Kids and would-be inventors will go goggle-eyed at Milan's science museum, the largest of its kind in Italy. It is a fitting tribute in a city where arch-inventor Leonardo da Vinci did much of his finest work. The 16th-century monastery where it's housed features a collection of more than 19,000 items, including models based on da Vinci's sketches, with outdoor hangars housing steam trains, planes and Italy's first submarine, Enrico Toti (tours available in English and Italian).
The museum's MUST Shop is the place for all manner of science-inspired books, design items, gadgets and games. Access it through the museum or from Via Olona.