We have 10 days before them Village of Italy in 14 Days tour. We will fly into Milan and spend a couple of nights there. My husband wants to definately go to Bolzano to vist the Museum of Archeology to see the 'Iceman'. What should we 'not miss' on our way to Padua? (We've been to Italy before and have visited Florence and Venice so we don't plan to go there on this trip.) All suggestions are welcomed.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
12002 posts
What time of year and what do you like to do? Train travel or car?
Posted by
Bend, OR
1444 posts
We stayed in Verona for a couple of days before the Village Italy tour and really enjoyed it. We saw the Iceman on the Best of Italy tour. I had read a lot about him so for me it was definitely worth seeing and I was very impressed with the museum!
Posted by
Vancouver, BC
417 posts
There is so much to see in the north of Italy. I highly recommend the lakes (I've done a bit of Maggiore, Lugano, Como and Garda), and for your schedule, I recommend Lake Garda. There are beautiful and fun spots on all sides of the lake. We stayed on the shore in Torbole at the north end, and it was jaw droppingly gorgeous. You could do this on your way to Bolzano. And if you're going that far north, head up into the Dolomiti. We followed Rick Steve's lead here and stayed in Castelrotto. It was fabulous, but there are many fabulous spots up there.
Posted by
OP
21 posts
We're going at the end of September and the beginning of October. We like to take the train when possible. Thanks for the suggestions so far!
Posted by
Citizen of the World
3006 posts
Consider: Brescia, Verona, and Parma are interesting, and a few YouTube videos will help you see what each town has to offer.
Since you’re already going to Bolzano to see “Otzi the Iceman,” you might enjoy the Italian Alps in the Dolomite mountains. Ortisei is one of the main towns with access to gondolas that take you up to the Alpe di Siusi and other areas with hiking trails of all types— easy and moderate included. Ortisei is about a one-hour bus ride from the bus stop across from Bolzano’s train station.
In Padua, don’t miss the colorful 1305 frescoes by Giotto in the Scrovegni Chapel. Timed-tickets are not yet on sale for September visits but should be soon.
Posted by
OP
21 posts
Great suggestions. Thank you for taking the time!
Posted by
34 posts
If visiting the Dolomites, the are much better by driving if you like switchbacks. Fantastic scenic passes.
Posted by
martinez, ca, usa
2621 posts
hey hey GAGCcouple things to check out if interested:
museoalfaromero.com
history, timeline, present days and racing history of the alfa romero cars if any interests of this car. take train or metro which is right outside of town
visitbardolino.it
festa dell'uva e del vino (annual wine festival october 3-7, 2025). we attended this several years ago and was lots of fun. eat drink & be merry right on the lake
gardaland.it
a family friendly resort that has "octoberfest 2025" september 13-30. traditional local dishes, beer, music. bus & train options
discoverwalks.com/ milan
take a free walking tour (many to choose from), food & drinks tour.
milan is birthplace of risotto and staple dish is risotto melanese. many restaurants serve it along with different flavors/ingredients,
introducingmilan.com/ galleria vittorio emanuele ll
roam around seeing some luxury clothes/designer shops, fashion week in milan september 23-29, 2025, never know who'll you see and what is fashionable then or buy a standing room only ticket. longtime memory to laugh about later.
plan your trip to the "iceman", book a hotel early since it's still high season sept/oct with it being harvest/festival time.
go enjoy, have fun and enjoy aloha