Driving in Milan, Italy

• Posted by: Editor
• On: 15/02/2008 16:41:25
• In: Italy Car Hire

While you're in Milan you could visit such attractions as The Duomo, which is one of the largest churches in the world; the Santa Maria delle Grazie, a museum which houses Leonardo Da Vinci's "The Last Supper" painting; or perhaps visit the San Siro Stadium which is home to both AC Milan and Inter Milan.

What to see in the Milan Area?

Milan has much to offer the curious tourist, both inside and outside of the city.

Heading out of Milan you might take some time to visit Crespi d'Adda which has been listed in the UNESCO World Heritage list for being a 19th century model worker’s village. This perfectly preserved workers village only ceased cotton production in 2004.

Located to the north of the city in the foothills of the Alps is Lake Como which is one of the largest lakes in the country. The lake is shaped rather oddly as an inverted Y, with three villages; Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio surrounding the central axis. These villages are all very picturesque and offer a real taste of rural Italian life near the Swiss border. There's also a hydrofoil that travels from the village of Como to Bellagio which can be an experience of its own. Located near Bellagio is the Punta Balbianello villa which was used as the setting for Princess Amidala’s Naboo retreat in the Star Wars movie Attack of the Clones.

Another beautiful town that you might like to visit is Bergamo. The old town centre, Piazza Vecchia, is full of medieval and renaissance buildings. There's also the Rocca which is a walled castle with a museum to explore. Other museums in the town include the Archaeology Museum, the Science Museum and the Donizetti Museum which is dedicated to the composer Gaetano Donizetti who was born here.

Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy and is located about half way between Venice and Milan - so it's handy if you're driving between the two. At the lakeside you'll find the theme parks of Gardaland and the Canevaworld Resort which has its own movieland and waterpark. There are a number of settlements located around the lake including Sirmione which is a charming small city home to such sights as the 13th century Scaliger Castle, the Santa Maria Maggiore and the church of San Pietro in Mavino.

If you're into motorsport you might pop out to visit Monza which is only 15kms away from Milan. This small city is probably best known for the Autodromo Nazionale Monza which is a highlight in the Gran Prix annual circuit. If motorsport is not your bag, you can wander around the town itself and perhaps visit the Romanesque-Gothic Duomo of Saint John. There is also the Parco di Monza, which is part of the Lambro Valley Natural Reserve, and is the largest enclosed park in Europe.

If you have any travel tips for the Milan area feel free to let us know.