The best things to do in Milan
Famously known for its exceptional fashion scene, the legacy of Leonardo Da Vinci, iconic hotels and landmarks, fine cuisine and strong culture, Milan is an extraordinary city with a rich history.
Millions of arrivals take place every year and there is a reason why many gravitate to Milan as it is the home to numerous renowned art-works such as Madonna of the Book by Sandro Botticelli, The Fourth Estate by Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo and Rondanini Pietà by Michelangelo but also to huge fashion legends such as Versace, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and Bottega Veneta.
Whether with family or friends, for a week or weekend, there is a plethora of options when comes to things to do in Milan, making it the perfect trip for any traveller. The city is also very much recognised as having some of the most accessible and comprehensive transport links in Italy which make travelling in and around, pretty simple. I have returned here a number of times, on some occasions, solo and on others with loved ones but each visit feels like the first as there is always something new to experience. So without further ado, these are the best things to do in Milan.
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Cenacolo Vinciano (The Last Supper Museum)
Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper needs no introduction. It can be rather difficult to get hold of one of the 15-minute slots for viewing the much-acclaimed historic masterpiece, but it's worth the effort if you are planning your trip to Milan far in advance. The former Dominican convent which houses the mural, the Santa Maria delle Grazie church, is an exquisite example of Italian, and in particular Lombardian, Renaissance-era architecture. There’s a wealth of ornate detailing to take in, and Giovanni Donato’s Crucifixion is another impressive fresco to study too.
Address: Cenacolo Vinciano, Piazza di Santa Maria delle Grazie, 2, 20123, Milan, Italy
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Chinatown
Milan’s vibrant Chinatown has been spreading around the pedestrianised Via Paolo Sarpi since the 1920s. At aperitivo hour (as well as on the weekends) you’ll find throngs of locals queuing for steaming favourites like baozi and dumplings. As well as the miscellany of eateries representing various East and Southeast Asian cuisines – ranging from tea houses and dim sum parlours to street-food stalls – the Fabrica Del Vapore cultural centre offers a programme of contemporary art exhibitions. Design lovers should also make their way to the neighbouring ADI Design Museum.
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Cimitero Monumentale
This aptly named sprawling cemetery is home to some of the most beautiful 19th- and 20th-century sculptures. The artistic styles found across the many tombs and monuments range from contemporary to classical, and include the work of lauded artists, designers and architects such as Adolfo Wildt, Giò Ponti and Carlo Maciachini. Many prominent Italian figures, ranging from artists to politicians, have been laid to rest here over the past 200 years. A guided tour of the cemetery is recommended to unlock many remarkable individual histories, many of which are interwoven with Italy’s immensely rich cultural history.
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Quadrilatero della Moda (Fashion Square)
The cluster of streets forming this upscale fashion district are lined with flagship stores from many of the world’s most eminent luxury brands, as well as exclusive Italian boutiques. Unsurprisingly, the area is also dotted with a number of five-star hotels showcasing the best of Milanese grandeur. The third most expensive street in the world, Via Monte Napoleone, forms the main artery, and other high-end shopping streets worth ambling through include Via della Spiga, Via Sant’Andrea and Via del Gesù. For perusing other forms of treasure, around this luxury goods mecca you can find some of Milan’s less well-known museum collections, such as the fascinating displays of Etruscan artefacts at the Fondazione Rovati.
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Bosco Verticale
Bosco Verticale, translating to ‘Vertical Forests’, are two residential towers situated in the Porta Nuova district of Milan. Completed in 2014, the concept behind the towers was to provide a home whereby both humans and trees live together. Bosco Verticale can be viewed as a metropolitan reforestation or urban ecosystem as the pair give back to nature and the surrounding environment and although they are homes for residents, they have also become architectural marvels of the city and add to the many landmarks and structures to see whilst in Milan. With thousands of trees and shrubs covering the 260 and 360-foot towers, their luscious green facades deserve much admiration and are certainly worth viewing when visiting the city. Also worth visiting is the surrounding Biblioteca degli Alberi (Library of Trees). With its unique geometric design, the network of overlapping verdant grids is an impressive feat of botanical innovation. The futuristic ten-hectare garden is home to hundreds of varieties of flora, making it a local hotspot for exercising and relaxing alike.
Address: Via Gaetano de Castillia, 11, 20124
Website: quimmo.it Brera district
Known also as the artists’ quarter of Milan, the Brera district is a vibrant area filled with contemporary art galleries such as Pinacoteca di Brera, Galleria Antonio Battaglia and Miart Gallery, and the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera which is an academy for fine arts in the heart of the district. Cobbled streets add to the charm of Brera as well as boutique stores and Milanese restaurants. Make sure to plan ahead and include a trip to the Brera market which takes place every third Sunday of the month (apart from during August).
Terrazza Aperol
Located in the centre of the city, Terrazza Aperol is a modern bar with an elegant terrace offering great views of Duomo di Milano whilst overlooking the piazza. With its central location and a few minutes' walk from the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Terrazza Aperol is an ideal meeting point before and after a day of Milano shopping and sightseeing. Here, local dishes and delicious meals can be enjoyed. Due to its popularity, there’s often a short queue to get in but it's worth the wait once you're inside and can soak up the view with a glass of Aperol Spritz.
Address: Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, 20121
Website: ilmercatodelduomo.it- Alamy
Fondazione Prada
Founded in 1993 and co-chaired by Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli since 1995, Fondazione Prada is an art and culture institution with shows also displayed in Tokyo and Shanghai. The permanent venue is based in the south of Milan, Largo Isarco, within a former gin distillery from 1910 – which makes an innovative and striking headquarters. Plenty of incredible and bold contemporary works of art have been on show through Fondazione Prada with the institution taking a keen interest in specific areas like cinema, science and music. Some artists who have exhibited their work for Fondazione Prada include Jeff Koons, Carsten Höller and Mariko Mori.
Address: L.go Isarco, 2, 20139
Website: fondazioneprada.org
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Marchesi 1824 - Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
A sophisticated pastry shop with a history spanning back to 1824, Marchesi 1824 first originated in Via Santa Maria alla Porta and then later expanded to Via Monte Napoleone and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II with views overlooking the charming shopping gallery. Here, visitors can enjoy the elegant Milanese setting offering anything from coffee to cocktails, delightful pastries, sweet or savoury selections and even delicate chocolate treats packaged beautifully to take away upon departure. Walk-ins are available but if anyone wishes for the highly desirable seats by the windows for the great views, then making a reservation beforehand would be useful.
Address: Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, In Galleria de Prada 20121
Website: pasticceriamarchesi.com - Alamy
Mudec
In 1990, Milan City Council managed to hold onto a fundamental piece of the history of the city by converting a former Ansaldo factory into Mudec, an art and culture museum. Mudec houses studios, workshops and a range of exhibitions which change throughout the year. Although the museum’s sleek and modern design is a work of art in itself, here visitors can view various forms of art with an insight into different cultures.
Getting here is straightforward by metro. It takes roughly 25 minutes to Mudec from Duomo with the closest stations to the museum being Sant’Agostino and Porta Genova.Address: Via Tortona, 56, 20144
Website: mudec.it - Getty Images
Triennale di Milano
Located in Parco Sempione, Triennale di Milano was founded in 1923. It was originally in Monza before moving to Palazzo dell’Arte in 1933 where it is now housed, offering a rotation of exhibitions as well as permanent displays. Between 1936 and 1996, the museum held many exhibitions and then took a break of twenty years until starting again in 2016. Several hours can be spent taking in the fine arts and architecture of La Triennale before enjoying the grounds of Parco Sempione, the largest park in Milan. Walking to the museum from the centre of the city takes roughly around 20 minutes and makes a pleasant journey on foot filled with beautiful architecture and stores to admire. Cadorna FN and Cadorna M1 M2 are the closest stations if you should choose to take the metro.
Address: Viale Emilio Alemagna, 6, 20121
Website: triennale.org - Getty Images
The Duomo
Milan's magnificent Gothic cathedral is the third biggest church in Europe (after St Peter's in Rome and the cathedral of Seville) and sublimely dominates both the great piazza on which it is located and the city of which it has long been the centre. Five hundred years in the making, it contains 3,500 statues. Its 135 spires can be viewed up close on the roof, accessible by lift or stairs.
Address: Piazza del Duomo, Milan, Italy
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Milan's canals
Milan used to be thickly webbed with navigli (canals), the arterial trade links to the countryside. Most have sadly disappeared, but the banks of two of the remaining ones, and the basin where they join up, known as Darsena, have in the past two decades become the city's liveliest area for informal drinking, dining, browsing in antique shops or simply strolling by the water. The area is south-west of the centre and within walking distance of Porta Genova on Metro line 2.
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The Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio
Hidden away in the back streets near the castle is the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio. Named after the fourth-century bishop who became Milan's patron saint, it runs the Duomo a close second as the city's most important church. Within its sober, red-brick walls, it is packed with history and artistic masterpieces, including a solid-gold 12th-century altar: the saint's embalmed body is underneath it. The church is a short walk from Sant'Ambrogio Metro station (Line 2).
Address: The Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio, Piazza Sant'Ambrogio 15, Milan, Italy
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Piazza dei Mercanti
This was the medieval centre of the city and is preserved pretty much as it was centuries ago. Within the piazza is the Loggia degli Osii, an ancient administrative building from the balcony of which the city fathers used to address the citizens, and the Palazzo della Ragione (Palace of Reason) which in 2010 hosted a hugely successful Caravaggio exhibition. Walking away from the cathedral, go down via Mercanti, the street that bears right. The piazza is a few yards along on the left.
Address: Piazza dei Mercanti, Milan, Italy
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Castello Sforzesco
The city's former hub of power is one kilometre north-west of the Duomo. Built in the 14th century by the Visconti family, the castle was converted into a cultural treasure-house around 1900. Its 12 museums and archives cover art from ancient times to the Renaissance, and there's a lively programme of exhibitions.
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Stazione Centrale
Work on Milan’s new central railway station was already underway when Mussolini transformed it into a symbol of Fascist muscularity and national pride. The result, completed in 1931, was overbearingly huge and intimidating, with long, steep flights of steps to the platforms. An ambitious refurbishment in 2011 left the station much more pleasant to use and with many shops, including an excellent Feltrinelli bookshop. A decade later, a further refurbishment saw a new dining destination added to the station’s west wing – Mercato Centrale. Echoing its sister sites in Florence, Rome and Turin, the bustling labyrinth combines an urban grunge-chic aesthetic with a varied food offering, including outposts from heavyweights of the Italian food scene such as Marco Bruni and Davide Longoni.
Address: Stazione Centrale, Piazza Duca d'Aosta 1, Milan, Italy
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Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
The soaring arcade of stone, glass and wrought iron that links piazza del Duomo with La Scala was built by a British firm, the City of Milan Improvement Company, and opened by King Vittorio Emanuele II in 1867. More than an upmarket shopping arcade, it has echoed to the tramp of 140 years of protest marches; today knots of locals can still be found loudly discussing the behaviour of the government in what is called 'the drawing-room of the Milanese'.
Address: Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Piazza del Duomo, Milan, Italy
Website: yesmilano.it - Shutterstock
La Scala
Known simply as 'the home of opera' for more than 200 years, La Scala was inaugurated in its present form in 1778 and became a symbol of Italian resistance to Austrian rule in the 19th century. A museum next door charts the theatre's rich history.
Address: La Scala, Via Filodrammatici 2, Milan Italy
Website: teatroallascala.orgThis article was originally written by former contributing editor Peter Popham, and has since been updated