Milan, Italy

Where to Go and What to Do In Milan

Following the theme of some of its most important companies, Fashion Week is held in Milan in February each year. Showcasing upcoming lines in clothing and accessories, and some of the more interesting and outlandish ideas designers have conceived over the last year, Fashion Week is a homage to the human form and all that can possibly adorn it. As far as travel goes, expect to be inconvenienced during this time if you are not interested in clothing, shopping, or luxury brands. The city will be fuller and busier than usual, packed as it is with teams, models, designers, and press covering the events. Fashion Week is held around the same time as another, more beloved celebration, Carnival, which is much more open and inviting for the average traveler.

Carnival is held in February as well, and celebrated across Italy, and the world in Christian and Catholic nations. Like Christmas and Saturnalia, Carnival hearkens back to a pagan era and has its roots in a festival centered on Bacchus, the god of good times and wine. Celebrated mostly on one or several weekends, depending on where you are, Carnival is a party, first and foremost, and it is possible to see the effects of that party for weeks afterward in the confetti and advertising left over on the streets. The celebrations take the form of parties, large gatherings, and parades.

Il Duomo di Milano is an awe inspiring construction dating back to 1386, although construction carried on through nearly 600 years. Through periods of construction and periods of relative neglect, the building was finally declared complete in the 20th century. As with all edifices of a certain age, restoration is a constant concern so you will often see scaffolding and workmen in the offseason, or even in high tourist time, depending on the work required. Featuring over 4,000 statues, including gargoyles, the Duomo (which in Italian is a generic term for a cathedral, but in Milan can only mean one place) is stunning to behold and grand in scale.

The outside of the Duomo is especially impressive as every one of the statues adorning its exterior walls is unique and can represent the work of craftsmen hundreds of years apart. It is possible to go inside with tickets and a reservation, and it is also possible to visit the roof, which we highly recommend. The views of the city are good, but you may not notice because the artwork and architecture of the Duomo itself is what you will be focused on.

Inside are many works of fantastic design, the centerpiece being Marco d’Agrate’s St. Bartholomew Flayed, finished in 1562. Representing the apostle after the removal of his skin, Bartholomew holds his former outer garb like a cloak, allowing the artist to render the musculature of the subject in astounding detail. A real masterwork, it is not to be missed if you will be touring the Duomo.

We suggest a minimum of 1 hour inside the Duomo, another hour outside, and a another hour on the roof.

The Galleria Vittorio Emmanuelle II is a mouthful, and depending on the definition is the oldest shopping mall in the world. It is home to many high-end, name-brand stores such as Prada, Rolex, Gucci and more. Opened in 1877, the Galleria is an open concept mall that incorporates streets and squares into its design, sharing a palazzo, a large square, with the Duomo di Milano.

Named for the first King of Italy to rule a united Italy since the 500s AD, the Galleria is ambitious, gregarious, and unforgettable. Large curved ceilings made of glass enclose the main portion most often referred to as the Galleria. Elaborate mouldings and multitudinous windows adorn the walls as well as paintings at the center of the four main hallways.

The center dome of the structure is also glass, providing ample, natural light. Stores line the halls and the tiles of the floor are decorated in patterns and mosaics that are impressive in and of themselves. The star of the floor, and depending on your view of the commercialist nature of the entire place, is one of the three coats of arms near the center. Representing three Italian cities Rome, Florence, and Torino, the Torino coat of arms features… a bull, or toro in Italian. It is tradition to touch the bull to bring good luck, and more than touch to spin on your heel three times on the bull, in a specific and sensitive place. We won’t divulge where, but it is sufficient to hint that a rather large groove has been worn into the floor at the appropriate place on the long suffering bull.

The Galleria, being an open air mall and free to enter, is a popular spot for friends to meet and people to take pictures. Whether it’s a celebratory gathering or a photo op for new clothes, you may see people taking some space to show off their duds. It happens here in one of the fashion capitals of the world, and it happens quite a bit in the Galleria.

If you simply want to walk into the Galleria and walk out, we suggest 15 minutes. If you like to shop or want to see every bit of the extended hallways and streets with shops, you could spend all day here.

The Sforzesco Castle, located on the cusp of the Parco Sempione, is free to enter and is quite impressive. Built in the 15th century and later damaged, rebuilt, enlarged, and contested in turn, the fortress has been put to good use. Now it houses nearly a dozen museums, which contrary to the open castle grounds do cost varying amounts to enter and peruse. There are a multitude of treasures therein, most tantalizing perhaps being Michelangelo’s last sculpture.

We suggest at least one hour to appreciate the grounds and buildings, 3 hours if you would like to take in the museums.

The Cimitero Monumentale di Milano, or the Monumental Cemetery of Milan, is a large cemetery first conceived and designed to condense several smaller graveyards into a central location. Home to many famous Milanesi (citizens of Milan), the cemetery is home to wonderful works of art in the form of mausoleums and tombstones. As is often the case in large cities, in Europe and elsewhere, some of the most tasteful and thoughtful artwork to be found in the public eye is found in the resting places of their citizens. Milan is no exception.

We suggest at least 1.5 hours to walk the paths of the Monumentale.

The Cimitero Maggiore di Milano is a second large cemetery, actually larger than the Cimitero Monumentale. Built later to accommodate the space needed to serve the city, it lacks the overt displays of art and splendor the Monumentale provides. Whether you decide to visit one or both of these places, know they are free to visit, they have hours when they are open, and it is imperative to be respectful in such a place, especially as a visitor to another country.

The Last Supper, located in the Santa Maria delle Grazie and a UNESCO World Heritage site, is almost as famous as its creator, Leonardo da Vinci. Depicting Jesus and his disciples sharing their last meal together, the painting was completed at the very end of the 15th century. It is unusual and notable as the painting is not traditional in the sense we think of paintings today; this is one of Leonardo’s largest works, the mediums used were unorthodox, and the work itself is on a wall in a dining hall of the monastery.

Due to these irregularities and the simple passing of time, the Last Supper has faded and been damaged repeatedly, and been repaired accordingly. Most of the original material has degraded and been replaced, leaving us with a kind of Ship of Theseus, Last Supper crossover. Frescoes are not meant to last forever, after all. The fragile nature of this piece of art means that it is now kept in a controlled environment, with temperature and humidity being monitored carefully. If you want to visit, you will need to purchase a ticket well ahead of time and reserve a time slot. We suggest not waiting and doing so as soon as possible if you plan on viewing it. You can make these arrangements here.

The painting is still Leonardo’s work in its original form however, and there is little else that could have been done to battle entropy, so there’s no use crying over spilled tempera on gesso. Little art joke for you there.

SPORT

Home of one of the Big 5 soccer leagues of Europe, Serie A, Italy boasts many great and storied teams, two of which call Milan home. They are A.C. Milan and Inter Milan, names any European soccer team will recognize. These two city rivals both play at the impressive San Siro Stadium, which you can tour for €30. There is a Metro stop just near the stadium, and it isn’t far from the city center, so even if you don’t want to shell out the cash to go inside, or see a game, a photo opportunity is possible for a little of your time.

Another major sport and reason to visit Milan is Formula 1. There is a track for the professional circuit in nearby Monza, and crowds of over 100,000 people gather to see the annual race there. Additional, although less popular, sports include basketball and ice hockey.

If you are arriving by plane you are probably going to fly into Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP). Know that Malpensa is about an hour from downtown Milan by train, and it costs about €10 to take the fast train straight from the airport. Uber, taxi, or rental car are of course available as well, but they will all be more expensive. If you are arriving by train there are several stations you could stop at, but the one downtown is, predictably, Milano Centrale.

The metro is easy to use and works in the same manner as most every other underground train system. Simply find the route you want to take, note the last stop on that route, and head that direction. Everything will be labeled so if you’re a bit nervous at first, just stand to the side and look around at the signs, maps, and what everyone else is doing. You’ll be able to figure it out in a minute or two.

How to Get Around Milan

You can use your credit card at each station to swipe in and out of the turnstiles so the system knows to charge you and where you got on and off. You can also purchase paper tickets (biglietti) at each metro station at one of the vending machines or from a ticket office. You can find a map of the Milan Metro here.

There are buses and trams as well as the metro in Milan, and the prices are fairly reasonable. For a single trip the cost is €1.5 but an all day pass is €4.5. A week is €11.30 and a month is €35. As you can see, the longer your pass lasts, the more likely you are to save money per trip, so if you’re here for a while consider getting the longer passes. Each pass works interchangeably between the bus, metro, and tram, so it is a one stop public transportation solution.

Less than an hour from Milan proper by train, you can reach the popular lake town of Como. Beautiful lakeshore, colorful community, and easygoing tourist destination a little off the beaten track await at this picturesque Italian town, and the other towns surrounding Lake Como. This is indicative of the excellent position that Milan is in respective to the rest of the country, and even Switzerland, France, and Lichtenstein. Within a few hours you can be in hundreds of different, picturesque landscapes located in the Alps, the Dolomites, Tuscany, or the Mediterranean Sea.

We have a little chart here to show how far some of the major destinations in Italy are from Milan. We have not written in the time it takes to get there because if you take the train it is going to depend on which train you take. Italy has high speed rail and slower speed commuter trains. Both are perfectly safe, easy, and convenient. You may rent a car of course, but if you’re going to confine your activities to urban areas, we suggest forgoing the expense and using the trains and public transportation. If you do use the train system, you will want to use the Trenitalia app or website, the ItaliaRail website, or Omio which is a search engine for transportation tickets.

Trains in Italy can be a little confusing at first, but we will simplify it. Trenitalia is the state owned train service that runs trains, fast and slow, throughout Italy. Italo is a different company that only runs fast trains, mainly to and from large urban areas. Different trains are going to go to the same stop, but may take fewer stops or travel more swiftly. Hence the disparity in travel time and in price for the same routes. Do your research. Each search portal will give you a price and travel time.

Be aware that different trains will have different amenities as well. Regional trains, generally the longer trips, will have wireless internet available, but shorter trips will not. Generally they will also have dining or bar cars where people can purchase refreshments.

Luggage storage can be a concern when you are moving around a city or country often, or when you arrive in a city but cannot check into your accommodations yet. Bounce is a luggage storage service we had success using in Italy, and if there aren’t more convenient options at the airport or train station you are in, they can be a great service. There are other companies like Stow Your Bags or Stasher, and others. The most convenient option is one that won’t cost too much and is in a place you can come back to without much fuss. We’ve used several and had good experiences across the board. Just use a service that looks reputable.

It is often the case that your hotel, Airbnb, Vrbo, or whatever will hold onto your bags for you after you check out. We have done this multiple times to maximize our time in a city, and to take a later train than our check out time. We have never been charged in Italy for this service, as it was seen as being an option that is included in the price of the room.

A trip to Italy is hardly complete without that greatest of Italian desserts, gelato! The uninitiated should beware, not all gelato is made equal. Be on the lookout for gelaterias that have their gelato hidden under metal covers. If the ice cream is piled high for all to see, it may look nice, but it is not traditional gelato. While it may also be delicious, the best we had was from the covered containers. In Milan, there are many places to go, but if you want a place that hits every time, we suggest Grom. Fun to say, even more fun to eat, Grom serves it the right way and it’s a chain so can offer a weary traveler some piece of mind.

The Starbucks Reserve is a Starbucks, yes, but it isn’t the normal drive-through-on-the-way-to-work kind of Starbucks. It’s an experience. We mean that in a good way too; there are only 6 of these special locations in the world, and they are pretty cool. Designed in an open, large format manner, the Reserve Roastery in Milan features 4 different bars from which to order, one of which serves alcohol. The menu is special to this location, and they’ve got some good looking, and better yet good tasting, coffee and pastries. The prices, at least for most of the items, are on par with a normal Starbucks, so as long as you’re able to find a seat you’ll be just fine enjoying a special coffee in a nice place. That is easier said than done though, as most of the time it is packed. We waited for about 15 minutes before one of the employees found a seat for us. That was fine though as we ordered and were served in that time, and it was fun to look around.

Aside from the multiple bars, there is a balcony area, a roaster on the floor that you can observe from your seat, and a transportation system made of tubes for different kind of beans that is just good fun to watch. The baristas also indulge the customers with some special coffee brewing techniques you won’t find at any other Starbucks, or most any other café in general. We highly recommend taking 30 minutes to stop by if you are a coffee lover.

Click here for a map of our favorite places in Milan!