Discover Incredible Food and More at Expo 2015 Milano

Expo 2015 Milano with the theme Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life, is the first Universal Exposition focused on nutrition. With food as the focus and over 140 participating countries, a visit to Expo 2015 is an opportunity to eat and drink your way around the world. And the culinary treats are just the beginning of the world-class Expo experience.

Be Entertained

Allavita by Cirque du Soleil, tells a story about a magical seed in an engaging and inspiring performance suitable for the entire family. Allavita runs from Wednesday to Sunday, through August 30 at the accessible Open Air Theater at the Expo Site.

Foody, the Expo mascot, and Friends participate in an eye-catching parade along the main street at 11:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. daily.

Be Tempted

I can’t resist mentioning the food and drinks again. They are that good. Personal highlights include the opportunity to taste from a massive selection of Italian wine at Vino – A Taste of Italy Pavilion and an outstanding cheese fondue lunch at the Swiss Pavilion.

Be Active

With a culinary temptation at every turn, we embraced every opportunity to move.

Estonia
The three-floor Estonian pavilion resembles wooden blocks stacked on top of each other. Wooden swings hang between the boxes and the energy created by swinging is transformed into electrical energy.

Brazil
The popular Brazilian pavilion contains a massive net suspended over lush gardens.

Be Comfortable

Plentiful washrooms, complimentary filtered water and places to rest are available throughout the Expo site. Restaurants cater to families and offer high chairs as well as children’s menus. Well stocked nursery areas sponsored by Chicco provide all you need for breastfeeding and changing younger family members. Courtesy strollers are available but require prior booking and registration through the Chicco App.

Many Pavilions incorporate water and gardens into the design. The American pavilion is difficult to miss and impressive with the clever use of water. I won’t give away the surprise but stand near the sign and let me know what you discover.

The diverse gardens leading to the French pavilion are a treat to walk through and signify France’s commitment to agriculture and meeting the challenge of feeding the world today and tomorrow.

The Expo 2015 site is surrounded by a canal, celebrating water as one of the central elements of the Expo theme. The canals have a positive influence on the micro-climate and are a tribute to the Navigli, a system of waterways in Milan.

Be Educated

The learning opportunities at Expo are plentiful and thought-provoking. The Swiss Pavilion resonated with our family because of the ingenious concept and sustainability focus. The slogan “Quanto ne rimane?” on the outside of the pavilion means “How much is left?”.

The Swiss Pavilion profiles non-traditional Swiss food products – coffee, apples, salt and water. Each visitor is welcome to take as much of the food from the Pavilion as they want, but as they do, they contribute to the deconstruction of the Pavilion. Once the food is gone, so is the Swiss Pavilion. To ensure you don’t miss this incredible and innovative Pavilion, book your tickets online.

At Expo 2015, thematic clusters including rice, coffee and chocolate are an innovate way to group communities by a common theme or food group instead of a geographical area.

At the Coffee Cluster, we discovered how a coffee bean begins life as the seed of a tropical plant and ultimately becomes part of a warm, aromatic beverage. It is possible to customize and enjoy a shot of espresso from illy – the official coffee partner of Expo 2015.

Be Informed

Wonderful Expo 2015 offer daily small-group tours in English at the following times: 10:45 am – 11:30 am – 2:45 pm – 3:30 pm. During the three hour tour, a guide will teach you about the layout of the Expo site and show you Pavilion Zero and the Themed Clusters such as rice, coffee, and chocolate. Cost: Adults €20, Under 14 €12, Seniors over 65 €12. Customized tours are also available through Wonderful Expo 2015.

Be Relaxed

Our home away from home in Milano is the Four Seasons Hotel Milan. Discover what makes this hotel special at Luxe Travel Family – Four Seasons Milano. The former convent is the perfect place to return to after a busy day exploring Expo 2015. The Universal Exposition site is approximately 25 minutes and €25-€30 via taxi from the Four Seasons Hotel Milan.

Travel Tips

• Expo 2015 runs until October 31, 2015 and is open every day from 10:00 am – 23:00. Expo tickets are available online. Plan to spend at least two days exploring Expo. Longer is better.
• An Expo Milano 2015 Official App is available for smartphone users.
• The Exposition site is over one million square meters and designed using a grid system. A large central square is located at the intersection of the two main streets, Cardo (north-south) and Decumanus (east-west). You will find the Italian exhibitors along Cardo and International EXPO 2015 participants along Decumanus.
• Taxis drop-off and pick-up at the Roserio entrance. The metro is located at the Triulza entrance.
• Free ID bracelets for your children are available at the Expo entrances.
• Complimentary filtered water – still and sparkling – is available throughout the Expo 2015 site so bring your reusable water bottles.
• There is an onsite +Medical drugstore open Monday to Sunday 10 am – 11 pm.
• Tickets for Allavita are available online, and you require a ticket to Expo as well as a ticket to attend the performance. The gates open at 8:30 pm, but be sure to line-up by 8 pm for the best seats. The show begins before 9:30 pm and lasts approximately 90 minutes.You might want to visit La Terrazza Martini designed by Pininfarina in the Italian Pavilion for an aperitivo before Allavita. It is possible to take food into the Open Air Theatre, and a gelato shop is right across from the entrance.

 

You may also enjoy reading Four Seasons Milano – Home Away From Home and Milano – A Family Destination.