Milan Milan : Pavia And Vigevano, Italy

Our tourist guide to Milan offers two trips outside the city that each last one day: Pavia and Vigevano, that are about 55 km and 35 km away from Milan respectively, and which can be reached by both car and train. To visit these cities, you can therefore still use your hotel in Milan.

Before turning to the details of these interesting cities, we want to spend a little time talking about the typical cuisine of the area known as the Oltrepò Pavese. You can find dishes linked to the local land in all the restaurants in Pavia and Vigevano, where rice and grapes are mainly grown. A typical local dish is fried frogs, served in a light tomato sauce or accompanied by a risotto. The local salamis, especially the one made from goose, are worthy of note. The Oltrepò Pavese is also famous for its wines: in the area you can find the excellent white wines Riesling and Cortese and red Bonarda and Barbera.

Pavia

This ancient, interesting city is just right for a one-day trip outside Milan. The old city center can easily be covered on foot: walking along the streets and squares, you can see the architectural sights from centuries and centuries of history. From the Roman Era to the Middle Ages, from the Visconti and Sforza eras to the Renaissance, from Neoclassicism to Liberty style.

We recommend you end your trip by seeing the wonderful Certosa di Pavia (Pavia Charterhouse), that is 5 km outside the city, which was built around 1396 on the wishes of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan.

Don’t miss:

• The Castle Visconteo
• The Broletto
• The Duomo
• The Charterhouse

Vigevano

This is a tiny architectural jewel that owes a lot to the genial creativity of Bramante. It is worth a day's visit. There are many things to see, including the castle (Castello Visconteo-Sforzesco), one of the largest in Europe. This is a true city within a city, with very ancient origins: the original center of the Castle dates back as far as the Lombard Era, and was renovated to become an aristocratic residence by the Visconti family and then by the Sforza family, with the artistic contribution by Bramante and Leonardo da Vinci.

Don’t miss:

• Bramante's Tower
• The Castle
• The Square and Cathedral