There are many places to visit in Milan, capital of the Italian region of Lombardy and known as the city of fashion. Perfect to spend a weekend, with an attractive historical center in which the Duomo square stands out with the jewel of the city, the cathedral, it is a city that we are sure, will not leave you indifferent. In addition to enjoying parks, monuments, shops, as a good Italian city, it has one of the best gastronomies in the world, another of the many reasons to travel to one of the fashion cities.
Located in northern Italy, if you have more days, you can approach the beautiful region of the lakes in which Lake Como or Lake Garda stands out, or take a train route through the Swiss Alps, considered two of the Best excursions from Milan.
Based on our trip to Milan and Bergamo in 4 days, we have made a list of what we believe are the10 most essential places to visit in Milan. We start!
1. Milan Cathedral
The Cathedral of Milan or the Duomo, one of the largest and most beautiful cathedrals in the world, is one of the most essential places to visit in Milan. This Gothic cathedral, which began to be built at the end of the 14th century and took five centuries to be completed, stands out for its pink white marble facade and for its terrace with towers and pinnacles with different statues.
Inside you can see the Statue of Bartholomew the Apostle and the Renaissance-style marble altar, where behind the altar a Nail of the Cross of Christ is kept.
You can also visit the Crypt, the Treasury, the Baptistery and under the cathedral the remains of the old church of Santa Tecla and the baptistery, another of the many reasons why not miss this interesting visit.
Our favorite place in the cathedral is the terrace, with incredible panoramic views of the city between statues and pinnacles. You can book here the entrance to the cathedral with access to the terrace without having to queue.
A good way to know the history of the city and curiosities is to book this visit with a guide in Spanish that passes through the main monuments of the city or this free tour of Milan Free !.
Visiting hours: every day from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Il Duomo of Milan
2. Church Santa Maria delle Grazie
In the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, about 20 minutes walk from the Plaza del Duomo, is one of the masterpieces of art history. On the wall of the dining room of this former Dominican convent, the genius Leonardo da Vinci painted the fresco of The Last Supper, which highlights the figure that is to the right of Christ, with very feminine features, which could be Mary Magdalene , of which some theories say that she was the wife of Jesus, in addition to being one of the plot threads that Dan Brown used in his novel The Da Vinci Code.
The work has suffered the passage of time and the different wars that have caused it to deteriorate and even after a great restoration it is in a fragile state of conservation, so it limits access to few visits during the day.
To visit it, it is best to book the tickets well in advance being a good option to book this visit in which a guide in Spanish who will explain the whole history of the fresco or this offer that also includes a guided tour in Spanish through the city.
Visiting time The Last Supper: Tuesday to Sunday from 8:15 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.
The Last Supper of Leonardo da Vinci
3. Sforzesco Castle
Sforzesco Castle, a fortress of 1368, is another of the most essential places to visit in Milan. Going down Vía Dante, about 20 minutes from the walking cathedral, this castle is destroyed by Napoleon and rebuilt a century later to return it to what it looked like during the splendor of the Sforza family.
Inside the castle there are several museums: the Museum of Ancient Art, the Egyptian Museum, the Pinoteca, the Museum of Decorative Arts, the Furniture Museum and the Museum of Prehistory and Protohistory.
A good option to tour the city, if you do not have much time is to book the tourist bus that stops at the main points of interest in Milan or this private tour in which you choose what you want to visit with a guide in Spanish.
Castle visiting hours: every day from 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Free pass.
Sforzesco Castle, one of the places to see in Milan
Recommended travel cardsRemember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
4. Brera Neighborhood
Another place you have what to see in Milan, is the bohemian neighborhood of Brera, where you will enjoy walking through its cobbled streets and entering original shops, coffee shops and charming taverns. The buildings of the 18th century, among which Palazzo Brera stands out with its Pinotec, is one of the most important museums in the world, with paintings by great masters from the 13th to the 20th centuries, which will make you go back in time.
It is also worth seeing some of its 4 most famous churches: the Chiesa di San Marco, the Chiesa Santa María del Carmine, the Basilica San Simpliciano or the Chiesa di Sant'Angelo.
The neighborhood is concentrated in several streets such as Corso Como, via Solferino, via Pontaccio, Corso Garibaldi or via Brera and the best way to get there is on foot as it is less than a kilometer from the center.
Brera Pinoteca
5. Quadrilatero d'Oro
Milan is the capital of Italian and international fashion and at Quadrilatero d'Oro you will find the most luxurious stores of the most famous fashion brands and designers from around the world.
Its name is due to the fact that it is delimited by four streets: Corso Venecia, Vía della Spiga, Vía Alessandro Manzoni and Vía Monte Napoleone, being the latter part of the list of the most expensive streets in the world, comparable to Fifth Avenue in Nueva York
It is worth coming just to see the elegant buildings with their spectacular showcases, although you can not miss the fashion workshops, the original coffee shops, the old palaces, the boutiques, the jewelry stores or the perfumeries.
Book the best rated tours and excursions in Spanish in Milan by travelers:
- Excursion to Lake Como and Bellagio
- Swiss Alps at the Bernina Express
- Offer: Visit of Milan + The Last Supper
- Guided tour of the Teatro alla Scala
- Excursion to Venice
- More excursions and tours here
6. Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery
Strolling through the beautiful Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery, dedicated to one of the most important kings in the history of Italy, is one of the best things to do in Milan. This gallery known as the "Milan lounge"in the shape of a cross, it stands out for its large glazed dome and links the Plaza del Duomo with the Plaza de La Scala, two of the most important squares in the city.
Inside the gallery you will find shops of luxurious firms, historic coffee shops, restaurants with pleasant terraces to eat or drink and even an elegant McDonald's.
There are several mosaics spread between the floor and the sides of the gallery, among which the wolf of Rome and the Torino bull stand out, in which you will see a small hole in the drawing, which says that if you put your foot inside and You take three turns, it will bring you good luck. Worth trying, don't you think?
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, one of the places to visit in Milan
7. Navigli neighborhood
The Navigli neighborhood stands out for its two great channels: Naviglio Grande and Naviglio Pavese, which recall the moment in history when Milan became accessible from the sea. These channels presented many navigability problems until in the fifteenth century the master Leonardo da Vinci improved them to become great access routes to the city.
A century ago they ceased to be useful as a means of transport and today they have become a beautiful promenade full of boats-restaurants, terraces and a hectic nightlife.
In the Naviglio Grande in addition to its restaurants, you can not miss the Chiesa di San Cristóforo and the Callejón de las lavaderos, while the smaller Naviglio Pavese has a more pubes and youthful atmosphere.
Other essentials of the Navigli neighborhood are the Ticino Arch and the Basilica di Sant'Eustorgio, two places that we advise you not to miss on your visit to the city.
An interesting way to see this neighborhood is to book this cruise through the canals.
Navigli neighborhood
Our recommended hotel in Milan
Our recommended hotel for a trip to Milan is the Andreola Central Hotel, located 200 meters from the central train station. In addition to its magnificent location, the hotel offers spacious and comfortable rooms, friendly staff and a quality and varied breakfast.
8. Sempione Park
Sempione Park is a perfect place to disconnect from the city and relax walking through trees and nature. Located a step away from the Sforzesco Castle, it is a huge English-style garden where you can find everything from an artificial lake to large grassy areas that are filled with people in good weather.
At one end of the park is the huge Arco della Pace that commemorated the victories of Napoleon and in another part of the park the Civic Arena, an amphitheater in which music concerts or sports activities are held.
Visiting hours: every day from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Arco della Pace in the Sempione Park
9. La Scala Theater
La Scala Theater, is one of the most famous opera houses in the world and another of the places to visit in Milan. Through this theater of the eighteenth century that has undergone several reforms and face washes, the greatest opera singers in history such as Pavarotti, María Callas or Plácido Domingo have passed and there have been great premieres such as Otello or Madame Butterfly.
If you do not want to attend one of their shows you can visit the theater museum where you can see in addition to photographs and costumes of the history of the theater and its operas, several articles by music masters such as Chopin, Verdi, Puccini or Mozart .
One of the best options to see it is to book this guided tour in Spanish with which you will not miss a single detail.
You can check the museum's visiting hours and performances on its official website.
Scala Theater
10. Piazza Mercanti, one of the places to visit in Milan
From one of the streets that leave from the Plaza del Duomo you will reach Piazza Mercanti, a square with a commercial past that still recalls these times with the elegant old buildings that surround it.
Among the buildings it is worth mentioning the Palazzo della Ragione, with exhibitions that allow you to know the history of the city, the Loggia degli Osii, with a beautiful black and white marble facade, the VXI Century Water Well, located in the center of the square, the Palazzo delle Scuole Palatine, which was an old high school, the Gothic-style Casa dei Panigarola or the Palazzo dei Giureconsulti, with its famous clock tower.
If you feel like helping us complete the list of the 10 places to visit in Milan, add yours in the comments.
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Milan guide in one day
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The best offers of Flights to Milan here
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Milan guide in one day
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Rent your car in Italy at the best price here** All photos have been provided by Shutterstock.
