North Italy, late fall, accessible by train, not art museum or church?

September 5, 2023 9:11 PM

I know what I like, but what might a teenaged person who isn't enthralled by Renaissance art and architecture like?

For reasons, I may be escorting an American teenager for a few days in N Italy late this fall. I'd like to stay within ~2 hours of Milan, but happy to go in any direction.

This teenager, while reasonably cooperative, is only going to absorb so much Renaissance art. Where should we go and do instead? Low key is fine, this doesn't have to be a heavy hitting tourist hotspot trip.

We don't ski, unfortunately.

Super extreme bonus question, do you know of hot spring spas/resorts we could go to?

posted by fingersandtoes to Travel & Transportation around Sondrio, Italy (14 answers total)

I'll start with the bonus question: you should go to Therme Vals. It's in Switzerland, not Italy, but it isn't that far. There are a range of hotel options, you don't have to stay in the most expensive designer hotel.

That said, some time ago, I took my then teen daughters on a work trip to Barcelona. We saw some Gaudi stuff, and the rest of the time, we strolled around, looked at street life and ate good food. If we passed by a church or monument, we looked at it. They had a great time. What I am saying is that you perhaps just need one or too "things", and the rest of the time it can just be life. In Milan, the things could be the Duomo, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and the Last Supper. You need tickets for the Last Supper.
posted by mumimor at 10:55 PM on September 5, 2023

Best answer: Torino might be good to visit. Only an hour or two from Milan by train.
The Egyptian museum there is one of the best ones I have ever been to and the Cinema Museum is less of a museum than a series of interactive sets and displays.

The food is also amazing as much Piemonte food from the surrounding countryside makes its way to Torino. The best gelato in Italy is here: The national chain Grom started here. Many restaurants also serve one of my favorite pastas: Agnolotti del Plin - delicious little parcels. If you are going in fall, you also want to try truffle at many of the restaurants here, a traditional place perhaps like Tre Galline.

There's also incredible confectionery shops such as Baratti & Milano. I am a big fan of Gianduiotti too.
posted by vacapinta at 2:58 AM on September 6, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Therme Vals (now rebranded as 7132) is amazing, but it's defintiely more than 2 hours by train. I checked my favorite Alpine hot spring town, Leukerbad, and it's also too far. Fortunately Termemilano, right in Milano, is extremely enjoyable, too, without the need to trek into the mountains.

I'm in Pavia for work from time to time. It's an easy train 30 minute train trip from Milano. Old university town, great for strolling and avoiding the heavy tourist hordes you get in Milano (and other mega tourist attraction cities in Italy). Low key for sure, but with the great food and cultural opportunities you'd expect. Arborio rice is grown in the paddies outside the city, so you can make a real culinary risotto tour of town. Firenze is just another 2.5 hours or so by train, with possible stops at Parma, Modena, and many other food-famous smaller cities.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 3:05 AM on September 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

Does this teenager enjoy fashion/shopping? Because Milan could be amazing for even window shopping.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 3:13 AM on September 6, 2023 [2 favorites]

Lake Como maybe? I imagine that you can probably get to some part of it by train.
posted by easternblot at 4:37 AM on September 6, 2023

We visited Milan last summer with our kids. Despite having to go along with family plans (per the teenagers: "I didn't know we'd visit so many churches."), they loved it. They were especially excited for window shopping (and, ok, taking selfies) at La Rinascente. When we were there, the people-watching was amazing, and there happened to be a sports car fair along the streets. Don't underestimate the impact of the food on teenagers too -- mine loved eating their way through Italy. Frequent gelato stops helped. They also seemed to enjoy Castello Sforzesco.
posted by hessie at 5:52 AM on September 6, 2023

Best answer: There is a truffle festival around that time, it looked like a fun experience (and maybe just a good chance to explore a smaller city for a daytrip), I was bummed the dates didn't work with our last trip but perhaps it will work with yours.
posted by DoubleLune at 6:31 AM on September 6, 2023

Best answer: The Iceman preserved mummy was quite interesting and can be seen at the museum in Bolzano.
posted by egeanin at 8:09 AM on September 6, 2023

Best answer: If you feel like turning the train ride itself into an experience, I can recommend the Centovallina line between Italy and Switzerland. From Milan, you would travel to Domodossola via the western shore of Lago Maggiore, which is about a 1.5 hour ride (either on the EuroCity, with reservation required, or on the Regionale, for which tickets do not sell out). There, you transfer to the underground part of the station, from where you can catch an SSIF or FART (yes, FART!) train through the beautiful Vigezzo and Centovalli, which translates literally to “hundred valleys” (no reservation required, tickets sold in the pedestrian tunnel leading to the platform). It’s a beautiful 2-hour ride, and Intragna and Locarno (the Swiss terminus of the Centovallina) are both worth a visit. From Locarno, it’s an easy 2-hour RegioExpress ride (again, no prior reservation required) back to Milan via Lago di Lugano and Como.

And, yes, it’s three hours from Milan by high-speed train, but you wouldn’t regret a visit to Bozen/Bolzano if you can make it. Depending on how late in autumn we're talking about, their pretty little Christmas market might already be open: 24 November is its first day this year.
posted by wachhundfisch at 1:45 PM on September 6, 2023

... oh, and if you’re going to be in or around Bolzano: go for a hike and find a place to do Törggelen! It’s the local celebration of the chestnut and wine harvest. The traditional Suser (partially fermented grape juice) is sweet and low in alcohol at about 1% (but also entirely optional, in case you or your teenager don’t drink any alcohol at all).
posted by wachhundfisch at 1:59 PM on September 6, 2023

Best answer: You don't say 2 hours by car or train...

I've traveled Northern Italy a lot primarily with companions that don't do art. We're mostly there for the food and wine, but have enjoyed a lot of the scenery and spontaneous activities:

Lake Como is ~30 minutes away from Milan. The views are amazing, even from the town named Lake Como at the bottom of the lake. If you can drive around the lake, even better.

Alba is the center of the truffle festival. The festival itself is in October and mostly on weekends but white truffles are typically available well into November or longer. The typical dish is Tajarin con burro e tartufo (thin egg pasta with butter and truffle). It is delicious and worth the trip but good versions can be had in Turin as well. For some portion of the festival they have a parade with period costumes and music.

Acqui Terme has is famous for sulphuric springs and has a few spas. It's a cute little town that does shut down for the mid-afternoon.

Aosta Valley is an interesting mix of Swiss, French and Italian. The food was amazing (I still think about the one gnocchi dish with fontina and thyme). The Roman ruins were also interesting to see. We went up Monte Bianco in the cable car even though we do not ski and it is one of the most memorable experiences of my life (I'm not the sort to otherwise end up on a mountain). Fort Bard was also incredibly interesting castle to explore. There are also a number of hiking opportunities that are pretty accessible.

Look up Ristorante Christian e Manuel if you head towards Aosta. It is in Vercelli and primarily has risotto. One of the more memorable places I've ever eaten.

Verona has excellent shopping and people watching (from all of the outdoor seating at cafes and restaurants). It is also nice to walk along the river.

Parma for the food. There's a fried bread that goes with all the various hams called torta fritte (or gnocco fritte in some areas). On one trip we toured a prosciutteria and a dairy (parmigiano reggiano factory) and also went to an acetaia (Balsamic Vinegar factory).

Brescia is real close to Milan. I enjoyed the Roman ruins, the jewelry stores, the cafes, and the castles.

Lake Garda is also close enough to Milan. The lake is interesting to explore (I enjoyed Lazise the most but there are so many towns). There's also an amusement park called Gardaland but I've never been.
posted by miscbuff at 7:07 PM on September 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

If it were me I would definitely visit the Moto Guzzi factory and museum in Mandello del Lario. Ducati is northwest of Bologna, which isn't all that far from Milan either.
posted by dbx at 10:23 AM on September 7, 2023

If you're into a slightly longer (but absolutely beautiful) trek, you could head into the Swiss Alps to drive for the day and see just some absolute banger mountains. Like, the Platonic Ideal of what 'Mountains' is. And if that trek brings you into Gruyere, you could go eat a lot of hot cheese and visit the H.R. Giger Museum, which is about as far from 'Renaissance' as a teen could possibly conceive.

(also fun - do this on the weekend of a work trip, with a car full of coworkers that have very little familiarity with Giger. they will have a hilariously awkward time)
posted by FatherDagon at 11:15 AM on September 7, 2023

Best answer: It's an hour on the train from Milan to Desanzano del Garda, which is nice to walk around and let's you catch ferries to lots of other nice lakeside towns, including Sirmione, which has Terme di Sirmione overlooking the lake.
posted by biffa at 11:05 AM on September 10, 2023