Asightseeing tours in Milan too boring and tiresome for you? Doesn’t shopping bring you pleasure anymore? Want to make a break and to rest in the bosom of nature? Then go discovering lovely spots located in Milan surroundings, which are so often forgotten by most tourists!
Lake Como
Distance from Milan: 83.4 km;
Driving time: 1 hour 24 min;
Gas consumed: 5 liters
Image source: https://flic.kr/p/eJU1Zr
Being a true natural wonder, Lake Como is probably one of the most beautiful attractions in northern Italy. Due to its well-developed infrastructure and close location to Milan, Lake Como has become a quite popular tourist destination. Although there are a lot of hotels in villages and towns on the lakeside, it’s still recommended to book apartments beforehand, since a lot of tourists are eager to visit these places especially on weekends.
Along the banks of Como, there are a few ancient and admirably beautiful villas. You should pay special attention to Villa d’Este famous for its picturesque parks, and Villa Carlotta that has a nice botanical garden and museum with rich art collections of the 19th century.
Those, who want to take some great pictures of the lake, should know there is an old funicular which has been running between Como town and Brunate village for more than a hundred years! It will take you to the top of the hill offering breathtaking views of the lake.
In addition to admiring historical attractions of Como you also have an opportunity to enjoy all kinds of entertainment from ordinary fishing and boat trips to more extreme activities such as wind- and kitesurfing.
Lake Garda
Distance from Milan: 136 km;
Driving time: 1 hour 33 min;
Gas consumed: 8 liters
Image source: https://flic.kr/p/fhp53c
Lake Garda is an ideal place to fully enjoy peaceful atmosphere of Italian province along with magnificent beauty of the nature. Pure mountain air, sandy beaches and crystal waters of the lake are certainly worth the time spent on driving from Milan. The lake is a perfect destination for all lovers of calm and healthy recreation and will perfectly suit for holiday with kids.
It’s interesting to know that Garda, which is the largest lake in Italy with the area of about 370 sq. km, was a popular resting-place already in the Roman era. This is evidenced by the remains of an ancient Roman villa called Grotte di Catullo.
Nowadays, Lake Garda still remains a popular resort. We recommend to plan your stay in Sirmione famous for its thermal springs and historical attractions. Particular attention should be paid to the Malcesine Castle built the beginning of the 13th century. It’s rightfully considered one of the best preserved castles in Italy and will make your weekend in Lake Garda even more memorable.
Genova
Distance from Milan: 144km;
Driving time: 1 hour 44 min;
Gas consumed: 8.7 liters
Image source: https://flic.kr/p/3aqzpM
Genova is a city on the Mediterranean coast with a rich history connected with navigation and trade.
You can start exploring the city from its historical center, where every building is the real architectural masterpiece! When you are tired, just make a refreshing dip on Albaro Beach, maybe the most prestigious and popular beach located not far from the city center.
Also the largest aquarium in Italy and the second largest one in the whole Europe is located in Genova. The aquarium houses an incredible variety of fish, reptiles and invertebrates. The most popular its residents are undoubtedly dolphins, sharks, seals and turtles.
You should also at least try to visit the Botanic Gardens built in the form of a huge sphere. Quite impressive and extraordinary building you will definitely want to take a picture of.
The beautiful city of Genova will always captive hearts of hundreds of tourists with the help of its incredible attractions bringing you memorable experiences.
Pavia
Distance from Milan: 44.6 km ;
Driving time: 46 min;
Gas consumed: 2.6 liters
Image source: https://flic.kr/p/gK5xRy
When heading to Genova from Milan don’t miss an opportunity to visit Pavia, which was a capital of the Kingdom of Lombards and had a great political significance in the 6-8th centuries.
Nowadays, it’s rather small city with the population of about 70 thousand people. But despite its size, Pavia is able to surprise tourists with its interesting historical building such as:
- Pavia Cathedral that was being built for 410 years from 1488 till 1898 and nowadays it has the third largest dome in Italy! Maybe the Cathedral doesn’t have very reach interior, but it houses the important Christian relic – a few spikes from Christ‘s crown of thorns.
- Cerstosa di Pavia, which is one of the greatest monuments of late Gothic architecture in northern Italy and throughout the world.
- University of Pavia, which is considered one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Europe. It was founded in 1361.
- Medieval towers of Pavia. In the Middle Ages, Pavia was known as the city of hundred towers. During those times, almost every more or less wealthy family built their own tower of red brick. Scientists still can’t say for sure what purposes these towers were built for. Nowadays, only three towers are left. You can look at them on the Leonardo da Vinci square.
Bergamo
Distance from Milan: 59km;
Driving time: 51 min;
Gas consumed: 3.5 liters
Image source: https://flic.kr/p/5fMrXb
Bergamo is logical continuation of your holiday in Milan especially if you rent a car. Only one hour of driving and you’ll find yourself in the heart of a cozy town with very diverse and beautiful architecture.
The main entertainment represented in Bergamo is the excursion tours through the Old Town with visiting historical attractions and relaxing in one a numerous cafes and restaurants mainly specializing on national cuisine.
The most convenient way of reaching Bergamo form Milan is car rental vehicle. It allows you to significantly save time spent on transportation and will give you much more opportunities to visit all most interesting places in Milan surroundings.
It’s well known that booking in advance allows saving money. This rule also applies to car rental. The right way to find available cars for low prices is using special booking services online. More information about cheap car hire in Milan search here: http://italy.rentalcars24h.com/milan-airport-malpensa.
Author Bio: Lily Berns is a journalism student and a keen traveler. She enjoys traveling the world and exploring the new attractions. For very comfortable holiday travels, she recommends using rental cars which you can choose on rentalcars24h.com.
