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Milan
17 Best Things to Do and Visit in Milan
The stylish Italian city of Milan is located in the northern part of the country, Lombardy. Being the capital of finance and fashion, the stylish city has a sophisticated metropolis. Some global top clothing brands are based in Milano, making it an attractive center for shopping activities.
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy after Rome, It was founded in 600 BC by Celts and its original name was Mediolanum. Today Milan is one of the most visited cities in Italy, modern, beautiful, and rich in history, this city has got cultural institutions that have long existed with a center of attraction, such as the Duomo Cathedral and La Scala.
In this article, I will share the best places to visit in Milan.
1. Piazza Del Duomo
You can not miss this vibrant city square when you visit Milan, it’s always crowded with locals and tourists, It could be a very good starting point to discover Milan. You can walk around and take nice pictures of the Duomo, Galleria, and Museo del Novecento. At the center of the square, you’ll see the equestrian statue of Vittorio Emanuele II. It was commissioned by Umberto I in memory of his father, in 1870. There are also many shops and cafes around the plaza, take some time to sit down and do some people watching, and enjoy the atmosphere. At night there are usually street performers providing a bit of entertainment. There is a metro stop “Duomo” that exits right in the middle of the square for those who use public transport.
2. Duomo di Milano – The Cathedral
Truly, this is one of the most magnificent cathedrals I have ever visited, you should visit too, regardless of your religion. The Duomo, a symbol of Milan worldwide, is one of the largest cathedrals in Italy and Europe. Looking at Duomo’s exterior is breathtaking, it is an architectural marvel, and every angle and statue is unique and beautiful, also the stained glass windows are particularly beautiful.
There is a skip line option with a lift to go on top of the Duomo, it is a little bit pricy but worth it as you’ll enjoy the most beautiful views of the city.
3. Go Shopping to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Milan is considered the capital of Fashion, and the Galleria Vittorio is one of the world’s original and oldest shopping malls – and is the place to shop in Milan. I particularly liked the glass roof, and the whole architecture is simply magnificent.
The elegant arcade is filled with many high-end fashion shops, it is usually very crowded as it is one of the most visited places in the city.
4. La Scala
World-known Alla Scala theatre was built in 1778. Mozart performed one of his early compositions here at the age of fourteen, his statue is inside, among many other beautiful paintings. if you can not attend the show you can visit the la scala museum, you will get a chance to look at the theater’s interior.
On the square, you will see the Leonardo Da Vinci statue, palazzo Marino Milan’s city hall, and, a former commercial bank building, which now is open as a museum showing the bank’s richest collection. the interior is very impressive and the entrance is completely free.
5. Pinacoteca Di Brera
If you like art you should not miss this place, it is a beautiful building full of paintings, they have various displays, pre-renaissance and also modern art. Many of them are religious paintings, there are also great pieces by some of the great Italian masters including Raphael, Caravaggio, Bellini, and others. Great museum to spend some time relaxing and admiring beautiful art.
6. Porta Venezia
Porto Venezia is the historical gateway to Milan, formally named in the hope that Venice would join a newborn kingdom of Italy. Porta Venezia consists of two neoclassical buildings and one of the rear city gates that don’t look like an arch.
A few minutes walking you can take a look at the Villa Reale building with its beautiful gardens, also Giardini Public Park is worth visiting in the area, a beautiful garden that hosts several museums.
7. Bosco Vertical
Very impressive modern twin residential towers of Milan, covered with about 1000 trees and plants on the exterior, it was awarded as the best architectural building in 2015.
A unique place where birds and humans live together in beautiful harmony. The urban park in front of the buildings is also very nice to relax and admire the architecture.
8. From Porta Garibaldo to Modern Square
Another beautiful gate of Milano city. It is a very nice architectural gare with a large arch in the middle and decorated with many figures. This is one of my favorite gates in Milan so far, I passed this gate and found myself in a very modern part of the city, the Piazza Gae Aulenti, it is a very modern square with lots of modern skyscrapers, also worth visiting.
9. Sempione Park
The most beautiful park in Milan, very easily accessible as it is located right in the middle of the city, a great place to take a break from a noisy city and relax, the park is well organized and preserved, you can see lots of animals, birds, people jogging, dogs running free and, turtles in the large lake in the middle of the park.
There are numerous beautiful monuments as well, the Arch of Triumph is one of the most iconic monuments of Milan, and if you have more time I recommend you check out the Aquarium that’s also inside the park.
A very pleasant scenery overall. Must visit!
10. Castello Sforzesco
The Sforza Castle (Italian: Castello Sforzesco) is known to have originated in the year 1360 during the reign of a Milan ruler, Galeazzo II Visconti, who ensured that a fortress was built close to the wall of the city. Ten years later, it was enlarged. The most famous Milan medieval building houses various fine and decorative arts.
The rooms of this museum are themselves a work of art, as they were decorated by Leonardo da Vinci. It is divided into numerous displays such as Decorative Arts, Musical Instruments, and, Archeological Museum.
The unfinished work of Miguel Angelo Pieta is one of the major attractions of the museum.
You can even see historic coats of arms, as well as the royal standard of King Philip II of Spain, who assumed the title of Duke of Milan in the mid-16th century.
11. Leonardo’s Last Supper
Leonardo Da Vinci lived 17 years in Milan and left here an important mark, symbolized especially by the Last Supper which is now in Santa Maria Delle Grazie cathedral. This beautiful church was adopted by Duke Ludovico Sforza of Milan and he wanted to decorate it in a manner that reflected his wealth and power. Leonardo began work in 1495 and completed the painting three years later. The painting was restored a few times in the following centuries.
Plan ahead for your visit, usually, visitors are limited to 25 people for 15 minutes each time.
12. Giuseppe Meazza Stadium
Also known as San Siro, it is one of the world’s most famous football stadiums. The stadium is home to two of the most famous Italian football teams, AC Milan and Inter. If it is not a game day, you can always visit the museum that’s inside the stadium. There you can check out the collection of t-shirts that have been used by some of the famous football players, like Paolo Maldini from AC Milan or Giuseppe Meazza from Inter, and many other legendary players from around the world. The stadium also displays the won trophies of these teams.
Impressive was seeing Pele’s original t-shirt signed by himself along with his original Puma boots of the 60’s.
The ticket also includes entrance to the dressing rooms of both teams, it might be different now, but when I visited the actual seats where players sit to change cloth didn’t have names, and you can ask the tour guide which one is your favorite player’s seat.
13. Leonardo’s Horse
Leonardo had a grand and unfulfilled vision to create the world’s biggest horse statue, but he never finished the project. It was later in the 20th century when a USA retired commercial airline pilot Charles C. Dent initiated the project, and it was finally finished in 1999 by the organization he founded. Five replicas of this version are also on display worldwide, the biggest one is standing at the Hippodrome of San Siro in Milan.
It is an impressive monument worth the effort of visiting the place.
14. Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio
A masterpiece of Romanesque architecture started in 379 and was completed in the 10th century. It is dedicated to the patron saint of Milan, St. Ambrosio. His body has been continuously venerated and may still be viewed in the church.
The Basilica is an interesting historical site, with features dating back to the early centuries, the interior has an altar with a wonderful mosaic, if you are in Milan you must visit the Basilica.
15. See more art in the Nacional Museum of Science
Visit one of the most attractive historical sites in Milan and travel through the past, present, and future of science and technology. Discover varied exhibits and workshops on energy, materials, communication, transport, and particle physics. Visit the most important collection in the world of historical models based on Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings.
There is a Space area displaying the only Moon fragment visible in Italy.
I think this might be one of the best science Museums. It has a lot of fun interactions, everything from models of the vacuum tubes at CERN, the first electric rail machine, a huge submarine, several trains, a glider, a rocket, old cars, a ship, an airplane, a stripped helicopter where you can sit and steer the collector, pedals and rotor inclination to the history of telecommunications, a space nebula video that you could manipulate and more.
Absolutely worth it! People of all ages would enjoy this museum.
16. Oldest Church in Milan
A copy of a statue of Constantine, the first Christian Roman emperor, stands elegantly outside the church.
Saint Lorenzo Basilica, founded in the 4th century, is the oldest church in Milan. Dedicated to Christian martyr Saint Lorenzo, it was among the largest church buildings in Europe.
Despite all the renovations, the church has retained the original Byzantine structure. Behind the chapel, you can view the original foundations made from materials taken from Roman times.
The place does deserve the visit and you won’t regret it.
Next to the basilica, you can also visit Basílica de Sant’Eustorgio and the remains of the Anfiteatro Romano.
17. Try some Italian food next to the Canal
This is your personal journey, during which you will be able to discover a lot of new and interesting things, I am sure you will find many other nice neighborhoods and areas in Milan but if I have to recommend one it would be the Naviglio area, after many hours of walking I ended up having dinner in this place, right next to the canal with beautiful views.
Very nice place that has its own special atmosphere, full of many restaurants, bars, cafes, and shops.
On a final note…
Milan is a great city, not just in its buildings and culture but also in its amenities and people. You can only fully understand the joy of this town when you take out time to visit it. Plan your trip today and see the city of Milan and all its beauties.
*Important note: Please remember to check for the restrictions or any other changes while planning your trip.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.