Nestled just 40 minutes outside of Milan by train, Pavia makes an excellent day trip from Milan. Pavia, Italy is a town rich in history and provides plenty for one to explore in a day. It is well-known for the Certosa (an enormous and grand monastery) and for being one of Italy’s oldest university towns. Pavia tends to be off-the-radar for many foreign tourists! This makes it a fairly untouched town to visit full of amazing sites to explore. If you find yourself with extra time in Milan or Northern Italy, Pavia is a great option for a day trip.

How to Get to Pavia?

It is extremely simple to arrive in Pavia by train from Milan. Tickets are approximately €4 and a regional train can get you here in under an hour. I recommend getting tickets on Trenord.

Certosa di Pavia

If you want to visit the Certosa di Pavia, the impressive and breathtaking monastery just outside of the city, you can also easily arrive by train. Just get off on stop before the city center of Pavia (conveniently called “Certosa di Pavia”). There, you’ll have to walk approximately twenty minutes around the walled grounds before reaching the entrance. Is the entrance on the opposite side of where the train drops you off? Yes, of course it is… BUT – I promise it is worth it!

Upon entering, you are met with this stunning view of the church. I suggest arriving right at the opening time of 9AM (be sure to confirm the opening hours online as they may change seasonally).

The inside of the church is also quite impressive. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to take any photos (womp womp) on the inside. This is a bummer for someone who has more photos of churches than selfies on my phone. You’ll just have to take a visit there yourself to see!

While on-site, you can also visit the art museum and the other rooms and buildings attached to the cathedral. Be sure when you go upstairs you observe the optical illusion on the ceiling with the pillars moving/shifting perspective as you walk around the room (I have the nice security guard to thank for explaining this to me in Italian).

And last but not least, be sure to visit the monk store! I am almost 100% positive the name is not “the monk store” (ha), but there is a little shop on the grounds where you can buy soap, digestifs, honey, jam, and more! Inside, I purchased a bottle of their Nocino (a hazelnut digestif) and blackberry jam – both were delicious and high-quality! Doesn’t it always seem like European monks and nuns always sell the best items?

Time to Head into Town

After visiting the Certosa, I wandered back to the train station to take one stop into the city center of Pavia. I was pleasantly surprised to find Pavia to be a bustling town on a random Saturday morning in November. On a weekend, you’ll find markets in full swing with locals swiping through clothes on racks, waiting to order food, and sampling local honey with cheese.

Pasticceria Demetrio

Before you start your day in Pavia, you want to fill up on a yummy breakfast. I recommend heading to Pasticceria Demetrio. There are several locations in the city, but the most convenient may be the one near the main train station. If you love brioche/cornetto/criossants (choose whichever word to call it that your heart desires), you might love the flavor combo I chose: cream and jam! It was my first time eating this combination and it exceeded my expectations.

Church of San Pietro in Ciel D’Oro

Next, I headed to the Church of San Pietro in Ciel D’Oro. This church is famous for holding the remains of St. Augustine. I am sure I would definitely rest in peace if I had this type of shrine dedicated to me post-mortem.

Piazza della Vittoria

This piazza is often crowded with students meandering through here between classes or stopping by for a quick coffee-fueled break.

Cathedral of Pavia

During your one day in Pavia, you also can check out the main cathedral of Pavia. The inside is enormous! It also is home to the remains of San Siro.

Ponte Coperto

Well, the Italians were definitely quite literal when it came to naming Ponte Coperto. In English, it translates to “covered bridge.” And, as you can see, it is exactly that. A covered bridge.

While the original bridge was from the 1300s, it was unfortunately heavily destroyed during the Second World War. Therefore, the bridge that exists today is a newer version that is modeled after the original.

San Michele Maggiore Church

The facade of this church is one of the most unique I’ve ever seen. It is actually carved out of sandstone.

And – don’t forget to look up to enjoy the surprises of Italian cielings!

University of Pavia

The University of Pavia is one of the oldest in the world, where it is estimated teaching began here as early as the mid-1300s. Each year, there are about 20,000 students on campus, which is evident as you walk around the city – it has a very fresh and young vibe!

Visconti Castle

One of the final things to explore during your day in Pavia is a trip to the Visconti Castle, which was built in the 1300s. The inside houses a museum and various art installations. However, if you’re tight on time you can explore the outside walls and castle fairly quick.

Try the Local Dessert

Before your day in Pavia ends, be sure to grab a torta paradiso. It is the city’s special cake and if you’re similar to me, you love trying any type of local dishes (and I am absolutely not one to say no to dessert). Although quite a simple cake, be sure to try the original and visit the Pasticceria Vigoni, where Enrico Vigoni invented the cake many years ago.

That concludes my guide on how to spend one day in Pavia, Italy!

Looking for other Italian Day Trip guides? You may be interested in these posts:

• How to Spend One Day in Verona, Italy
• How to Spend One Day in Florence, Italy
• How to Spend 3 Days in Naples, Italy

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