What to do in Brescia for the whole family

Lettura: 5 min

A fascinating city with so many things to do and see for the whole family: find out where to go to keep the kids entertained on a day trip to Brescia!

1) Visiting Brescia with kids: subway tour

The first exciting thing in Brescia is…traveling around!

From the intimate, picturesque historic center, the city is easily to travel around on foot. However, if you want to rest and let your kids enjoy a bit of excitement, don’t miss a ride in the automatic subway!

Sitting in the front seats, kids can feel like they’re really driving and compete for who can best guide the train through illuminated tunnels and along the elevated open-air sections. It’s a great chance to let off steam and explore the city from unusual vantage points, both above ground and below!

2) Discover the secrets of Brescia Castle

A medieval fortress with timeless charm: welcome to the Castle of Brescia, a favorite destination for children!

Set on Cidneo Hill, in the middle of the city, with its secret passages, tunnels, drawbridges and towers the “Falcon of Italy” is the perfect place for myriad adventures!

Inside, there are fantastic attractions for kids:

• the “Luigi Marzoli” Arms Museum, where you can admire real armor, swords, halberds and beautiful helmets;
• the Museo del RisorgimentoLeonessa d’Italia, with projections and interactive totems;
• the large model railroad with free admission housed in the Piccolo Miglio, with numerous little trains in operation crossing through towns and over fields… all faithfully reproduced by the Club Ferromodellistico Bresciano;
• live evening observations from the Specola Astronomica Cidnea, to enjoy gazing at the magic of the sky and stars, via the telescopes operated by the Unione Astrofili Bresciani.

Other things for kids to do in the castle include:

• Tour of the towers and dungeons with expert guides from the Brescian Speleological Association. An experience suitable for families with school-age kids; all you need is a pair of sneakers and lots of enthusiasm!
• Medieval Festivalwith historical reenactment “ 1238 AD Frederick II and the Siege of Brescia“;
• Open-air Cinema during the summer, with lots of screenings for families.

Brescia Castle is just a few minutes’ walk from the historic center and from the “San Faustino” subway stop. For those traveling by car, there is plenty of free parking available.

3) Discovering Brescia UNESCO with Geronimo Stilton

Did you know that Brescia boasts the largest archaeological area in northern Italy? Find out all about it with a very special companion: Geronimo Stilton!

Through the new museum game app promoted by Fondazione Brescia Musei, Italy’s most famous mouse journalist accompanies all the youngest visitors on three original tours, including one starting from the Museum of Santa Giulia and ending at the Roman Forum and the Archaeological Park of Ancient Brescia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site!

The archaeological zone includes:

• The temple dedicated to the Capitoline Triad (Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva) from the imperial era (73-74 AD);
• The adjacent Roman Theater, whose cavea could seat as many as 15,000 spectators!
• The remains of the forum in Piazza del Foro—check out the ancient checkerboard carved into the stone of the floor!
• The archaeological tour of the underground of Palazzo Martinengo (entrance from Piazza del Foro 6) and the Roman basilica, now the headquarters of the archeological supervisory authority, in Piazza Labus.

Want to learn more about how things worked in ancient “Brixia”? Watch the video:

Find out all about the project “Geronimo Stilton. Brescia Musei adventures.”

There is also a wide range of educational activities, educational workshops and special events for children and families organized by Fondazione Brescia Musei. To keep up-do-date on upcoming events: bresciamusei.com.

4) Learn about nature and animals with AmbienteParco

Just a stone’s throw from the Santa Giulia Museum and Piazzale Arnaldo is the Water Park, a public area where the AmbienteParco science center is based.

A veritable oasis of peace and nature of over 12,000 square meters, the park includes permanent exhibits on the water cycle, energy, the environment, and general science subjects. In addition to several botanical varieties—including a splendid hanging beech tree nearly 200 years old—there is a pond with native freshwater species, which can also be seen from the fantastic underwater tunnel!

All the educational and interactive tours are specially designed to intrigue, inform and generate awareness in young and not-so-young alike. For more information, go to the official website of AmbienteParco.

5) Cheering on the vintage cars in the Mille Miglia, “the most beautiful race in the world”!

Brescia has been since time immemorial the starting point for the most famous vintage car race: the Mille Miglia!

Every year in May, for four days the city is transformed into the setting for the exhibition of the world’s most beautiful vintage cars; an explosion of color and joy in the squares of the historic center until the much-awaited wave of the flag, with over 400 vintage cars roaring at full throttle to be the first to reach Rome and return to Brescia over three days… and covering—hence the name “Mille Miglia”—a thousand miles!

In addition to the excitement of the pre-race, the start and the crossing of the finish line, you can also visit the Museo Mille Miglia, which is home to a fantastic collection of vintage cars with stories and information illustrated in photographs, films and associated objects. The result is a very interesting insight into Italian history, culture and customs from 1927 to 1957.

6) Tour the depths of the city with Brescia Underground

What lurks in the bowels of the city? Come and see for yourself! Flashlights, a pair of boots and off you go with the expert guides of the association Brescia Underground for an exciting tour below the surface of Brescia.

Among irrigation ditches, canals and hidden waterways, you cross the most famous squares and walk the streets of the historic center, discovering truly fascinating ancient secrets and legends! Tours suitable for children aged 5 and upwards are also available.

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All set for a family trip to Brescia? Enjoy this magnificent city to the fullest: download now the children’s guide “Discover Brescia”!