Brescia: the most beautiful and underrated city in Italy

When I tell people that I study at university in Italy most of them assume that I live either in Milan, Florence or Rome. And whilst I truly think that these cities are stunning and gorgeous travel destinations, there are so many others that have a better balance of student life and cultural capital and i’d love to give them the credit and visibility they deserve!

During my search for the perfect university and city to live and study in, I came across so many great tertiary institutions in cities like Parma, Siena, Bologna and Modena. I initially got in contact with the heads of department of these universities and also spoke to previous students (mostly found through instagram) to get an idea of what life may have been like studying there, and at the end of the day I chose Brescia.

[Which also happens to be the hometown of all my relatives, so that turned out to be a win-win situation which was really helpful and reassuring… especially when a global pandemic hit.]

That aside, since living and studying here I have come to see that Brescia truly is the most underrated city in Italy. Here’s why I think Brescia should be on your travel/ study/ living experience list.

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Brescia is relatively cheaper than other main cities like Milan, London, Melbourne and Sydney. When I was researching the economic aspect of moving overseas I loved using this website to calculate the difference in living costs of various cities. They also give you a breakdown of costs for food, transport, accommodation and entertainment by providing a side-by-side comparison of commonly purchased items in these categories, which is extremely helpful if you already know what kind of lifestyle factors are important to you and which you could live without on a tighter budget.

Small City, Big Dreams

This brings me onto my next point, which is that compared to other major cities like Madrid, Florence and Barcelona, all of which have a very similar cost of living to Brescia, you get all the benefits of living in a main city (like convenience and everything-you-need-at-your-doorstep) without all the nasties like overcrowded streets, flocks of tourists outside your door, expensive living costs and insane New York-style traffic. Brescia is the kind of city that has everything you need but not too much; she’s got the perfect balance of fun and functionality for a young person that wants everything within reach but also would rather not have the stress of living in the rat-race, hustle-driven lifestyle that is oh so typical of major European cities.

Public Transport

If you’ve been anywhere in Italy before, asides maybe Rome and Florence, the public transport is not exactly…top-notch. More often than not it is poorly organised, difficult to understand/use and if an area IS serviced… the bus or train will be late, you can count on that. If you’re thinking of catching busses and planning your public transport travel ahead of time, give yourself plenty of transfer time, especially if you’re changing transport methods in your trip, and don’t count on the timetables given by google maps and other apps, as you’re better off asking someone there if the bus is actually showing up that day!

However, Brescia (again, for not being a “major” city) actually has a pretty well developed and trustworthy public transport system. The city centre has a multitude of busses, an underground, and it is very walkable and accessible by bike. If you’re taking public transport just be sure to have bought your ticket ahead of time because not all bus drivers will be willing to sell you one!

Lakes? You got it. Mountains? You got it.

Last but not least, Brescia has the fortune of being surrounded by Italy’s most gorgeous landscapes and that makes it the perfect base location for all your weekend getaways in between busy uni-filled weeks. Lake Garda and Lake Iseo are perfect for a boat trip in summer, an aperitivo by the water at night or simply a morning walk. The pre-alps surrounding the city are the perfect place for hiking and gazing at the amazing scenery from up high, and with just a one hour trip from Brescia central station you can visit Milan for some sight-seeing and Verona in the hopes of possibly bumping into your Romeo!