Ciao a tutti!

A little over a year ago, my boyfriend and I moved to Monza; a city northeast of Milan. It’s a beautiful city filled with pastel-coloured buildings with art nouveau details, cute café’s and an incredible park which was honestly the reason we chose to move from Milan to Monza. Like I mentioned in my previous post, Day trips from Milan; this is a great place to spend the day café hopping, enjoying an aperitivo in town by the Duomo or in the park, or if you’re lucky, you might stumble upon one of the many cultural events organised by the town hall and locals.

A 10 to 15-minute train ride from Milan will take you straight to the centre of Monza and everything is within walking distance. There are two stations, the first being Monza station and the second Monza Sobborghi.

Monza town centre – historic centre

Top 10 things to see and do in Monza;

1. Palazzo dell’Arengario
2. Duomo – Monza Cathedral
3. Ponte dei Leoni
4. Parco di Monza
5. Reggia di Monza – Villa Reale
6. Rosetto “Niso Fumagalli”
7. Autodromo Nazionale Monza
8. Capella Reale Espiatoria
9. Food and Drinks
10. Santa María in Strada – Via Italia and shopping

1.Palazzo dell’Arengario

In the very centre of town you’ll find the Arengario, on Piazza Roma. It was built in the XII century and was used as the town hall, nowadays it’s used as an exhibition centre. Every summer, there are several concerts and shows that take place under the arches and on the piazza and it’s wonderful to see everyone out and about in town enjoying themselves.

Next to the Arengario there’s a café/bar called Moderno which offers light lunch options, afternoon tea and aperitivo with outdoor seating. They have an interesting selection of macarons but it’s the cakes and pastries that lure you in.

For dinner, Trattoria Caprese is just on the other side of the Arengario and is always very popular. It´s a neapolitan chain restaurant and it is always packed. Check the menu here.

2. Duomo – Monza Cathedral

Just 2 minutes from the Arengario you will find Monza’s beautiful cathedral and the cathedral’s museum. The first time I entered the cathedral I was shocked by how stunning it is on the inside. I wasn’t expecting it at all. The Cathedral is open Tuesday to Saturday from 09:00 – 13:00 and 14:00 – 18:00. Sunday 14:00 – 18:00. The museum is open from 09:00 – 13:00 and 14:00 – 18:00, for ticket options check here.

Go for a wander around the back of the cathedral to the left and you will find the Teodolinda tower next to the museum as well as some very interesting houses.

There are several café’s and bars around this area as well as restaurants so walk around and explore.

3. Ponte dei Leoni

Built over the remains of a roman bridge, Ponte dei Leoni leads to another very colourful street and to a couple of my favourite café’s.

Parliamo di Thé which is a lovely tea shop that also serves bubble tea, hot drinks, pastries and cake. If you go you have to try their hot chocolate with merangue, it’s divine. Hot chocolate in Italy is basically a dessert and I’m not complaining.

QB Monza is my go to for tea and cake when I’m meeting friends. Great for breakfast and an afternoon pick me up.

Panificio Crivelli is great if you just want to pick up some baked goods to eat on the go. A week doesn’t go by without a visit to this bakery to get some freshly made brioches. I have tried most bakeries in the city centre and this one always wins.

4. Parco di Monza

Open everyday from 07:00 until 21:30 it is one of the largest enclosed parks in Europe. Here, you’ll find the beautiful Villa Reale as well as several other smaller villa’s, farmhouses and mills. And of course, the famous Formula 1 Autodrome.

The best way to see the park is by bike or rickshaw; you can rent them from Cascina Bastia.

Take a break at the Padiglione Cavriga (Bar Al Cavriga); a beautiful café near Porta Monza and also one of my favourites! they have a great selection of cakes and pastries made in-house. My go-to is the strawberry tart accompanied by a nice cool peach tea.

For lunch we always go to Osteria Del Dosso for some great relaxed Italian home cooking. They have both outdoor and indoor seating and it’s very popular with the locals. It’s usually packed at weekends. There are several other cafe’s and restaurants you can enjoy that are also within the park:

• Cascina Frutteto – part of the Scuola Agraria del Parco di Monza (agricultural school). A beautiful venue which also offers wedding and event services. The restaurant offers a seasonal menu and is open Mondays from 12:30 until 14:30 for lunch and Tuesday to Sunday for lunch (12:30 – 14:30) and dinner (18:30 – 22:00).
• Saint Georges Premier – another beautiful venue offering weddings and event services as well a working restaurant with outdoor seating. The restaurant is open for lunch from Wednesday to Sunday 12:30 until 14:00 and for dinner Wed – Sun from 19:00 onwards.
• Ristorante Al Campo – situated on the sporting grounds of the park, it’s open daily for lunch.
• Chiosco della Montagnetta – an outdoor café near the Vedano al Lambro entrance.
• Chiosco di Villasanta – an outdoor café by the entrance to Villasanta.

5. Villa Reale

Open Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 to 18:30; tickets are 10€ per person and 8€ for those between the ages of 3 to 26 and anyone over 65 years old.

This neoclassical palace was built as a summer residence for Maria Teresa of Austria’s son Ferdinand Karl, Archduke of Austria-Este. It’s so beautiful inside and definitely worth the visit.

6. Roseto “Niso Fumagalli”

Roseto was inaugurated in 1970 with the presence of Grace of Monaco. A collection of around 400 varieties of roses and the perfect place to relax after a long day of walking. The rose garden is open Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 until 20:00.

7. Autodromo Nazionale Monza

Located in Monza park, it is the home of the Italian Grand Prix. The Formula 1 Pirelli Gran Premio d’Italia 2022 will be taking place at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza from the 9th to the 12th of September. You can book tickets here.

8. Capella Reale Espiatoria

Just a few minutes walk from the Villa Reale is the Cappella Espiatoria (Expiatory Chapel), which was commissioned by Vittorio Emanuele III, King of Italy, son and successor of Umberto I. It was built to commemorate the place in which the anarchist Gaetano Bresci killed his father on 29 July 1900.

The Greek cross-shaped crypt is entirely decorated with precious mosaics showing a star-dotted sky and the Savoy house emblems. The chapel is also decorated with glass mosaics portraying angels, busts of saints and blessed figures of the Savoy dynasty while the floor is covered in coloured ancient marble.

It is open to the public on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 09:00 until 14:00. Open on Friday and Saturday from 09:00 until 19:00. Free entry.

9. Food and drinks

My favourite part! Food! There are so many great places to eat in Monza and so many I am still yet to try but here are a few we love with links.

• UOVA & FARINA – They sell freshly made pasta and also have a restaurant – open Monday to Saturday. Check link for opening hours.
• La Cucina di Via Zucchi – fine dining and great selection of wines. Open Monday to Sunday 12:00 – 14:30. Tuesday to Sunday 19:30 – 22:30.
• Bove Lover – For any meat lovers out there. Open Monday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.
• Spalto Dieci – Great pizza. Indoor and outdoor seating. Open Tuesday to Sunday.

For drinks, there are several places on Via Bergamo which are really nice and the atmosphere along this road is great. It can get quite busy in the summer.

• Paulpetta
• Gren
• Paloma
• Pita Mia
• Qualunquemente
• Alla Stanga

If you want to stick to the centre you can go to Piazza San Paolo, Gomez cocktail y Mexico is good and has great music.

BMonza on Piazza San Pietro Martire is another of my favourites and they often do jazz nights and is always packed.

If you fancy some gelato you have to go to Gelateria La Romana, with any luck the queue isn’t too bad but it’s worth the wait.

10. Santa María in Strada – Via Italia and shopping

Santa María in Strada is a beautiful church on Via Italia built in the XIV century. The name “in Strada” means “in the street” and it comes from the fact that the church was built on the road that led from the city of Monza to Milan.

If you look up, the figure of the Virgin Mary is actually a fake; a copy was made to prevent damage to the original statue. The original statue can be found in the Museo e Tesoro del Duomo di Monza which if you have time, is worth visiting.

There are so many more things I could write about Monza but that would make this post way too long! It’s a lovely city to explore and I hope this post inspires you to visit.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! Until next time!