Brescia is the perfect city in Italy for an all around holiday. Everything you may wish to do while on vacation is nearby this beautiful town situated between Milan and Verona. Looking for a trip on the mountains? Brescia, with its northern part of the province will just amaze you! If you want to ski or just to take a long walk on steep paths this is the best place for you.
But of course that’s not everything you can find in the northern part of the province! If you are looking for a traditional gastronomic experience then you will have to look around for town’s festivals, where you will have a true taste of Brescia: just devour the best “Spiedo” (mixed meat cooked for hours while being covered in at and butter) with polenta (a North Italy typical dish) and, after that, just enjoy a nice and warm cup of “vin brulé” (cooked wine with spices) which is the best way to cope with the cold weather (try out the vin brulé made by Alpini, a unique Italian army force specialized in mountain fighting and rescue).
Garda Limone Brescia Port Holiday Lombardy Italy
If you are not into mountains or cold temperatures then just stick to the more relaxed and warm southern flank of the province– here you will find beautiful landscapes to enjoy. The countryside characterized by natural and green hills is incredibly suitable for a romantic holiday with your partner. Bonus tip for everyone: this part of the province is home of one of the best and most famous wine region of the world. Franciacorta wine will just take the “aperitivo” (a break at around 17:30 where you enjoy wine or a cocktail in any pub or bistro, usually served with some appetizers) game to a whole new level. You will just fall in love with the super taste and quality of this wine and you will have the desire to buy at least a bottle to take home with you (and this can also be a very welcomed gift for anyone back in your country, especially for the wine lovers).
“Ok, but what if I am looking to go swimming or just sunbathe on the shores?” Well, Brescia is still the place for you to go to! Of course, it doesn’t have any sea around it, but it shares the biggest Italian lake with the province of Verona: Garda Lake is a must for everyone that just wants to lay on the beach or have a swim. Every year German and Dutch tourists come back to the lake’s camping sites to have a fantastic experience! The water is just perfect while the surroundings are astonishing: the beautiful cities of Salò and Desenzano will be a pleasure for your eyes, while the TERME in Sirmione are just what it takes for a cozy and refreshing day of pure relaxation.
“But I’m not into super touristy places!” Garda Lake is not so touristic, but if you still prefer the less touristy parts, then you can just enjoy one of the other two big lakes (don’t forget the beautiful lakes on the mountains, like the “Lago della Vacca”). Lake Idro and the superb Lake Iseo, with its unique mountain-island in the middle of it (yes, the place where the world famous artist Christo built an extended floating pier that united the land city of Iseo with Montisola, the city on the mountain-island and with another minor island in the lake). These beautiful lakes will just take your breath away with their stunning views of the mountains all around them.
Are you still not convinced to come to visit Brescia? Well, I still have not talked about the city itself! Brescia is one of the oldest cities in Italy– first founded by the Galli Cenomani tribe it then was annexed to the Roman empire, taking the name of Brixia (from a Gaelic word, “bric”, meaning hill, indicating the “colle Cidneo”, righe in the middle of the town). In those days it rose up to be one of the most flourishing cities of the Roman Empire in northern Italy and many emperors, one of them being Vespasiano, started to build monuments all over the territory: the beautiful and still well kept “Foro”, dedicated to the cult of Jupiter, is iconic for the Roman dominance in the area. Later one, with the fall of the Roman empire, the city went under several dominations, also being the capital of the “Longobardi” tribe. After the French and then Venetian domination (Brescia was one of the furthest cities in the Serenissima Republic, and was fundamental in fending off Milan’s expansion plans) it was ruled by the Austro-Hungarians. But during the Italian Risorgimento (i.e. the process of the unification of Italy and the independence of its territories from foreign governments) it rose against the military might of the Austrians controlling the city. For ten days it held against the power of the Austro-Hungarians, but in the end it had to capitulate when no one came to its help, unleashing the anger of the Austrian military once it gained again control of the city. This gained the city the golden medal to valor and also the title of “Leonessa d’Italia” (Lioness of Italy).
During World War II the city and its partisans played a fundamental role in the liberation of northern Italy from nazi and fascist domain. In 1974, during the Anni di Piombo (more than a decade of terrorist attacks from far right and left groups all over the country) a fascist bombing occurred in the main square of the city, Piazza Loggia, killing 8 people and injuring more than a 100. With its intense story, Brescia developed a unique architectural style, integrating ideas from the Romans with French and Venetian design, creating beautiful and artistic monuments such as Piazza Loggia and Piazza Duomo. Piazza Vittoria is one of the most iconic examples of fascist architecture. The city is dominated by a hundreds years old castle (one of the biggest urban castles in Europe) built on the Colle Cidneo that gives a fantastic view of every part of the town.
In addition to all of this, the city is always full of festivals and offers entertainment for every age and taste (super tip: you can visit the underground of the city! Just look for Brescia Underground Association). So, what are you still waiting for to book your next holiday in this magnificent city?