Brescia in 2 days: what to see, what to do

Second trip to Italy of 2024: when you love something, you do not count! But this time, we wanted to get off the beaten track and avoid the best-known cities like Rome, Florence or Venice. So, off to Brescia! It is a city that is very rich from a cultural point of view and whose existence we discovered on Instagram and at the 2024 Tourism Fair. Located halfway between Bergamo and Verona, it is the second largest urban area in Lombardy, after Milan.

We travelled for the second time with the airline Volotea, thanks to our MegaVoloteaPlus subscription (99€ a year) which gives access to lots of benefits (discounts, cabin baggage included, priority boarding…). As our first trip to Genoa last month with Volotea went very well, we decided to trust this airline again. So we paid 90€ return with cabin baggage for a Paris-Verona: an honest price for a May long weekend. The flight lasts 1h40 from Paris-Orly.

To get to Brescia from Verona, we took two forms of transport, which connect rather well, as everywhere in Italy:

• the 199 Airlink bus: it goes direct towards Verona and the Porta Nuova station. The journey costs 7€ per person for about 15 minutes on the road. Tickets are bought at the machine on the platform at the airport exit.
• the Trenitalia regional train: once off the bus, we bought our train tickets in the station hall. The journey costs 7.05€ per person for about 40 minutes (60 km, 3 stops). There are trains until 11.30pm so no need to worry if you land late in Verona like us.

In this article we give you everything we were able to see and do during almost two days in Brescia. Happy reading!

Find our stay in pictures on our Instagram account!

What to see in Brescia

Castello di Brescia

From the city centre, we climbed up to the castle by a pretty cobbled path that leads to a panoramic view over the vineyards. One of Brescia’s strong points really is the omnipresence of nature and greenery: you can breathe! The fortress is huge, so plan for time to visit it. It is a real maze of lanes and passages that lead to towers and viewpoints over the city. A magnificent, unmissable site (and access is free).

The squares to visit

• Piazza Paolo VI: the city’s most famous square with its two cathedrals (Duomo Vecchio and Duomo Nuovo) side by side and a very fine example of medieval architecture with the Broletto palace in particular.
• Piazza de la Loggia: one of Brescia’s main squares, with a lot of charm. There you find the Palazzo de la Loggia (free entry during the town hall’s office hours), in Italian Renaissance style, the Clock Tower and the Bella Italia monument.
• Piazzale Arnaldo: this vast square is absolutely worth seeing! It is lined with magnificent buildings, one of them made up of arcades under which there are restaurants.
• Piazza Moretto: a stone’s throw from our B&B is this superb square surrounded by tall trees. It is here that the Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo is tucked away, an art museum, which we gave a miss to enjoy the good weather outside.

The churches to visit

• Duomo Vecchio: also called the “Rotonda” because of its shape, it is one of the rare examples of a circular Romanesque temple. This church is a real architectural gem: an unmissable visit in Brescia.
• Duomo Nuovo: impossible to miss the imposing cathedral of Brescia which rises in the middle of Piazza Paolo VI. For the record, it was only completed in 1825 with the construction of the third highest dome in Italy. Impressive to see!
• Chiesa di Sant’Afra in Sant’Eufemia: a very beautiful and rich church with a marble façade, near Piazzala Arnaldo.
• Chiesa di San Giorgio: on the square of the same name, a magnificent, fully restored church with beautiful frescoes dating from the 13th century.

Museo Santa Giulia

This is the city museum not to be missed! The site is huge, between the basilica of San Salvatore, the nuns’ choir and the Romanesque oratory of Santa Maria di Solano where the monastery treasure is kept. The Lipsanoteca, an ivory container used for relics and above all the Cross of Desiderius, a piece of goldsmith’s work from the Carolingian period adorned with precious stones. The exhibition part is also very impressive with collections that run from Prehistory to the 18th century. It is a place where you could spend hours! The crowds do not rush there, we were sometimes alone in the rooms: a joy for visiting without stress.

💰 15€ for adults for the combined ticket with the Archaeological Park
⏲️ 10am-6pm from Tuesday to Sunday

Parco archeologico romano

We bought a combined ticket to visit the exhibition space of the ruins of the former Brixia, a UNESCO listed site. To go into the small museum, you have to book a visiting slot beforehand at the Santa Giulia Museum: the visit is done in a group and with a guide. This ticket gives access in particular to the room that holds the Winged Victory, a large bronze statue. To be honest, we were not blown away by the exhibition on show. You can content yourself with admiring and walking through the outdoor ruins of the former capitol and the former Roman theatre, access to which is open and free.

The historic city centre

We did not expect to find a city centre this charming and picturesque: what a lovely surprise! The proof in pictures. No need for a map, you just have to get lost in the cobbled lanes, wander around the squares, go into the churches… an Italian-style stroll.

Our accommodation in Brescia

We put down our bags for two nights at Il Cantuccio di Gioia, a very lovely B&B run by Veronica, right in the centre of Brescia. We slept in the beautiful, romantic room with a balcony, bathed in light, with a little balcony to sit in the sun. Breakfast is taken in the main room: very generous and made up of lots of homemade treats. A lovely place that we highly recommend if you come to Brescia!
💰 95€ a night in a deluxe room with balcony (with breakfast)

Our favourite places to eat in Brescia

• Pizzium: a restaurant we love in northern Italy for its excellent value for money. 60€ for 2 starters, 2 pizzas, 1 tiramisu and a bottle of water
• Adesso Pasta: a good place to eat homemade fresh pasta, handy to take away. 18.50€ for the 2 boxes
• Gelateria Romana: a good ice cream shop south of the city centre.

What we thought of Brescia

Brescia was a lovely surprise for us, we loved it! It is a little-known city that deserves to be visited and to be lingered over for a day or two. Between its many museums, its monuments and its historic city centre, Brescia is not short on interest. The icing on the cake, we were almost alone as we wandered even in the middle of May.
If you are looking for a new destination idea in Italy, think of Brescia! A city with magnificent heritage, close to many points of interest in Lombardy like Bergamo or Lake Garda: a perfect stop if you are doing a road trip or travelling by train.

Need ideas for your weekends and holidays in Italy? Read our articles for inspiration!