The best city hikes and walks around Parco Grugnotorto Villoresi

The Villa observes different opening hours depending on the season. Until September 30th, summer hours apply: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: from 2:30 PM to 7:30 PM (last admission 6:30 PM). Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays: from 10:30 AM to 6:30 PM (last admission 5:30 PM). Monday and Tuesday: Closed. Villa Gardens: Open every day with free admission from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Tickets and Prices Tickets for the Royal Villa museum tour can be purchased on the Official Website of the Reggia di Monza or directly on site.

The Villoresi canal takes water from the river Ticino, in the locality of Panperduto, in the municipality of Somma Lombardo. After travelling 86 kilometers, through the provinces of Milan and Monza Brianza, it flows into the river Adda in the municipality of Cassano d’Adda. Construction work began in 1881 and was completed in 1891 based on the project by Eugenio Villoresi. Originally intended exclusively for irrigation, following the crisis in crops related to silk production, the canal now allows water distribution in a plain area of approximately 85,000 hectares, through a network that totals about 3,000 kilometers. The routes, which are free of difficulties, accessible to everyone and certainly of interest, are part of the investments made to enhance the towpaths of the waterways, and are also considered a fast connection route between the various Municipalities touched by the canal.

The Villa Reale of Monza (also known as Reggia di Monza) is an imposing neoclassical palace located in Monza, Lombardy. Built by order of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria between 1777 and 1780, it has hosted Napoleonic viceroys and the sovereigns of the Kingdom of Italy.

The Royal Gardens of Monza are a historic public green area of approximately 5.50 hectares located in the city center. This garden is part of the monumental complex of the Royal Villa of Monza and is strategically positioned to connect the historic city center with the southern entrance of the Gardens of the Royal Villa.

The Expiatory Chapel of Monza, an important memorial. It stands on the exact spot where the anarchist Gaetano Bresci assassinated King Umberto I of Savoy on July 29, 1900. The monument was strongly desired by the widowed queen Margherita of Savoy and her son, the new king Vittorio Emanuele III. Designed by architect Giuseppe Sacconi (known author of the Vittoriano in Rome) and completed by his pupil Guido Cirilli, it was inaugurated on July 29, 1910. An imposing 35-meter-high stone structure from Oggiono dominates the complex, surmounted by an urn and alabaster crosses. At the base of the stele is the bronze sculptural group of the Pietà, created by the artist Ludovico Pogliaghi. Inside the base, a black marble marker indicates the exact position of the fatal attack.

The Grugnotorto Villoresi Park is today officially part of the GruBrìa Park, a vast local park of supramunicipal interest (PLIS) born in 2019 from the union with the Central Brianza Park. It extends for about 2,250 hectares between North Milan and Brianza, offering an important network of green areas and ecological corridors in one of the most urbanized areas of Italy.

The Villoresi Canal cycle path runs through the Lombardy countryside, along the entire length of the Villoresi Canal, the historic waterway built for irrigation in the late 19th century by engineer Eugenio Villoresi. The canal draws water from the Ticino River near Somma Lombardo and, after an 86 km journey, returns it to the Adda River near Groppello.

Perfect for a relaxing outing or a pleasant stroll. If you're passing through Monza's city center, stopping in the square for coffee and a pastry is practically a must: it recharges your batteries better than any energy bar! A smooth cycle path suitable for all levels.