Best places to visit near Milan

Verona

The romantic city of Verona is a popular tourist destination and can be found in North Italy near Milan and halfway towards Venice. The city center has been awarded as an UNESCO World Heritage Site since the year 2000. Verona has after Rome the most constructions from the ancient Roman Empire. And because the city center is compact are the distances between the constructions walkable.

Over the Adige river that crosses the city are several beautiful bridges, like the Ponte Pietra and the Ponte di Castelvecchio (or Ponte Scaligero) that is built in 1356. The city also has two beautiful castles, called Castelvecchio and Castel San Pietro. Another beloved attraction of Verona is the house of Juliet (casa di Giulietta), which is famous because of Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet. The house includes of course the well-known balcony and also has a museum in it.

But the main attraction is probably the Arena, which is an ancient amphitheatre built by the Romans and is nowadays used as a great opera venue. During the summer opera festival are many notable opera singers and prominent opera performances.

If you prefer shopping above culture you should visit Via Mazzini. This street is not only home to popular shops like Zara and H&M, but also some high-end stores from Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton and Bvlgari.

Cinque Terre

The beautiful Cinque Terre is a very popular tourist destination and comprises a string of five charming villages along the Italian Riviera. These villages are: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. Since 1997 are the villages also an UNESCO World Heritage Site. What makes these villages so special is that they date back to the 11th century, their gorgeous and carefully built terraces, the medieval fortresses and the colorful homes up the cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Many tourists come here to walk the ancient Sentiero Azzurro, or Azure Trail, which is the famous walking trail with stunning views that connects the five villages. The most famous part of this path is between Manarola and Riomaggiore and is called Via dell’Amore, or Love Walk. From the outside it is not possible to reach the villages by car. The five villages are only connected by boats, trains and by footpaths.

From Milan is the nearest train station at Monterosso al Mare which you can reach via a three hour train ride. Other options are to park your rental car near the train stations of La Spezia or Levanto and take the train to one of the five villages, which takes only about 10 to 20 minutes, while others prefer to take an organized bus tour.

Venice

Venice is a gorgeous city in the north-east of Italy at about three hours driving from Milan. It has a long history and is probably named after the Veneti people that lived there in the tenth century BC. Since the 18th century is it also one of the most visited cities by tourists in Italy. And let’s face it. Don’t you want to see romantic Venice together with your loved one from a classical Venetian boat with a gondolier singing a serenade?

What makes Venice so special is its beautiful cityscape and that the city is built on 118 small islands in the Venetian Lagoon. Almost all transportation takes place on water and the 177 canals are used as roads. With many beautiful constructions like Piazza San Marco, Basilica San Marco, Canal Grande, Palazzo Ducale, Ca’ d’Oro, Ponte dei Sospiri, Teatro La Fenice, Basilica Santa Maria della Salute, chiesa San Giorgio Maggiore and Ponte Rialto the city is considered a living museum.

It should not be a surprise that Venice is an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. Most of these famous constructions in Venice are built between the tenth and fifteenth century AD when The Republic of Venice was one of the most powerful financial, trading and maritime centers in Europe.

Famous annual events in Venice are the Venetian carnival that is known for its elaborate masks and the Venice Film Festival, which is the oldest film festival in the world.

Lake Garda

Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy and has a surface of about 370 sq.km. (143 sq.mi.). The lake is well-known for its picturesque landscape with clear and intense blue water between beautiful mountains, forests and small villages, which makes it also a popular holiday destination.

There are plenty of activities and day trips available for tourists in the area including wine tastings, water recreation activities, visiting medieval castles and other historical sites. Families with children also like to visit amusement park Gardaland. The town of Sirmione is the most visited village in the area due to its historic Rocca Scaligera castle, fashion stores, hotels and restaurants. Other popular villages are Riva del Garda, Lazise and Peschiera del Garda.

As this lake is located near Milan do people who are looking for a peaceful vacation often combine a camping vacation to Lake Garda with a city trip to Milan. But the other way around is a city trip to MiIan also often combined with a day trip to Lake Garda and Sirmione.

Rome

Rome, or Roma in Italian, is considered as one of the most beautiful and romantic cities of the world. With almost three million inhabitants it is not only the largest city in Italy, but also its capital since 1871. It is estimated that the city of Rome is over 2500 years old, but there is archeological evidence that there are living people in the area of Rome for over 14,000 years. Rome is also considered as one of the places where western civilisation has its origins.

Within the city of Rome is the city-state Vatican City, which is ruled by the Pope. It is the only country within a city in the world. The most famous sites in Vatican City are the St. Peter’s Square, the St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. Since the Middle Ages is Rome a main Christian pilgrimage site. Still are people from all over the world to coming Rome to bring a visit to Vatican City.

Of all Italian cities attracts Rome most tourists yearly. This is, besides Vatican City, the result of the amplitude of its archaeological and artistic treasures. And the historic city center is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

So has the architecture of Rome continuously developed over the centuries and from the different periods are still many fascinating constructions preserved. You will find ancient architecture, medieval architecture, renaissance and baroque architecture, neoclassicism and fascist architecture. Besides the architecture are the parks and gardens, fountains and aqueducts, obelisks and columns, bridges and catacombs appealing for many tourists.

Further has the city of Rome much to offer regarding (renaissance) art, statues and sculptures, mosaics, frescos and paintings. Rome is the city with the most monuments in the world.

Some sights that you must see in Rome are the Colosseum (the largest amphitheatre ever built), the Roman Forum (ancient public plaza), the Pantheon (a former Roman temple), the Trevi fountain (a famous Baroque fountain) , Castel Sant’Angelo (a castle and mausoleum of Roman Emperor Hadrian), the Altare della Patria (National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II).

For the people who don’t have any interest in the history is also a lot to do as Rome has an inspiring art and vibrant street life. It is the fourth fashion capital of the world after Milan, Paris and New York so you will find alluring shopping streets with mainstream fashion as well as high-end fashion. The main shopping areas concentrate around Via del Corso, Via Condotti and Via Cola di Rienzo. The city has also many great hotels, (rooftop) bars, restaurants and nightclubs, so you will absolutely enjoy your stay in the magical city of Rome.

Pisa

Pisa is known for its leaning tower that is called Torre Pendente in Italian. The construction of the tower began in 1173 and became famous after it unintendedly started to tilt. But Pisa has a lot more to offer like several museums, about 20 churches and many other beautiful constructions. Pisa is also home to the University of Pisa that has about 50,000 students, while the city has only about 90,000 inhabitants. So Pisa is besides a tourist city also a student city.

Many beautiful constructions can be seen when you walk between the central station of Pisa and the Piazza dei Miracoli where you will find the leaning tower. Next to the leaning tower is the impressive Duomo di Pisa and behind the Duomo is the Battistero di Pisa. Besides these constructions is the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo is also visited by many tourists, while the Museo delle Sinopie and Museo di San Matteo are not yet really discovered them.

Near the Piazza dei Miracoli you will find the tourist- and gift shops, but the main shopping area is near the Corso Italia and the Ponte di Mezzo.

When you’re in Pisa on June 16th you are lucky. The lights along the Arno river will be dimmed and over 10,000 candles will be lit. From the bridge Ponte di Mezzo you will have a great view.

Monza

Monza is an especially well known city among sports fans. And most people actually visit Monza when there is a Formula 1 Grand Prix race or a Motor Grand Prix at the Autodromo Nazionale, which is the world famous Italian racing track in Monza.

This city is only 20 km (12.4 mi) away from Milan and as such it’s often considered a wealthy suburb of Milan. The Parco di Monza is the largest enclosed park in whole Europe and people love to come here for a stroll and to relax, especially during the spring and summer. In front of the park is the alluring Villa Reale which is the royal villa that has been built for Marie-Therese of Austria in the 18th century.

The city center also has some beautiful constructions like the Duomo, called Cathedral of Saint John, with a black and-white marble arcaded façade.

Although this city can not be compared to the other cities in this category. It is the city that is most nearby Milan and also has a charming historical city center that is set up as a pedestrian only shopping area.

Florence

Florence is a popular student city, the largest city of Tuscany and one of the main cultural cities of Europe as it is the birthplace of renaissance. There are many people that consider Florence among the most beautiful cities in the world. Julius Caesar established the present city of Florence as a settlement for his veteran soldiers in 59 BC.

Over the next centuries Florence grew steadily and became the capital of Tuscany around the year 1000. And from the 14th to the 16th century Florence was even one of the largest cities in Europe and a leading city in politics, economy, and culture. Much of the wealth in the city was created by the Italian banking family de’ Medici who played a prominent role in the development of architecture and art.

An abundance of other prominent historical persons like Brunelleschi (one of the founding fathers of the Renaissance), Donatello, Leonardo Da Vinci (an early Renaissance sculptor), Niccolò Machiavelli (one of the founders of modern political science), Michelangelo (sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance), Galileo Galilei (astronomer, physicist, engineer, philosopher, and mathematician), Dante Alighieri (a major Italian poet of the late Middle Ages) en Bartolomeo Cristofori (maker of musical instruments and the inventor of the piano) are from Florence and all contributed to the evolution of this city in their own way.

Florence attracts every year millions of tourists as it is renowned for its culture, monuments, renaissance art and architecture. And as a result of its history has Florence numerous museums and art galleries. The Uffizi Gallery is one of the most famous and important museums in the world. The famous Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze is home to sculptures of Michelangelo like the original David sculpture, but it also has paintings and sculptures of other artists. Other museums are Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Museo Galileo and Palazzo Pitti. Tickets for The Uffizi and Accademia are regularly sold out, but can be purchased online prior to visiting Florence.

Other interesting structures are the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (il Duomo di Firenze), Florence Baptistery, Basilica di San Lorenzo, Santa Maria Novella, Basilica di Santa Croce, the Palazzo Vecchio, the Ponte Vecchio and its Corridoio Vasariano. There are two copies of the David sculpture of Michelangelo in Florence. The first is in the historical city center at the Piazza della Signoria. The second is at the Piazzale Michelangelo and from here you also have a great view over parts of the city.

We can imagine that you also want to do some fashion shopping when you are in beautiful Florence. The high-end fashion stores can be found at Via de’ Tornabuoni, Via del Parione and Via Roma. And people with a real passion for fashion should also bring a visit to the Gucci museum as the famous brand is founded in Florence. And don’t forget to taste the delicious Florentine cuisine and their tasty ice cream.

Genoa

Genoa is a city with about 600.000 inhabitants in north-west Italy and is a two hour drive away from Milan. It has one of the largest ports at the Mediterranean Sea which brought the city economic success for many centuries. Because of its location this city brought several great navigators and founded colonies in many different parts of the world. The most famous navigator from Genoa is Christopher Columbus because of his discovery of America.

Nowadays many tourists come via cruise ships to Genoa to see the many astonishing landmarks and the part of the old city center that is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also the old neighborhood of Boccadasse attracts many tourists because of its picturesque scenery, pastel colored houses, nice coastline and colored small boats.

One of the first landmarks that these tourists will see from the cruise ship is the Lanterna. This is the lighthouse in the port of Genoa and is built in 1543 which makes it the oldest lighthouse in the world. Some of the other landmarks are Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, Piazza de Ferrari, Palazzo Ducale and Teatro Carlo Felice. Throughout the city are also many palaces. The Palazzi dei Rolli are a group of palaces of which forty-two palaces are included among shared human heritage according to UNESCO. Some of these palaces can be found at Via Garibaldi.

We from Meet The Cities recommend to take the public elevator called Castelletto Levante at Piazza del Portello to Belvedere di Castelletto. From here you will have some breathtaking views over parts of Genoa. A perfect spot for some holiday pictures.