Milan is great, but there is also a lot to see and do in the surrounding areas. While we were in Milan, we took two day trips outside of the city. We rented a car, but it is also possible to go by train.
Turin/Torino
Turin is a city about two hours away from Milan by both car and train. It’s a fairly big city, and in my opinion, so cute! There are two main museums to visit in Turin: The Egyptian Museum and the National Museum of Cinema.
The Egyptian Museum
I had heard great things about the Egyptian Museum. It’s the only museum outside of Cairo to be solely dedicated to Egyptian artifacts. Unfortunately for us, we arrived there an hour before it was going to close (since we went on Christmas Eve and they had shortened hours). Because of that, the staff were rushing us and constantly telling us how much time we had left.
There are some cool artifacts, but I think the British Museum and the Louvre are better to see Egyptian things. Maybe we would have enjoyed it more if we had had some time. One thing I did like was seeing all of the mummies and their array of sarcophagi. It’s amazing all the work they put in to giving their loved ones a great afterlife.
The National Museum of Cinema
This was our favorite place in Turin. There are two parts of the museum. The first is the actual museum itself. It shows the history of cinema, from the shadow puppet plays (that look like “The Tale of the Three Brothers” in the final Harry Potter movie) to modern day techniques. It was really cool to see how movie-making has evolved over the years. Just think, now we can make movies on our phones and computers. Before, people spent an afternoon looking through a hole at pictures.
You can also take an elevator that goes to the top of the building. The building itself is an icon of the city. At the top, you can get a panoramic view over the city and see the Alps. Because we got there later, we were not able to do both the museum and the elevator. We elected to go only for the museum, and we enjoyed it a lot.
My favorite part of the museum was the giant room with all the screens playing clips from different movies. You can recline in a giant movie chair ALLLLL the way back. What a great feeling after a long day of walking.
Bicerin
Bicerin is the most popular coffee of Turin. It’s espresso coffee with cream and hot chocolate. It’s so delicious! Make sure to stop for a glass of it after lunch or just while walking around the city. I think Turin is just a cute city to shop and look around, too.
Switzerland
In my quest to visit 27 countries before I turn 27 this summer, we visited Switzerland. Switzerland is just over an hour driving from Milan. If you want a short trip, you can visit Lugano and other places in the Italian-speaking area of Switzerland. I wanted to experience something different, though.
Instead of making a short trip, we drove three hours to Lucerne. We drove through the Alps. There was one tunnel which was about 10 miles long. Wow! On one side is the Italian part, and then you come out on the German part. Lucerne is located in the German-speaking area of Switzerland, so it was definitely a welcome feel.
Lunchtime!
By the time we arrived in Lucerne, it was lunch time. We visited Rauthaus Brauerei. Yes, it was expensive, but that’s just how things are in Switzerland. Luckily, the Swiss Franc is about equal to the US Dollar, so you know what you are paying. The Rauthaus Brauerei brews its own seasonal beer. Since we went just after Christmas, they had their special Christmas brew. I don’t like beer, but my parents really enjoyed it. I also ate some sausage and a potato rosti, which is like a potato cake. Yum!
Walking Around
Lucerne is a great city to walk around. Of course, there is the famous Chapel Bridge. In 1992, there was a huge fire that destroyed most of the bridge and the paintings that appear along the walkway ceiling. They have restored the bridge and the paintings, but most of it is not original. The two entrances are still original.
You can also see two churches. I was quite surprised because they are both Catholic churches. One is the Jesuit Church, which was different from other cathedrals. While most cathedrals are dark and a little austere, this church was bright and full of pink marble. The other church is the Church of St. Leodegar, who is the patron saint of the city. It was definitely darker, but the organ was stunning. They also had some nativity scenes on display while we were there.
If you have the legs, you should definitely visit the old medieval walls. It’s a little walk outside of the main area and up a hill, but it is really cool. Don’t miss the giant clock tower!
Day Tripping
There are many other day trips you can take outside of Milan. Milan is a big city, yes, but it can be seen in two or three days. Why not take a trip to Switzerland, Turin, or even Verona or Venice? Italy is out there, waiting for you to explore.
