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5 STUNNING DAY TRIPS FROM MILAN (that Aren’t Lake Como) Lake Maggiore. Photo by Eleonora Albasi on Unsplash BY THEA DUNCAN DOING ITALY Page 01 5 STUNNING DAY TRIPS FROM MILAN (that Aren’t Lake Como) Italy is filled with countless stunningly beautiful cities, towns, villages, and hamlets. As soon as you find the prettiest place you’ve seen, you realize the next town over has something even more special to offer. In Italy, there’s a place to visit to match just about any style or preference. It’s really just a matter of finding the right place for you. I’m giving you a few of my favorite suggestions that aren’t Lake Como, because I want to offer you the insider’s guide, not just places everyone knows (nothing against Lake Como of course: it’s famous for good reason). From Milan these places will take you about an hour – maybe two. Think of this list as a starting point for adventures outside Milan, with a few suggestions for places that you may or may not have heard, or places you might not have considered Photo Credits Above: Certosa di Pavia by Antonio Sessa on Unsplash Right: Verona Arena by Danique Dohmen on Unsplash BERGAMO (CITTÀ ALTA) Bergamo Città Alta (high town) is a picturesque medieval hamlet (smaller than a village) that sits perched upon a high hill. So stunning, that Bergamo Alta’s wall was recently recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (along with a chain of landmarks leading to Venice). Looking down from the elevated hamlet, you can see the red tiles on the roofs of the buildings in the “new” Città Bassa (low town) below, as well as the lush, green canopy surrounding high town’s elevated space. Inside its city walls, Bergamo has lots to offer. From the old Meridian, located under the Palazzo della Regione; the stunning, can’t-miss Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, featuring rich architecture and stunning mosaics; the curiously-shaped, centuries-old Baptistery; and the storied Duomo, showcasing Renaissance masterpieces. And that’s just naming a few of the beautiful sights you’ll find here. HOW TO GET THERE BY TRAIN There’s a regional train that runs between Milan and Bergamo about every 30 minutes. The train ride last around 50 minutes, and takes you into the new town. Once there, you’ll have to take the main road, Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII, up to Bergamo Città Alta. From Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII you can take Bus No. 1, the funicular, or a 10-15 minute, slightly steep walk to the top. BY CAR If there’s no traffic, it’s a mere 50-minute drive from Milan to Bergamo Alta, using the A4 highway. Since you can’t park within the walls of the high town, once there, you can try your luck with the paid meters directly outside the city wall, park in the new town and take public transportation, or w alk up to the old city. ---- Da Mimmo (Bergamo Alta): This family run restaurant, opened by Mimmo Amaddeo and his wife, Lina, in 1956, is known for its commitment to offering great service, and delicious, high-quality, fresh food, crafted from choice local ingredients. You’ll find wood-fired pizzas and an extensive selection of other Italian dishes on the menu. ristorantemimmo.com - Via Bartolomeo Colleoni, 17 Pasticceria Cavour 1880: This historic café is part of the association Locali Storici d’Italia, a nonprofit that recognizes some of Italy’s most historic and prestigious places. Besides offering superb-quality sweet and and salty treats, the space has been recently updated to add additional floors to host guests, while maintaining its historic charm (like the antique paintings on the walls). davittorio.com/caffe - Via Gombito, 7 PARMA Parma is another small Italian city that I absolutely adore. Parma’s Food Valley, the area’s gastronomic capital, is what a foodie’s dreams are made of. Many of the delicacies that we commonly associate with Italian food are from this region: think Parmigiano-Reggiano (parmesan cheese), Prosciutto di Parma (dry-cured ham from pigs fed Parmigiano-Reggiano whey), and fresh egg pasta. So yes, Parma is absolutely worth visiting for the food, but this darling city also offers stunning architecture. While sightseeing, make sure to visit the nearly 1,000-year-old Parma Cathedral that sits directly in historic old town, and is steeped in artistic masterpieces, as well as the legendary Parma Baptistery, with its stunning frescoes and paintings,located next to the cathedral. The majestic, wooden Teatro Farnese is also worth visiting. This historic theater was built in the 1600s, but drastically damaged during WWII; it has since been restored and is a magnificent sight.. The city outskirts also house the world’s largest labyrinth, Labirinto della Masone. The spectacular design was grown using about 20 species of bamboo and 200,000 plants. Visitors can discover an art collection, activities, music, and exhibitions on site. HOW TO GET THERE BY TRAIN You typically can get to Parma by train in less than 1.5 hours. There are regional and high speed trains that will connect you directly from Milan and runs every hour and sometimes more depending on the day. I generally prefer the high speed trains because they are newer, cleaner, and tend to run on time. Parma does have a nice exception a special regional train (# 2987) that only runs like twice a day and makes limited stops, pretty clean, and usually on time (since it starts and ends Milan/Parma respectively. You can purchase your train tickets online for both the regional and high speed trains to Parma from ItaliaRail or TreinItalia. Italo also offers a train speed train plus bus service to Parma. BY CAR Parma is just a 90-minute drive from Milan city center. Fortunately, you’ll get fairly close to Parma’s city center without having to worry about the restricted, residents-only streets, but beware, those streets are monitored by video cameras ---- La Prosciutteria: Vanusa, my dear friend and a personal chef, recently moved to Parma. She introduced me to this food boutique. Located on one of the main pedestrian streets of Parma, La Prosciutteria is gosh-darn visually appealing, with its dark wood shelves housing bottle upon bottle of local wines, the row of prosciutto crudo (dry-cured ham) that hangs from the ceiling of the store, and the marble trim framing its refrigerated food display. Not just good looking, La Prosciutteria sells a selection of high- quality products, like Parmesan cheese made from non-GMO grass- and hay-fed Red Cows, a particular breed that produces less milk, but whose specific qualities make the milk more suitable for aging. La Prosciutteria will vacuum-pack just about anything you request, which is great for travel. silvanoromaniparma.com/la-prosciutteria - Via Farini, 9/c Gallo D’Oro: Its name means Golden Rooster; this restaurant serves up dishes authentic to Parma and its surrounding areas in a traditional setting – think dark wood tables, covered with white fabric table cloths. I particularly suggest their torta fritta, a surprisingly light fried dough, and, of course, their superb selection of cured pork products.gallodororistorante.it – Borgo della Salina, 3 PAVIA While relatively unknown outside of Italy, Pavia has played an important role in Lombard and Italian history; as a battleground, a once-leading city, and home to a storied university. Originally a settlement of the Papiria tribe, it was conquered by the Romans in 200 B.C. In fact, centuries later, it still maintains its Roman fortified-city plan, with a network of streets and crossroads designed for the movement of soldiers. From 625 to 774, it was the capital of the Longoardi Kingdom. Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, even captured Francis I, the French king, here. Located in the Lombardy region at the mouth of the Ticino River, the city was once famous for its many towers – some estimate they once numbered in the hundreds; these towers were how powerful families of the time demonstrated their wealth. A good bulk of the remaining towers stand near University of Pavia in Piazza di Leonardo di Vinci. Speaking of the university, it’s a big deal, one of the oldest universities in Europe. Founded in the ninth century, its alumni include Christopher Columbus and Alessandro Volta (the inventor of the electric battery). Pavia is also worth visiting for Certosa di Pavia, a massive religious complex that is one of the most notable from the Renaissance period. Although I know I say this a lot about churches and architecture in Italy, this pavilion is truly breathtaking. HOW TO GET THERE BY TRAIN You can connect from the central station in Milan (Stazione Centrale) to Pavia every 15-20 minutes on some days, and every 30 minutes on others. The direct train takes just under 30 minutes and lets you off just east of the University. You will then want to take another train or bus into the city center. If you prefer to walk, it will take about 15 minutes. If your first stop is Certosa di Pavia, you will switch trains, since it’s quite north of the city. Get your train tickets at ItaliaRail or Trenitalia. BY CAR Pavia is a quick one-hour drive south of Milan using the highway A7. ---- Pasticceria Vigoni: Dating back to 1878, Pasticceria Vigoni is the oldest pastry shop in Pavia. It’s famous for investing la torta paradiso (Paradise cake) which among other things, won the gold medal at 1906 Milan International World Fair! In case you’re wondering Paradise cake is a type of pimped out sponge cake made with the zest of oranges, lemons, and vanilla.

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