I traveled to Europe for the first time with my best friend Rachelle. I have always wanted to go to Italy since i love Italian food so I was excited to spend a couple days there during our first leg of the trip. Since there were so many cities to choose from, we eventually decided on spending two days in Milan and two days in Camogli so we could indulge in both the city and coastal experience. I’m glad we did this because we were told that visiting northern Italy in the summer months is a better experience than southern Italy because it’s not as hot and not as populated with tourists.
TIPS
Don’t forget to validate your train/bus tickets when you travel
Learn some basic Italian phrases
Bring a travel adapter - Italy uses Type L (three-prong plug) and Type F (two-prong plug)
Bring a portable charger
Tipping isn’t expected
Always have Euros on hand
Uber is very limited in Italy so plan on relying on taxis to get around
MILAN
On our first day, we stopped by Moleskin Cafe in the heart of Milan’s thriving Brera district. It’s a contemporary coffee shop with delicious food, and if you’re in need of a notebook this is the one-stop shop for their Moleskin products.
Castello Sforzesco
The Castello Sforzesco is one of Milan’s most important landmarks and home to a number of museums. You can enter and walk around the castle for free, but if you want to go on a tour of the museum you will need to purchase a ticket.
Arco della Pace
Situated behind Castello Sforzesco, Sempione Park is Milan’s largest park and home to many attractions, including an aquarium, sports stadium, Napoleonic arch, and an art museum. It’s a beautiful park to walk around and relax. Towards the entrance of the park is Arco della Pace (aka The Arch of Peace). The Arco della Pace is one of Milan’s oldest city gates and arches, commemorating Napoleon’s victories. The arch was built under Napoleon’s rule of the short-lived Italian Republic to echo the Arc du Triomphe in Paris.
Fondazione Prada
During our trip, we met up with some of my old coworkers who were also in Milan and we went to Fondazione Prada. It’s Milan’s first contemporary art museum co-founded by Miuccia Prada, famously known as the Italian billionaire fashion designer of Prada. It was built dedicated to the creation of art exhibitions as well as cinema, photography, philosophy, dance, and architecture projects.
My favorite exhibit was the “Upside Down Mushroom Room.”
Duomo di Milan - aka Milan Cathedral
The Duomo di Milano or Milan Cathedral is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe. This is the main attraction of Milan. If you have time, buy a pass so you can head to the top of the cathedral and absorb a panoramic view of the city. If you feel like shopping, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a luxury shopping center located next to Duomo.
CAMOGLI
There’s a common saying that “Portofino is for the Americans. Camogli is for us Italians.”
Camogli is a hidden gem that the Italians have kept to themselves.
We traveled to Camogli from Milan by train and it took us around 3 hours to get there. We got off at the Camogli-San Fruttuoso train station and took a cab to our Airbnb.
We stayed at the cutest Airbnb while we were in Camogli with the most picturesque view of the Liguria coast.
We chose to stay in Camogli over Cinque Terre because it’s not super well known among American tourists, which made it feel like you were living like a local. It’s a beautiful alternative if you’re traveling in the summer. Because Camogli is nestled into the hillside of the Italian Riviera, there are a lot of stairs and steep hills.
Camogli is known as one of the less visited fishing villages compared to Cinque Terre and Portofino, but it’s just as charming as its famous neighbors. The gorgeous colors of the palazzi and houses line the coast and has that low-key coastal vibe. There are so many great restaurants, and this is the perfect place to eat if you love fresh seafood since fishing is still a livelihood here.
Camogli is also the birthplace of so many Italian favorites, such as pesto and focaccia. We stopped by a cafe for their focaccia baked with pesto and salmon tartar. The best place to get fresh pesto and pasta is Pasta Fresca Fiorella on the beach front, they make it fresh daily and you can take it to-go for an afternoon snacks, or save it for your train ride back to Milan (which is what we did).
Abbazia di San Fruttuoso
Another hidden gem on the Italian Riviera is Abbazia di San Fruttuoso (aka The Abbey of San Fruttuoso). The abbey is tucked away on a small bay behind a steep wooded hill and can only be accessed by sea or hiking trails.
To save time and enjoy the views from the sea, we took a 30-minute ferry ride that departed from Camogli to San Fruttuoso.
The seawater here was incredibly clear and pristine. We stayed for a couple of hours to sunbathe, go for a swim, relax, and eat.
For an afternoon snack, we stopped in one of the cafes on the beach and indulged in salmon tartar with burrata and an affogato, an Italian coffee-based dessert which is a shot of espresso over vanilla gelato.
