Lombardy · Italy
Where to stay in Brescia
Brescia is a city in Lombardy, Italy, home to about 196,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- VBS15 km · Brescia Gabriele d'Annunzio Airport
- Currency
- EUReuro
- Time zone
- Europe/Rome
- Language
- Italian
About
About Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Garda and Iseo.
While the province is rich in scenic and popular tourist destinations, including the shore of the Lake Garda, the city of Brescia is less known for tourists. One may that due to its heavily industrialised cityscape it can be found not as interesting compared to other major cities of Lombardy. Yes, Brescia is famous for its industrial past and for its role as a major manufacturing centre: numerous factories produce weapons (including the famous Beretta pistols) and cutlery/kitchen accessories.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Brescia
See
Brescia is home to several great museums. However, since it is not a primary tourist city, very few English translations are provided, and even if they are, translations are often so poor that you may prefer to try the Italian explanations.
- Monastero di Santa Giulia
- Chiesa di Santa Maria in Solario
- Tempio Capitolino
- Piazza del Foro
- Castello di Brescia
- Chiesa di San Giuseppe
- Broletto
- Duomo Vecchio
- Duomo Nuovo
- Palazzo della Loggia
- Case del Gambero
- Corsia del Gambero
Do
The city's medieval historical center, with shopping districts, open markets (try Via San Faustino and Piazza della Loggia on Saturdays), gelaterias, etc., is a good example of city life untrammeled by tourism.
- Teatro Grande
- Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo
- Museo Mille Miglia
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Brescia to stay in
Because it's not a primary tourist destination, Brescia is a bit short on hospitality, especially in the budget range. You'll find a few budget hotels in shadier parts of the city, and some nicer ones close to the train station. For hostels, you're out of luck, and bed and breakfasts are recommended but only if you have a car, as they're usually found in the surrounding towns.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Brescia
16 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Villa Fenaroli | 1600 | 7.7 km |
| Albergo Leon D'Oro | 19.0 km | |
| Blu Hotel Brixia | 10.0 km | |
| Boutique Hotel Villa dei Campi | 18.8 km | |
| Cocca Hotel Royal Thai Spa | 23.3 km | |
| DoubleTree by Hilton Brescia | 2020 | 3.3 km |
| Hotel Ambasciatori | 1.5 km | |
| Hotel and B&B Cristallo Brescia | 0.9 km | |
| Hotel Morgana | 10.6 km | |
| Iris Hotel | 18.1 km | |
| Iseo Lago Hotel | 19.5 km | |
| L'Albereta Relais & Chateaux | 20.2 km | |
| Ricovero per anziani S. Maria Immacolata | 6.9 km | |
| Ristorante Albergo Sensole | 21.1 km | |
| Ristorante Milano | 19.9 km | |
| Villa Kinzica | 20.8 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Brescia
Brescia has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 25 °C; October is the wettest, with about 105 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Brescia: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Brescia Gabriele d'Annunzio Airport (VBS), about 15 km from the city centre in a straight line; Il Caravaggio International Airport (BGY, 42 km) and Verona Villafranca Valerio Catullo Airport (VRN, 54 km) are also within reach.
Getting around
The compact historical centre of the city has a bus system that works well for inhabitants and other commuters. To get to the outer districts, you can take advantage of Brescia's metro, opened in 2013, making it the smallest city in the world with an underground train system. It features the same driverless automated system as in Copenhagen but with even more spectacular station designs.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
VBS · Brescia Gabriele d'Annunzio Airport
BGY · Il Caravaggio International Airport
VRN · Verona Villafranca Valerio Catullo Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Brescia
Eat
Try the true "bresciano" food, including casoncelli (called in Brescian dialect "casonsei"), homemade tortellini with beef, served with "Burro versato" (spilled Butter) and sage with sprinkling of Parmigiano. Try the polenta (in winter only) a mush made with durum wheat, Polenta taragna is mixed with homemade cheeses and butter. Try the amazing spiedo (in winter only) roasted larks and pork meat cooked for 6–7 hours in oven with butter and flavours or on grill. It's very typically Bresciano!
Drink
Franciacorta wines are easily found. They're excellent, world famous, and very expensive. Try some of the non-DOC labels, which avoid EU regulations in order to preserve centuries-old vineyard traditions. Brescia is also one of the most night-active city in the whole Italy, because of the industrial wealth. Brescian youths (and Lombardians in general) are famous for partying the night way — every single night. Many hotspots for locals can be found outside the city; in the center try Piazzale Arnaldo on the eastern edge and Borgo Pietro Wuhrer about 5 km east of the center on Via Venezia.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Brescia: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Brescia?
Brescia has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 25 °C; October is the wettest, with about 105 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Brescia?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Brescia Gabriele d'Annunzio Airport (VBS), about 15 km from the city centre in a straight line; Il Caravaggio International Airport (BGY, 42 km) and Verona Villafranca Valerio Catullo Airport (VRN, 54 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Brescia?
euro (EUR).
Nearby
Destinations near Brescia
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.