The Real Santa's Grotto

The Real Santa's Grotto (La Grotta di Babbo Natale) is a celebrated seasonal Christmas attraction located in Ornavasso near Lake Maggiore in Piedmont, Italy, approximately 50 minutes from Milan. Since 2009 it has been considered the most authentic Christmas experience in Italy, set within 20,000 square metres of parkland and woods. The centrepiece is an ancient underground marble quarry — the same source of marble used in Milan's Cathedral — where visitors walk 200 metres through an illuminated underground gallery before arriving in a spectacular 30-metre-high marble hall to meet Santa Claus. The experience includes a Christmas village, a Twergi Forest trail with installations, gnome characters, theatrical shows, artisan demonstrations, a nativity scene with day-night effects, Christmas tea, a printed family photo with Santa, and a gift for children.