15 Best Day Trips from Milan NOT to MISS in 2024!

The Northern parts of Italy are full of way too many incredible wonders to capture on a single trip. At the end of the day, good fun during travel can be expensive, especially when on a budget of any form. Even so, there are ways to go about creating itineraries centered around a single city that lets you get the most out of the list while having the best experience you possibly could.

This is my list of towns I managed to personally curate during my day trips from Milan where I tried to pinpoint what I most liked about the town and reasons you should plan it in your schedule.

Here are 15 Awesome Places to Go

1. Bologna

”la dotta, la grassa, la rossa”

Why Schedule Bologna as one of your day trips from Milan?

Bologna is nicknamed “la dotta, la grassa, la rossa” because of her history, the culinary delights to be found, and her penchant for opposing bullies, tyrants, and oppressors.

Bologna’s ‘learned’ that is, ‘la dotta’ and ‘red’ status comes from her ancient history. For the main part, there is the Bologna University, a learning institution 1000 years old. Every day as young students congregate and share their experiences over an aperitivo, knowledge, and ambitions to each other growing what is already a deep-seated desire for understating and exploration even higher than was found before.

You can also take a tour there which will show you the very best highlights of the city of Bologna!

The Two Towers, the Asinelli Tower and the Garisenda Tower tend to accentuate this idea of cultural history and wealth. Built in the 12^th century, the stone towers on the Piazza di Porta are today weathered by earthquakes, fire, lightning, and erosion. Like the knowledge eternally preserved in Bologna University, these towers have withstood the test of time to leave us a sense of continuity and what to cherish.

The ‘la grassa’, that is ‘the fat’, on the other hand, comes from Bologna’s other side of cultural history; her ability to continuously improve on food and beverage recipes and cuisines. Bologna is famous for her Pasta Bolognese, coffee shops and my curation of Caffè allo Zabaione’s coffee, Trattoria di via serra’s dishes, and Osteria Bottega’s combination of wines and capon broth was enough to convince me of her reputation.

Best day trips from Milan (Bologna is one!)

And if these are not enough to convince you; Bologna’s ‘Little Venice’ and the Finestrella di Bologna is a small slice of a water village Bologna offers via boat tours. Bologna’s art pieces like Neptune’s Fountain, and architectural wonders like The Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca and L’Archiginnasio offer great opportunities to fill up your photo albums.

Walking along the porticoes to the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca was my all-time favorite thing to do on my day trips from Milan.

Here’s a full article on the BEST THINGS TO DO IN BOLOGNA.

“The more it rained, the worse they suffered. The worse they suffered, the more they prayed that it would continue raining. All through the night, men looked at the sky and were saddened by the stars. All through the day, they looked at the bomb line on the big, wobbling easel map of Italy that blew over in the wind and was dragged in under the awning of the intelligence tent every time the rain began.” Joseph Heller on WWII in Bologna.

2. Verona

“Little Rome”

Why Schedule Verona as one of your day trips from Milan?

Like Rome, Verona is not only built around a river – the Adige River -, Verona has beautiful and incredible landmarks like the Arena at the northern end of Piazza Bra, the medieval era Piazza delle Erbe and her graceful fountain, the irrepressible Ponte Pietra, and the gorgeous night skyline of the Torricelle.

Why these places, you ask again?

The Adige River is probably the main reason we call Verona the ‘Little Rome.’ She winds in and through Verona, the calm waters gracefully sliding past the city’s buildings flanking her sides. At night, the reflection of lights and the skies are enough to make you linger so schedule for late visits if you are planning to see Verona as part of your day trips from Milan.

Did I mention the Torricelle somewhere? These hills grace the city of Verona, her olive grooves, villas, and vineyards being part of Verona’s 2000-year history and a panoramic view to die for.

Lastly, Verona’s history is as vaunted as it is incredibly important. Shakespeare probably selected Verona because of the high number of conflicts that occurred in the city over time. What is left over from the Roman era are the Porta Borsari and Porta Leoni. Ponte Pietra, the stone bridge, owes allegiance to no one, having been destroyed and reconstructed since the Roman times, the medieval period, Napoleon’s – and Austria’s simultaneous occupation of Veronette – invasions, and right down to when the Nazi’s had to blow up the town and her bridge to make Verona submit.

If you are only thinking of quick day trips from Milan, Verona should rank high among your options. Even so, Verona has a grace and charm far at odds with her violent history. She is the perfect fairy tale setting on par with any of the best – including Rome herself – and more deserving than others of longer stay.

Here’s a full article on: 25 Things To Do in Verona

“There is no world without Verona walls, But purgatory, torture, hell itself. Hence banished is banish’d from the world, And world’s exile is death.” Romeo, banished from Verona, laments on how empty the world appears.

3. Venice

“The Floating City”

My personal favorite of all-day trips from Milan…

Why make Venice one of your day trips from Milan?

The things that make Venice the go to place is the romantic atmosphere she casts even as you literally sail into her hotels. Venice is surrounded by water, making transport to and within the city necessary via vaporetto or gondola. This means a private taxi service of the highest kind and the guys we got to shuttle us around were well versed in where to go to see.

I would advice taking on a private gondola if you were planning day trips from Milan with Venice among your itinerary. The streets and laneways are labyrinthine

The mask carnivals just before Ash Wednesday and Lent were one reason my family and I tried for Venice right around then. Apparently, there are many different types like the arlechino, bauta, colombina, gnaga and the pantalone. There is a sense of free-spiritedness and adventure when you don a mask and become a ‘stranger’ to everyone with you.

By the way, try for any one of the carnival mask making workshops in and around Venice like Park Viaggi. The awesome thing about them is they let you design your own mask – kids too – and was one of the reasons you should aim for the season even with the large crowds.

Even if you don’t join the carnival atmosphere, there’s the, San Marco Square, Rialto Bridge and the Grand Canal. The evenings around these two places were very festive and I got the sense that with the combination of large tourist crowds and welcoming residents, Venice was a city of perpetual celebration and joy.

I have covered Saint Mark’s Basilica in a longer walk through tour, but please consider passing by if in a hurry. If you can, time for the evening during your day trips from Milan so that you get to experience St. Mark’s night lights for a truly transcendent experience.

“To build a city where it is impossible to build a city is madness in itself, but to build there one of the most elegant and grandest of cities is the madness of genius.” Alexander Herzen

4. Florence

“The Architect of the Renaissance”

Here’s a full article on the BEST THINGS TO DO IN FLORENCE.

Why make Florence one of your day trips from Milan?

I call Florence the architect of the Renaissance because of her wealth in Renaissance period art, architecture, and lore.

Florence is home to the Medici, one of the first families to see art as a political tool everyone could appreciate. Their investment in art gave us the works of Titian, Raphael, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Botticelli that are now in the Bargello Sculpture Museum and the Uffizi Gallery.

Museo Novecento, Centre for Contemporary Culture Strozzina and Tornabuoni Art host more modern art works, so it was a good challenge to see how well versed I was with art. What I find most impressive about these was not the license and explorations in art these contemporary works presented, but how Florence appears to be keeping the tradition in sponsoring and encouraging new artists to add to her culture and history.

You cannot place Florence in your list of day trips from Milan without touring Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and her red, green, and white marble Dome. And don’t just focus your eyes on the ceilings and vaults, staring at the Dome to the exclusion of all else; there are frescoes on walls and floor mosaics that tell the story and history of Florence one stroke at a time.

Finally, end your day trip from Milan with a Chianti or a Brunello di Montalcino from any of hundreds of enotecas all over Florence. The Tuscan region is famous for her wines and Florence is the most famous of them all. Oh, don’t forget to visit the famous Wine Windows in Florence and order some wine from them.

The best shot of Florence is the panoramic view from across the river when you capture the Basilica, St. Mark’s Campanile, the hills to their back, and the setting Sun’s golden cast over the river and red brick rooftops. Florence is pretty small compared to most on this list, so including this among your day trips from Milan is worth it!

At that moment I was playing Paolo Buonvino and Skin’s Renaissance and feeling something of the determination of the Medici and Florentines creating this city out of nothing. It is like Florence does not live for herself, but for a future whose form those in the now cannot imagine, but eternally hope will always be beautiful.

Sometimes I justify the words I spill
Like spitting embers they spark and kill
Outside my troubles are colder
But in these eyes the melody it smoulders
I know the whispers they hurt sometimes
They swirl and fracture my peace of mind
But can’t you see the sanity in my epiphany
Let me cure these blackened hearts. Renaissance –
Excerpt of Song by Paolo Buonvino and Skin.

5. Cinque Terre

“Blue Trails, Blue Skies, Blue Waters”

Why include the Cinque Terre among your day trips from Milan?

The Cinque Terre villages are Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore and this region of the world has some of the most bluest waters in the world. These waters are filled with marine life of all kinds, and there are diving, snorkeling, and swimming opportunities aplenty for those wishing for quick water activities on their day trips from Milan.

However not all five of the Cinque Terre villages offer these pleasures. For one, Corniglia, perched high up on a cliff, does not really have a port. Plus, save for Monterosso’s Fegina Beach, most of the rest offer uncomfortable beaches because of the rocky pebbles instead of sand they have.

Even so, each of the Cinque Terre villages – even lonely Corniglia – has very good reasons to include in one’s list of places to see in their day trips from Milan.

However, most tourists do not visit the Cinque Terre for her beaches. I, for one, was drawn by the opportunities for bringing back home the most breathtaking and panoramic views of the sea, sky, and coastal lines in the world.

At every single one of the Cinque Terre villages, we found the coast creating a stark contrast from the sea shore and skyline. Riomaggiore was my favorite, the chief reason being the Via dell’Amore hiking trail’s story and scenic view.

Much of the Cinque Terre’s Blue Trail has been damaged by erosion and rock slides. Yet, there is a small section of this trail that has been restored at great cost – and we paid so little – just to walk the trail. To me, the idea that the residents were willing to work towards restoring at least some section of the trail when others like the Via Volastra and Via Beccara – trails that charge nothing to walk – offered equal delights spoke to my heart. They love their homes and what make them special enough to want others to experience the same.

And what is it about these 5 villages that draw in millions of tourists wishing to sample her carruggi, lemon, anchovy, and olive oil festivals, the regionally unique Pesto, seafood, foccacia and wines?

In the Cinque Terre, whether walking along the Coastal line or high up in the hills and looking down, on a boat or ferry out in the sea or on a restaurant’s terrace enjoying a local and organically made Sciacchetrà, what you see around you are brilliant vistas of flora, skyline and blue waters. I have soe o the most vivid and startling pictures of nature in my collection right now and I hope you get to experience the same someday. Cinque Terre is my 2nd favorite among this list of day trips from Milan.

If hiking is your delight, Cinque Terre is definitely a MUST add to your list of day trips from Milan and also the five villages are well connected by trains so despite not being able to drive between these villages, there’s no reason to miss this cute Italian riviera. I have a whole article dedicated to Cinque Terre worth reading to manouver this beautiful seaside spot of Italy.

“From here vineyards illuminated by the benevolent eye of the sun and most beloved in Bacchus look out on Monte Rosso and on the cornices of Corniglia, celebrated everywhere for their sweet wine. “ Petrarch, in the poem Africa, speaking on wine from the Cinque Terre.

6. Lake Como

“Land of the Villas”

What makes Lake Como a good fit for your day trips from Milan?

I came to calling Lake Como the ‘land of the Villas’ because of the large number of villas around the lake. They use to be owned by Senators rich enough to build villas around Bracciano – but not powerful enough to dare – and so opted for creating their palatial homes elsewhere.

Time, looting, and erosion did for many of these old Roman Villas, but Lake Como’s beauty is irrepressible and later generations of Italian patrons sponsored their own creations.

Some of these villas included Villa Monastero in Varenna, Villa Carlotta in Tremezzina, Villa del Balbianello in Lenno, and Villa Olmo

And these villas are lavish in scale, design, and their imposing aura and beauty a must-see for anyone with plans for day trips from Milan!

Villa Monastero’s garden or hibiscus flowers, exquisite statues and ornate columns, placed right on the sea front, is like a veritable pastel of colors when combined with the waters of Lake Como a hand’s span away.

Villa Carlotta looked like what Versailles should look like, in my options. The white marble exterior and the massive garden of azeleas and rhododendrons offer a different perspective on the natural fusion of concrete, marble, and nature. Plus, the view of Lake Como from up top the villa…!

I think Villa del Balbianello was my favorite, the main reason I include her in my list of places to see on day trips from Milan. I have a love for the organic fusion of nature and urban landscapes and I felt Villa del Balbianello hit the spot best. The surrounding hillscape is full of green, and the villa itself looks like it grew out of the rock hills and forest.

Her columns, walls, and the main portico are covered in vines. I was drawn to the library for some reason as well, and I think it was because of the large door leading out to a terrace, plus the soft glow from the candle-lit chandeliers, giving the room an atmosphere of relaxation under soft and natural light.

Exploring the pretty villages around Lake Como such as Menaggio, Bellagio, Varenna was my highlight plus it’s totally bikeable hence worth including the Lake Como area in the Day trips from Milan.

“The beauty of a lake reflects the beauty around it. When the mind is still, the beauty of the Self is seen reflected in it.” B.K.S. Iyengar.

7. Rome

“Where All Roads Lead”

What makes a quick stop over to Rome a good idea for your day trips from Milan?

It almost feels foolish to suggest that Rome is somewhere you drop by for a quick day trip. Travel times by bus or train or car can be brutal, making the subsequent tour almost not worth it. And air travel can be quite pricey in tourist season, which, for Rome, can feel like all year long.

If you ask me what about Rome is worth the crazy idea of scheduling for a quick day trip from Milan, I would say it is because of Rome’s piazzas or squares.

Why?

For one, you don’t want to walk around a lot and be too tired to enjoy the scenery. And they are located close enough to each other you don’t spend that much more seeing Rome in terms of her squares.

Most importantly, Rome’s squares tell a story of the city across time and ages.

You don’t only get a chance to see the Pope at St Peter’s Square on Sundays, but the art and architecture here – from the Doric colonnades to the Egyptian obelisk to St. Peter’s Basilica itself – is a walk through Rome’s vaunted history.

Trastevere’s Piazza di Santa Maria & Piazza Trilussa are excursions in what a truly cosmopolitan city should look and feel like. You are there, with people from all over the world, of different cultures, religions, creeds, and political systems. And all are just seated around fountains and steps, sharing the air, listening to one dialect and language after another drift and sway with the wind, and your own is right there among them as strong and sure as anyone else’s!

Piazza del Campidoglio is a marvel of the Renaissance, as is Piazza di Spagna of the modern age. One is history right in your face, the revamped Palazzo Senatorio and Palazzo dei Conservatori right by the grand staircase ancient marvels right alongside the shopping district where they shot the films Roman Holiday (1953), To Rome With Love (2012), and The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999).

If you plan to sleep over in Rome, here are 10 Beautiful Day Trips Around Rome worth visiting. Civita di Bagnoregio is my fav on this list, on foggy days, the bridge seems suspended in mid-air! Civita di Bagnoregio is a dying city, hope you get to see her before she disappears.

Rome is so much and more. If you land in Italy from Milan, then there’s no way you can miss adding Rome among your top day trips from Milan … absolutely no way you can visit Italy and miss the Eternal City, NO WAY!! In fact, you haven’t been to Italy if you haven’t been to Rome!

“I am sending this letter to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and appointed to be his people. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace..” Romans 1: 7, New International Reader’s Version.

8. Lake Garda

“Nature Sports Capital of Italy”

Why water sports lovers consider Lake Garda for their Day Trips from Milan

It might not be official, but to my feeling, Lake Garda is Italy’s water-sports capital. It was here that I found out just how many ways one could have fun while in water. From jet-skiing, windsurfing, canoeing, snorkeling to kitesurfing, sailing, paragliding and diving, all these and more I was introduced to – and tried a few – while at Lake Garda.

Gardaland Park and SEA LIFE: Open Date Entry Ticket the most popular amusement park in northeastern Italy!

But that was not all!

Biking, climbing, trekking, Nordic walking and skiing are also part of the parcel Lake Garda offers all wishing to stay or visit during their day trips from Milan.

Why?

Lake Garda’s waters are some of the coolest, clearest, and loveliest places to swim or relax on beaches in the world. Every turn of the head is confronted by an impressive vista of snow-covered mountain peaks with the blue sky creating an incredible horizon with the earth below.

Did I mention the pine trees surrounding the coast and mountain trails? One reason nature lovers flock to Lake Garda is because of the cool alpine air flowing down the mountains and providing good breeze.

The trails themselves, like the local lungolaghi, are very easy and gentle on the knees, allowing you to walk along Lake Garda, take in the lake waters, the adventurers out on the waters, or simple stop and relax on a waterfront café.

On the mountain trails like the most famous Sentiero Ponale trail, you get a good cardio workout to balance out the breathtaking panorama of the towering cliffs falling off to crystalline blue waters below. The opportunities for taking home pictures here need not be said, but for me, it was the combination of olive groves and green forest that gripped my heart.

For those with hastier intentions in mind, Lake Garda has more than enough wonders to see during your places to see on your day trips from Milan. The castles at Sirmione, Valeggio, Lasize sul Garda, Torri del Benaco and Malcesine all offer their own unique experiences. For one, the mix of natural and man-made lagoons around the castles and forts around Lake Garda have resulted in the creation of unique water ecosystems perfect for snorkeling and divers wishing to see the underwater world.

Plus, did I mention the Cable Car up Monte Baldo? Yep! Speaking of Monte Baldo, Santuario Madonna della Corona is a phenomenon worth visiting, watch the video below on the Pilgrimage I took to the Sanctuary.

Hope you are convinced to add Garda to your list of day Trips from Milan.

“The lake may be seen for its whole length, and it is only at the end, towards the left, that it vanishes from our eyes. The shore, which is enclosed on both sides by hill and mountain, shines with a countless number of little hamlets.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

9. Brescia

“City of Museums”

17 Reasons why Brescia is the Museum Capital of Lombardy

Brescia has a great deal to offer, from a history as old as 3200 years to the Mille Miglia, a car race extravaganza featuring classic and vintage cars, to parks like Parco delle Cave, Parco Mazzolari and Parco Ducos, three natural parks not only set alongside the lake, but also hauntingly beautiful with the winter snow leaving the trees iced and ethereal.

Despite my love for nature, it is Brescia’s history and collection of wonders from the Etruscans – and allegedly Trojan connection – to its present form as the industrial capital of Lombardy that interest me and the reason I selected Brescia in my list of places to see on day trips from Milan.

The astounding number of museums in the city.

Brescia is close enough to Milan you can reach within 30 minutes. This makes her collection of museums ideal as a place to cover on a day trip from Milan.

The unique twin Domes to be found in Santa Giulia Museum and Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo, a museum dedicated to painters from the Renaissance era Brescian school. Then you have the Museo della Mille Miglia’s memorabilia, films, posters, photographs and other collectibles from 1927 during the first car race.

Then there is Museo Ken Damy della Fotografia contemporanea and the Museo Nazionale della fotografia’s veritable host of priceless photographs and everything to do with photography. The Museo del Ferro – Museo dell’Industria e del Lavoro represents industrial powerhouse of Brescia through the collection of fabricators and gear wheels and odds and ends. Lastly, there was the Museo degli strumenti musicali e della liuteria bresciana and the story of music from wind and string to choirbooks and music scores.

I loved Parco dell’Acqua, her old scum filled ponds flourishing in fish and algae and whatnots. But for once in my life, I felt the water park did not belong in Brescia.

Brescia’s history is being told and re-told via her museums chronicling the city’s passage from the Trojan era to the present via her collection of memories. The natural parks in Brescia are lovely, but I felt they do not tell as much of Brescia’s history as one could hope for when trying to understand the development of Italy as a country.

In any case, I chose Brescia as a place to see during day trips from Milan because her museums tell a comprehensive story of the old city, from the time of the Etruscans, across the medieval and Renaissance ages’ paintings and illustrated manuscripts, and down to when prints and photography begun to replace art as times past knew.

To leave you with a sense of why my mind was drawn to Brescia, consider the excerpt below:

La storia siamo noi by Francesco De Gregori (1985)

La storia siamo noi
Nessuno si senta offeso
Siamo noi questo prato di aghi sotto il cielo
La storia siamo noi attenzione
Nessuno si senta escluso
La storia siamo noi siamo noi queste onde nel mare
Questo rumore che rompe il silenzio
Questo silenzio così duro da masticare

(Eng Translation by Francesco Ciabattoni)

History is us,
let nobody take offense,
we are this meadow of pine needles under the sky.
History is us, mind you,
nobody can feel excluded
history is us, we are these waves in the sea,
this noise that breaks the silence,
this silence so hard to chew.

10. Bergamo

“Citta dei Mille”

Why is Bergamo worth consideration among your day trips from Milan?

Bergamo’s nick name, “citta dei mille” is only a ‘recent’ addition to the city’s long history and cultural influence on Italy. In my opinion, there’s another – and greater – reason Bergamo is worth your itinerary.

Her golden domes and vaulted ceilings, her fabulous paintings and frescoes, and her thick Baroque columns reaching so up they may as well have been Gothic in inception.

Yes, I am talking about one of the most beautiful and gorgeous Churches in Italy.

I know, this doesn’t seem to mean much in a country where beautiful Churches are a staple, but there is a valid reason I chose Bergamo as a must visit city on my list of day trips from Milan.

The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore is simply beautiful. From the outside, the white marble does not prepare you for what is inside. Sure, the sculptures outside tell you of the art and depth in culture of the Church, but nothing prepares you for the experience once you cross the gate of Red Lions.

Inside is a marvel of dedication, devotion, and worship. Her ceiling and walls are covered in frescoes that tells many stories it is impossible to tell them all. They follow the design of the Sistine Chapel in terms of scale and grandeur. With all the gold paint and brightness, I can only express the awe I felt walking in the church’s nave.

Apart from my love of nature fused with urban landscapes is my love for architecture and the stories they tell. From up above, the Church fathers, Saints, and Angels look down below, perhaps in judgment, perhaps in welcome. I believe this is the late Gothic Architectural sty called Flamboyant Gothic, a favorite of the Renaissance because of the ornamentation. Was this design a reflection of how Bergamo, like the rest of the world circa 16^th century, beginning to touch and be touched by the world?

It feels counter-intuitive, almost insane even, to think of the expense and cost in labor, time, and effort that went into the Basilica. And yet, this seems to be the spirit of Bergamo…

If you have lots of time (if and only if) in Milan, I’d include this to the list of day trips from Milan.

“I offer neither pay, nor quarters, nor food; I offer only hunger, thirst, forced matches, battles and death. Let him who loves his country with his heart, and not merely with his lips, follow me.” – Giuseppe Garibaldi.

11. Turin

“Citta magica”

A magical day trip from Milan in Turin

I heard Turin is called the city of magic, and the reason for this must be because of how the city retains its own unique feel even after it fuses so much of the cosmopolitan world.

Yes. Turin is home to the Egyptian Museum of Turin and her 2^nd largest collection of Egyptian artifacts. The city is also home to the National Museum of Cinema, the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile, Museum of Human Anatomy, and a host of art galleries too many to mention or contemplate if planning day trips from Milan.

Turin is also home to the Residences of the Royal Houses of Savoy, the Royal Armory, the Royal Library, the Palazzo Chiablese, Palazzo Madama, and the Palazzo Carignano.

However, what makes Turin truly magical in my eyes is how the city’s architecture is like a road map of architectural delights from the Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassical, to Art Nouveau.

Let me just start with the stuccos and frescos, trompe d’oeils, high columns, big windows, statues and bas-reliefs to be found at the La Venaria Reale. Thanks to the House of Savoy and the architect Fillipo Juvarra, we can now see this marvel of Baroque excellence today.

The Galleria Grande of the Venaria Reale is the main reason I had to include Turin in my list of places to check in during my day trips from Milan. The checker board marble floor juxtaposed against white columns and barrel vault ceiling is one thing. The afternoon light flooding in and reflecting off the floor was an ethereal sight for me. I could only imagine the grandeur and awe court visitors would feel when they approached this residence back in the day.

Then there is the Corinthian columns was another genius inclusion from the architect in my opinion. Maybe I am wrong in identifying which of the 3 orders the columns are made off, but I am not wrong in the feeling they impose on me. The ornate leafy flourish of the frieze add to the impression that the ceiling is actually floating in clouds even with the massive walls flanking the columns. The wholesome blending of the appearance feels very natural to me and I hope you get to experience the same when you visit.

“Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.” – Frank Gehry

12. Lake Maggiore

“Nature’s Canvas”

3 Reasons Lake Maggiore Belongs on your Itinerary of Day Trips from Milan

My three reasons for selecting Lake Maggiore as a must visit among your day trips from Milan have to do with the wonderful nature atmosphere the well-preserve location presented me.

To start with, hiking Mottarone green grass interspaced with rocks, shrubs, and the occasional tree was an incredible experience. Set aside the panoramic view and all, the cool mountain air flowing down hits your lungs just right whether u on a ridge or nestled in between hills.

Then there is the unique Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso, perched on a sheer cliff – I have noticed these monasteries tend to go for cliff edges by the way – and overlooking the beautiful waters below. I can imagine how one day, trekking through the countryside and looking for salvation after his ship wrecked, the merchant Alberto Besozzi of Arolo stumbled upon the spot and felt the connection to his surviving the disaster.

The hermitage is incredibly beautiful from the Lake water, and more than reasons enough to opt for during day trips from Milan. The cream and rocky exterior blends really well into the cliff’s face and the green of forest life hugging its outside, the seeming isolation from the outside world, is enough t provoke a spiritual revelation to anyone open enough to nature’s wonders.

Most importantly, however, are the fantastical palazzos and gardens beside the most charming little fishing villages of the Borromean Islands. I could go on and on about the three island’s grace and their charm, but I would like to use the short space remaining on the blog to talk about Isola Bella’s garden.

The garden has this monument to Baroque where on the very top is a unicorn – ridden by a man! – with nymphs to his side. Statues of Cupid are all over the place – at least, I thought they were Cupid – and then, carved into niches in the rock are these gigantic shells facing outwards.

Simply as a place to visit on day trips from Milan, this garden alone is worth the time and excursion because of how the dark rocky pebbles embedded into grey concrete are a sharp contrast to the evergreen garden around. As a lover of nature fused into modern landscapes, I would not rate the combination highly. Yet, walking up to the front of the structure and confronted by the oddity I was too struck by the strangeness of its presence to be upset.

“O fairy island of a fairy sea, Wherein Calypso might have spelled the Greek, Or Flora piled her fragrant treasury, Culled from each shore her zephyr’s wings could seek…” – Excerpt culled from Lord Lytton’s Napoleon at Isola Bella.

13. Genoa

“The Museum of the Sea”

Why Drop by Genoa During your Day Trips from Milan?

The birth place of Henry, Count of Malta, Vandino and Ugolino Vivaldi, Christopher Columbus, Antoniotto Usodimare, John Cabot, Enrico Alberto d’Albertis, and Luigi D’Albertis is certainly worth exploring as a tourist!

Daring adventurers one and all, these men were privateers, pirates, sailors into the unknown world, and merchants linking the known world together in the very first instance of world globalization.

Sure, Genoa’s bounties are immense; both Palazzo Spinola and Palazzo Bianco & Blue de Genes are UNESCO protected sites, hosting everything from Baroque frescoes and furnitures to the blue jeans we all have worn sometimes in our lives.

And then there are places like blue Boccadasse on the Ligurian Coast, the 1.5 mile-long Nervi Promenade and hordes of Renaissance, Roccoco, and Baroque paintings, sculptures, and frescoes open to viewing in a million museums and palazzos all over the city.

To me, however, all these do not compare to Genoa’s Galata Museo del Mare, the unique repository of replicas and models used by the brave sailors and explorers of ages past.

It is an incredible experience to walk among these small, life-like models of ancient ships, carracks, and galleys. There is this gallery with a huge galley with soldiers in plate mail standing over the rowing benches. The galley looks sanitized and clean but you can easily imagine the poor sailors – debtors, murderers, thieves and political prisoners – all chained to their rowing decks and condemned to an uncertain future.

Then in another gallery there are these metal bunks where you can imagine families would risk their lives on unsteady ships and turbid seas for an even more uncertain yet hopeful future in the New World. There is this gallery with shelves full of odds and pieces of mail the Condottieri and Conquistadors would have worn, and another with a globe of the world filled in with details about the world we would find incredulous today. **Again, this is an extra add-on to your day trips from Milan**

What brave souls are contained within the hearts of the men and women of Genoa?

14. Parma

“The Land of Ham, Parmesan and Lambrusco”

Why drop by Parma to Eat when you could eat Anywhere else?

Yes, we all knew this was coming. There is no way we are checking out Northern Italy on day trips from Milan without trying out her wines and gastronomical delights.

Parma’s specialties match the best that North Italy has to offer…and then some. Archeological finds? The Palazzo della Pilotta and the Archaeological Museum offer weapons and armor from the medieval period in spades. You want to see medieval era and beyond texts, books, scrolls, and manuscripts? The Biblioteca Palatina is the place to visit. Making day trips from Milan just to see architectural grandeur and excellence? Parma’s Baroque designed Teatro Farnese is the answer and raise to Rome’s Coliseum. If you are an art lover and connoisseur of incredible friezes, frescoes and paintings in startling colors and re-telling Christian lore and stories through the eyes of magnificent painters then it is the Parma Duomo for you.

Yet, all these pale in comparison to the medley of food products originating and available from Parma.

Parma is the land of ham, parmesan, and Lambrusco…and so much more!

Cappelletti, Felino salami, pecorino, Prosciutto di Parma, Torta Frita, Tortelli di Erbetta, coppa, cold-cuts, culatello (Cultatello di Zibello), cooked pork-shoulder, Strolghino, and – of course – gelato.

The list is exhaustive and well worth a quick drop in Parma during your day trips from Milan.

Then down them all with some Malvasia grape, Sauvignon DOC, Otello Nero di Lambrusco, or Lambrusco Marcello!

Did I tell you about the humongous cheese factory, the Parmigiano-Reggiano factory? We did a guided tour where we were allowed tastings – with local wines – and got to see just how so much cheese could be made behind the scenes. Apparently, they are a protected product guaranteed by the EU somehow! Then we also saw a Modena Balsamic Vinegar maker on the guided tour.

Selecting the best meat is a refined and careful process. Then there is the salting and later refrigeration, followed by seasoning and flavoring. Then the tasting with local beer comes in. Did I mention the guided tours allow you to see the refined techniques of the spillatura? That is the tapping technique in use, and each technique is supposed to result in different experiences in taste.

So much goes into the process that I found myself lost and chose to just take in the experience and aromas. Personally, just the educational worth of the day trips from Milan was well worth the planning and expense on my end. Trust me on this, because, remember:

“A [wo]man who lies about beer makes enemies.” – Stephen King.

15. Lugano, Switzerland

“Land of the Alps”

Why give Lugano, Switzerland, a chance during your Day Trips from Milan?

Because of a mix-up of geography and politics, Lugano in Switzerland is considered Swiss rather than Italian. I did not let that deter me when planning my day trips from Milan, however, for at the end of the day, geopolitics is just lines on paper, and culture is a matter of the soul.

Lake Lugano is set by a beautiful lake on par with Lake Como, with two mountains, Monte Brè and Monte San Salvatore, where we got to ascend via funicular. This is a fun ride – the origins of the name by the way – and the red rooftops as we rode up reminded me of the red-brick roofs of Turin for some reason I am yet to investigate. Just across the border is the Valle d’Aosta region of Italy, a beautiful region full of fairytale castles such as the Castel Savoia, worth visiting.

The additional fun thing about the funicular rides is that at the top are restaurants with gorgeous sceneries of the valleys below. The terraces on mountain peaks are one thing, but the taste of home via wines and beautiful scenery was worth being among the day trips from Milan.

Bernina Express ride is one of the best day trips from Milan in winter and summer both

The most enjoyable experience about the day trip from Milan in Lugano was the Bernina Express train ride. The air and view from the Alps is panoramic. 4hrs on the route is just impossible to pass up since you can cover the route and be home in Milan to plot your next adventure by end of day.

Taking a train ride across the Alps where you go over viaducts, ride through mountain sides covered in pines and other Alpine tree species, the move past glacial waterfalls was one thing. Seeing all these from the insides of an ultra-modern train with excellent facilities is simply my description of natural fusion with technology. It can be a surreal experience to see such a world outside, especially given the stark contrast between Lej Pitschen and Pontresina.

I truly hope you also get to feel the same way I did, and if you are planning for a short day trip from Milan, the Bernina Express is the best decision you could make for your money’s worth.

“Human nature seems to me like the Alps. The depths are profound, black as night, and terrifying, but the heights are equally real, uplifted in the sun.” – Emily Greene Balch.