Novara Playbook: Your Unrivalled Experience with Rice, Calcio and Campari

Wedged between Milan and Turin, and overshadowed by both, Novara is the kind of Italian city that travelling fans tend to pass through rather than stop in. And that is precisely what makes it worth a proper visit.

This is a place where football, agriculture and history are tangled together, where the local rivalry has been simmering since before either club had a name that anyone outside Piedmont would recognise, and where the aperitivo you will drink on this trip was invented (Campari was born here in 1860).

Novara FC play their football in Serie C Girone A, and 2026-27 is their fourth consecutive season in the third tier.

This is a club with a Serie A past, and a fanbase that has had to adjust to more modest realities. That adjustment is visible the moment you walk into the stadium.

Here is everything you need to know.

Where To Stay

Novara’s historic centre is compact and walkable, built around Piazza Martiri della Libertà and dominated by the Basilica di San Gaudenzio, with its 121-metre dome visible from well outside the city, working as a natural landmark to help with getting your bearings.

The Duomo, the Broletto and the Castello Visconteo-Sforzesco are all within a short walk of each other, and the pedestrianised centre makes it easy to combine sightseeing with a pre-match wander.

For a central base, Albergo Italia sits about 200 metres from the Duomo and within walking distance of the train station, making it a practical choice for supporters without a car.

Cavour by LVG is another well-regarded central hotel, while Hotel Cristallo offers a straightforward, no-frills alternative closer to the edges of the centre.

As with most Italian cities, Airbnb has plenty of choices.

Where To Eat

Novara’s food identity is built on rice. The dish to try is paniscia, a dense risotto built with salame della duja, beans and local vegetables, heavier and more rustic than a standard risotto, and very much a cold-weather matchday dish.

Gorgonzola, frogs’ legs (rane), and cured meats such as fidighin and salam d’la duja round out the regional menu, alongside the city’s own biscottini di Novara.

For something on-theme, Trattoria dello Stadio does exactly what its name suggests, serving Piedmontese classics with locally sourced ingredients close to the ground. In the centre, Locanda delle Due Suocere and Hosteria I Due Ladroni are both solid choices for traditional local cooking, the latter sitting slightly higher on price.

Mastro Ciliegia, near Via Alcarotti, is worth seeking out for a more considered take on Novarese classics, including a well-regarded paniscia.

Whichever you choose, expect generous portions and unhurried service; this is Piedmontese hospitality at its most straightforward, built for long lunches rather than a quick bite before kick-off.

Where To Drink

Piazza Martiri della Libertà is the natural gathering point for a pre-match aperitivo, with several long-standing bars around the square well used to handling a matchday crowd.

Caffè Borsa, one of the square’s historic addresses, is known for a generous aperitivo buffet served at a fixed price, and remains a reliable choice for settling in with a group before heading to the stadium.

For something livelier, 049 sits under the porticoes of Palazzo Venezia on the same piazza and has become one of the reference points for Novara’s evening scene, working equally well for an early cocktail or a longer post-match stop.

Those looking for a more pub-style setting should try The Old Tower Pub for a straightforward, unpretentious atmosphere, while Plaza Café, a newer addition right on Piazza Martiri, rounds out the square with a more contemporary, design-led setting for those who prefer their aperitivo with a bit more polish.

As with most provincial Italian clubs, the more specifically football-oriented pre-match spots tend to sit closer to the stadium rather than in the centre; asking around locally on matchday is still the most reliable way to find them, since these change more often than any guide can keep up with.

Don’t Forget

Ticket prices vary by fixture and sector; recent examples have ranged from around €10-15 for Curva Nord up to €40-50 for Tribuna Vip Blu, so check on TicketOne or the club’s official channels before travelling.

Bring ID and check kick-off times beforehand as matches can be moved for television.

Did You Know?

After every home win, the Curva at the Piola breaks into Ma il cielo è sempre più blu, the Rino Gaetano classic that has become an unofficial victory anthem for Novara supporters.

In September 2024, the club opened La Casa del Novara, a small museum dedicated to the team’s history, housed in the hospitality area beneath the main stand; a worthwhile stop for visiting supporters with an interest in the club’s Serie A years.

Getting There

Novara sits directly on the Milan-Turin train line, with the station a manageable walk or short bus ride from both the centre and the stadium area.

By car, the city is just off the A4 motorway, with Milan Malpensa airport around 25 miles away, a convenient option for international visitors combining Novara with a wider Lombardy or Piedmont football trip.

Need Another Football Fix?

If timing allows, the Derby delle Risaie fixture against Pro Vercelli is the one to build a trip around. Beyond that, Novara’s location makes it an easy add-on to a wider northern Italian football weekend. Milan is under an hour away by train, opening up Serie A football at San Siro and further fixtures down the divisions across Lombardy and Piedmont.