Merate is a town in the province of Lecco. It’s about 25 Km from Lecco and about 35 km from Milano.
The Observatory is placed in the area of Villa San Rocco acquired in 1923 by the director of that time, E. Bianchi.
The entire complex of buildings is part of an extensive park rich in ancient trees and bushes.
In Merate there are two guesthouses for students and for foreign astronomers (look up the webpage).
For restaurants, pub, pizzerie go to google page: around Merate
BY TRAIN -- BY CAR -- BY PLANE
BY TRAIN
From Milano Centrale railway station or more frequently from Milano Porta Garibaldi railway station take a regional train to Lecco-Sondrio via Carnate and stop at Cernusco-Merate (about 40 minutes).
If you are not coming from Milan, please look up the website of the Ferrovie dello Stato and select Cernusco-Merate as arrival station. From here you can:
- take one of the buses for Merate just outside the station (tickets are sold to the cafè in front of the station).
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For more information go to the web-sites Lecco Transportation and Muoversi in Lombardia (Timetables and routes to move in Lombardy).
Warning: only one bus stops at the Observatory (07:15 from Cernusco railway).
To arrive at the Observatory from Merate download Bus Merate line in pdf format (2 Mb). - walk to the Observatory (about 5 km) following the route on the map on the right.
Link for Merate Hospital - Lecco Hospital:
download timetables Bus Navetta - Merate Hospital is near Observatory (about 10 minutes by foot).
BY CAR
Warning: all the highways in Italy are toll roads, while the ring roads may have both free exits and tollgates.
| Highway | Track |
|---|---|
| A1 from Napoli-Roma-Firenze-Bologna (SUD) | exit at the tollgate Milano-Melegnano then go on the tangenziale est (east ring road) heading Venice. Then you’ll reach a tollgate where you must keep the left side choosing the direction Vimercate-Lecco. Proceed always straight (freeway A51 and SP342) until Merate |
| A4 Serenissima from Torino to Trieste - stretch Torino-Milano (OVEST) | exit to the tollgate Milano and proceed on the highway A4 heading Venice. Exit at the tollgate Agrate B.za (second exit) and follow the directions to Vimercate-Lecco until getting in the Agrate-Usmate freeway (A51). Proceed straight until Merate |
| A4 Serenissima from Torino to Trieste - stretch Brescia-Milano (EST) | exit at the tollgate Capriate and follow the directions to Calusco d’Adda, Paderno d’Adda and Merate. As an alternative, exit at the tollgate Agrate B.za (the last exit) and follow the directions to Vimercate-Lecco until getting in the Agrate-Usmate freeway (A51). Proceed straight until Merate |
| A7 from Genova (OVEST) | exit Milano tollgate then go first on the tangenziale ovest (ovest ring road) heading Bologna then on the tangenziale est (est ring road) heading Venezia. Then you’ll reach a tollgate where you must keep the left side choosing the direction Vimercate-Lecco. Proceed always straight (freeway A51 and Ss342) until Merate |
| A8 or A9 Autostrada dei Laghi - from Varese (NORD) | take the A4 highway heading Venice and exit at the tollgate Agrate B.za, follow the directions to Vimercate-Lecco until getting in the Agrate-Usmate freeway (A51). Proceed straight until Merate |
To arrive in OAB-Merate follow the map to the side from SP342 in Cernusco Lombardone.
Useful links:
BY PLANE
Renting a car:
To arrive in OAB-Merate follow the map "By car" from SP342 in Cernusco Lombardone.
| FROM LINATE | FROM MALPENSA | FROM ORIO AL SERIO - BERGAMO |
|---|---|---|
| Follow the directions to take the east ring road heading Venice and proceed until the paytoll where you must keep one of the exits on the left heading to Vimercate-Lecco. Proceed straight until Merate. | Follow the directions to the Autostrada dei Laghi (A8 highway) heading Milano. take the A4 highway heading Venice and exit at the tollgate Agrate B.za,follow the directions to Vimercate-Lecco until getting in the Agrate-Usmate freeway (A51). Proceed straight until Merate. | From the airport follow the direscions for Curno, Ponte S. Pietro, Calusco d’Adda and Merate. As an alternative take the A4 highway heading Venice and exit at the tollgate Agrate B.za, follow the directions to Vimercate-Lecco until getting in the Agrate-Usmate freeway (A51). Proceed straight until Merate. |
Public transportation:
From Linate or Malpensa airports reach the Milano underground then the railways of Porta Garibaldi or Stazione Centrale.
From Orio al Serio, Bergamo airport reach the Bergamo railway then you can reach Cernusco-Merate train station changing in Carnate or in Calolziocorte-Olginate. Otherwise you can reach Milano (Stazione Centrale or Stazione di P.ta Garibaldi) then take a train for Cernusco-Merate.
In both cases follow the instructions IN TRENO.
- from LINATE via bus: web page of SEA - Milano Airports with all coaches from Linate.
- from MALPENSA via bus: web pages of SEA - Milano Airports with all coaches from Malpensa.
- from MALPENSA via train: web pages of SEA - Milano Airports with all trains from Malpensa.
- from ORIO AL SERIO - BERGAMO via bus: web pages of "Orio al Serio" International airport Bergamo with all coaches from Orio al Serio.
- from ORIO AL SERIO - BERGAMO via train: web pages of "Orio al Serio" International airport Bergamo with all trains from Orio al Serio.
Useful Links:
- web pages Linate Airport
- web pages Malpensa Airport
- web pages Orio al Serio International airport, Bergamo
- web pages of italian Highways S.p.A.
- web pages of Milano public transports (ATM) Muoversi in Lombardia (Timetables and routes to move in Lombardy)
- Highway bus
- OrioShuttle - Bergamo
- Bus ATB - Bergamo
