to Turin quite quickly, and BlogoItaliano wrote more about all transport options between cities in the article How to get from Turin to Milan and / or from Milan to Turin.
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