Gnomes, witches, goblins and knights all live in the ancient woods. Ready to look for them? From theme trails in Monza Park to a guided tour of the Bertini Hydroelectric Plant in Cornate d’Adda, here are six things to with children in Monza and Brianza!

LOOKING FOR GNOMES IN THE ROYAL GARDENS OF MONZA
A trail to discover all the mysterious legends of Monza Park. It starts from the large gate at Porta Monza and crosses a magical wonderland of mysterious enchanted beings to arrive at the Villa Reale Gardens. It is said that the trees in these Gardens are so old that they have known generations of gnomes with red, pointy caps. They live under the roots of the oaks and the doors to their homes are just a step away from where you’re standing! Leave them some sweets - they go crazy for them - or a few drops of tasty milk in an acorn. 
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PLAY TOURS AND CREATIVE WORKSHOPS AT THE CIVIC MUSEUMS OF MONZA
At the Civic Museums, in the centre of Monza, youngsters can experience art while having fun with dedicated play tours and creative workshops. The multi-sensory rooms offer children the chance to discover the beauty that man has created over thousands of years of history. Note: To celebrate a special, unusual birthday with friends, you can choose a workshop at the Museum and then cut the cake together. 
 

THE MONZA RACING CIRCUIT BY BIKE
The Monza Autodromo and Park is one large green area. And what better way to enjoy it all than by bike? At the InfoPoint of the Autodromo, you can hire different kinds: city bikes for a laid-back, comfortable ride around the wide tree-lined avenues, or mountain bikes for the more adventurous who want to get off the beaten track. The hire service also includes a riding workshop, open to all cyclists and bike lovers that may have problems with their bicycles, and you can get all the information you may need about riding in the area.
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THE LIPU OASIS IN CESANO MADERNO
A journey through the microhabitat of the typical environments of Groane Park. The Lipu Oasis in Cesano Maderno is a bird sanctuary and has a visitor centre with a parking zone, picnic area, bathrooms and storage area. Here visitors can get more information about the oasis and enjoy small exhibitions. A 4-kilometre trail complete with information panels crosses the 3-hectare area alongside the Visitor Centre with its educational microhabitats. The Oasis has a wide range of educational proposals for children of all ages, from kindergarten to secondary school, and also hosts lots of nature events during the year.
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PALAZZO ARESE BORROMEO IN CESANO MADERNO
Visiting a Palace? Here you are welcomed by 33 frescoed rooms and 10 hectares of parkland. Built by Bartolomeo III Arese in the 17th century as a ‘place of delight’ (luogo di delizia), Palazzo Arese Borromeo is open to the general public every weekend, with guided tours on Sundays. The multimedia tour with a map, available at the Infopoint and an app for scanning the QR codes to download to your smartphone are just a couple of the many new features. A detail you can’t miss? The “Galarietta fatta a Mosaicho”, a small gallery of mosaics and one of the most important parts of the Nymphaeum, richly decorated with frescoes and floral and geometric mosaics made using white and black river pebbles, with the mosaic of the crowned coat of arms of the Arese family standing out from the rest. 
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AT THE BERTINI HYDROELECTRIC PLANT IN CORNATE D'ADDA
Once Europe’s largest and most powerful plant, and second in the world only behind the hydroelectric plant of Niagara Falls, the Bertini hydroelectric plant - built in order to electrify the tramways in Milan - opened in 1898 on the right bank of the Adda River, in Cornate. It is still operational and has a museum that is open to visitors, who can also book a guided tour of the plant.

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Photo CENTRALE IDROELETTRICA BERTINI, CORNATE D'ADDA, Wikimedia.