Top Sights in Milan, Italy

You should definitely plan a few days for your sightseeing tour of Milan, because there is really a lot to see! The following highlights are part of the must-do programme:

Milan Cathedral

The landmark

According to WEDDINGINFASHION, Milan Cathedral is one of the largest churches in the world and you should definitely see the huge cathedral from the inside.

Milan Cathedral has around 3400 statues and 164 windows.

One of the highlights of the cathedral is also the all-round accessible roof terrace: here you can walk between the stone columns and statues of the cathedral, with a great view of the city.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele

The Royal Shopping Arcade

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele is the oldest shopping arcade in Italy and is also called “Milan’s living room”.

Gilded stucco, mosaics, chic designer shops and cafés line the passage that connects Cathedral Square to Teatro alla Scala.

A walk through the historic building, named after the then King of Italy, is a must in Milan!

Navigli

Shop along the canal and sip cocktails

The Navigli are two canals and the associated harbor basin in the center of Milan, where there are a number of bars, restaurants and boutiques .

The two watercourses are called Naviglio Grande and Naviglio Pavese and are the hotspots in Milan for an aperitivo in the early evening.

You can also shop here during the day, especially when the second-hand market Fiera di Sinigaglia takes place on Saturdays.

Sforzesco Castle

A castle in the middle of the city

The Castello Sforzesco Castle is great for a stroll through Milan. The interiors house a number of museums and temporary exhibitions and the inner courtyards are freely accessible .

Admission to the museums costs a total of only 5 euros.

Right behind the castle is the huge city park Parco Sempione with lakes, meadows and lots of shady spots.

Bosco Verticale

The Vertical Forest

The unique twin towers are Milan’s flagship project when it comes to environmental protection . Two towers around 100 meters high, whose outer facades are planted with thousands of bushes and trees.

The aim of the project is to improve the air quality of the city, to create new habitats for animals and to counteract the spread of the metropolis into the surrounding area.

The Bosco Verticale is not far from the main train station.

Quadrilatero della Moda

The Fashion Square

Four streets that meet here and form a square: hence the term Quadrilatero . If you want to shop for Gucci, Hermés & Co. in Milan , then you have to go to the fashion square.

The most famous of the four streets is Via Monte Napoleone. Along with 5th Avenue in New York , it is considered one of the most expensive streets in the world .

7 facts about Milan

  1. Rome may be Italy’s capital, but Milan is Italy’s tech and financial capital .
  2. Milan is international: over 20% of the residents come from other countries.
  3. Milan has three airports: Bergamo, Malpensa and Linate. The most convenient way to fly to Malpensa is from Germany .
  4. Milan Fashion Week takes place 4 times a year: in January, July, February and September.
  5. The Milan Cathedral took 400 years to build.
  6. Milan has the most developed tram network in Europe with a total of 17 tram lines. The historic tram line 1 is particularly worth seeing .
  7. Milan has been Spanish, French and Austrian before!

The most beautiful museums in Milan

Of course, Milan also has a lot of interesting museums for every taste. Don’t miss the following collections:

Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci

The largest science museum in Italy

Milan houses the largest number of Leonardo da Vinci artworks and models anywhere.

In this museum you will not only find his works, but also exciting exhibits from all areas of science : chemistry, physics, biology and even robotics.

The absolute highlight of the museum is an original submarine, which can also be viewed from the inside.

Pinacoteca Ambrosiana

Paintings, Objects & Manuscripts

The Pinacoteca Ambrosiana is an art museum with paintings, sculptures, manuscripts and other artefacts from the 14th century to the 20th century.

Paintings by, for example, Caravaggio, da Vinci and Botticelli are on display here. The library integrated in the museum is particularly famous , where you can see original hand drawings by Leonardo da Vinci.

Pinacoteca di Brera

One of the most important art museums in Italy

The Pinacoteca di Brera is probably the most famous museum in Milan and one of the most important art museums in Italy.

Everything revolves around art from the 14th to the 20th century. The works exhibited here come not only from the usual Italian artists, but also from Picasso, Rubens or Van Dyck.

Shopping in Milan

Milan is the fashion metropolis par excellence. A little shopping should definitely be on your agenda.

You don’t necessarily have to blow your travel budget with expensive designer fashion, because there are boutiques for every budget in Milan.

The following streets and neighborhoods are perfect for shopping:

Corso Ticinese – Second hand boutiques and record shops. The shopping mile is Milan’s best address for alternative shopping. Here you will find vintage jewellers, independent fashion labels and delicious restaurants.

Via Monte Napoleone – haute couture. Only luxury boutiques are lined up here. The street belongs to the Quadrilatero della Moda, the so-called fashion square.

Corso Buenos Aires – the big fashion chains. The street is one of the longest shopping streets in Europe, with over 350 stores such as H&M, Zara, Mango & Co.

Fiera di Sinigaglia – flea market with over 100 stalls. The market is one of the oldest in Milan and takes place every Saturday along the Naviglio Grande canal.

Via Brera – artists’ studios and literary cafés. The Brera district has always been the hotspot for refined craftsmanship in Milan.

Sforzesco Castle

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