Lombardy and Piedmont Regions – The Essence of North West

Arrival at Milano Malpensa. We will have a guided tour of Milan, the world capital city of fashion and design. This metropolis, is the capital city of Lombardy, seat of the Italian Stock Exchange and is famous for its exclusive restaurants and shops.
We will visit the central Synagogue of Milan, built in 1892 and the Binario 21 (Track 21) at the Central Station, in itself quite an architectural feat, from where during WWII the Jews of the city and the surrounding areas were deported to concentration camps. Accommodation at the hotel in the evening.

Breakfast at the hotel and departure for Turin, Italy's first capital city after the country reunification, where Italy’s royal family lived until the capital was moved to Rome and where you can still breath in the air of its royal past. At the arrival we will meet our guide and start visiting the city. Nowadays Turin is the capital of the Piedmont region and it is known for its tasteful architecture, cooking and the art of chocolate making which was born here. The Alps stand at Northwest of the city, luxurious buildings and ancient cafes skirt the magnificent boulevards and squares of the city, like Piazza Castello and Piazza San Carlo. The high spire of the Mole Antonelliana of the Nineteenth century stands nearby. This impressive building was originally commissioned by the wealthy local Jewish community to become the city’s main Synagogue, but its ambitious project was soon forsaken due to its enormous costs. It hosts now the interactive exhibitions of the Museo Nazionale del Cinema. We will be visiting also the 2 existing Synagogues, the large Temple and the small Temple, the latter built inside what used to be the area where the Pesach Matzot were baked. At the end of the visit we head to Biella, located at the foot of the Alps. We will visit this city which dates back to the Early Middle Ages, its Ghetto area and its XVIII century Synagogue which hosts the oldest known Sefer Torah in the world, recently restored to its original splendour dating back to the XII century. We will return to Milan in the evening. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. We will head to Casale Monferrato, where we will meet our guide and visit the tiny, but gorgeously adorned Synagogue with its fully frescoed walls and its small museum. The Jewish community of Casale Monferrato is very small counting only 10 members and is one of 21 communities that make up the Italian Jewish Community Union (UCEI). At the end of the visit we will head to Vercelli where will visit its beautiful Synagogue located at the center of what used to be the city’s Ghetto. Then we will head to Milan for overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel and departure for Como. We will have a guided tour of the city and we will continue with a boat tour on the lake which will enable us to enjoy some of the most beautiful villas, charming villages and natural vistas that have made Lake Como so famous. On the way we will stop at Varenna for a short walk through the narrow alleys of this magical village, visit Villa Monastero, its beautiful interiors and its majestic gardens stretching for over a mile along the shores of the lake. Time permitting, with a 20 minutes hike we will reach the over than 1,000 years old Castle of Vezio overlooking Varenna from where you will be able to enjoy stunning views of the lake. Paths crossing the surrounding mountains dividing Italy from Switzerland, used in the past to smuggle goods in and out of Italy, were used during the last years of WW2 to smuggle Jews to safety out of Italy into Switzerland. These are now part of a hiking network called “The routes to safety” (see point E in our “Additional activities available” here below). We will come back to Milan in the evening for overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the Milan airport.