Milan, a dynamic city that propels you into modern Italy, stands apart from the timeless allure of Rome, Florence, Venice and Naples. Overlooked and undervalued, Milan is a treasure trove of architectural and cultural legacy, design innovation and Italian history emanating from its core.
Here are our 10 must-stop spots in Milan’s historic center.
See the spires
There’s a reason that a trip to Milano’s Duomo — Northern Italy’s most beautiful example of Gothic architecture — tops every visitor’s list. Book a private fast-track guided tour to see the ancient Baptistery of San Giovanni alle Fonti and the cathedral’s spires for an incredible rooftop view of modern-day Milan.
Shop your heart out
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is Italy’s oldest shopping center and has been the base of Milan’s social life since its opening in 1877. The Galleria, a neoclassical, four-story double arcade of glass and iron, is considered the city’s drawing room and is simply known as il salotto di Milano (“the living room of Milan”). You’ll find some of the city’s most beautiful boutiques in its hallowed halls, including Fratelli Prada, Prada’s progenitor from 1913. Look out for Osservatorio, Fondazione Prada’s experimental art exhibition space on the fifth and sixth floors.
Walk in the park
If the Duomo is the heart of Milan, Parco Sempione is the green lung with nearly 120 bucolic acres to explore. This is where Milan converges to picnic, hang and work out. Its grounds include the medieval Castello Sforzesco, a 15th-century fortress home to several museums with collections of ancient art, decorative pieces, Egyptian artifacts and musical instruments.
Enjoy art and aperitivo
Explore the crossroads of art and fashion in the Quadrilatero D’Oro (the Golden Quadrilateral) and Brera neighborhoods. The former centers around four streets of pure Milanese chic — Via Sant’Andrea, Via Senato, Via Manzoni, and Via Monte Napoleone — that are filled with high-end shops and boutiques. The neighboring Brera art district is best known for charming cobblestone streets, fabulous shops, and a boho vibe. Art lovers will want to peruse Pinacoteca Brera, one of the world’s most spectacular collections of Italian paintings, followed by a stop at Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Bvlgari Hotel Milan for an aperitivo at the sleek Bvlgari Bar.
Get inspired
Inside Parco Sempione is the Triennale, Milan’s museum of art and design. The attraction is also home to the unparalleled Museo del Design Italiano, an essential collection of influential works from Italian designers over the past century. This museum is vital to understanding the innovative history of Milan and Italian creativity. Plan lunch at the museum’s garden café or its breathtaking terrace restaurant.
Take a virtual tour
Travel back to 1800s Milan through the eyes and music of composer Giuseppe Verdi with You Are Verdi, an immersive virtual-reality walking tour. This untraditional peek at the past thrusts you right into the heart of the battles and other events that shaped the city you see today.
Watch a show
Catch an opera (or ballet) at Teatro alla Scala, one of the world’s most famous opera houses. Madame Butterfly and Turandot premiered on its stage, showcasing legends such as Maria Callas, Enrico Caruso, Luciano Pavarotti, Rudolf Nureyev and Carla Fracci.
If you don’t have time for a show, take an hour to walk through “Fantasmagoria Callas,” the Museo Teatrale alla Scala’s celebration of opera diva Callas done through works by artists such as Francesco Vezzoli, Latifa Echakhch and Giorgio Armani.
Sample a local dish
Try cotoletta alla Milanese (Milanese-style veal cutlet). This iconic secondo is best enjoyed at Da Martino, according to local food writer Jaclyn DeGiorgio. “Pounded thin all’orecchio d’elefante [elephant-ear style], served on the bone and topped with traditional mixed greens and tomatoes, Da Martino ups the ante on cotoletta by accompanying the cutie with a fried marrow-filled veal shank,” DeGiorgio says. “But don’t make the same amateur error I did by trying to tackle it with a fork and knife. Instead, pick it up and eat it with your hands.”
Or else try it with a little history at Boeucc, one of Italy’s oldest restaurants.
Celebrate Campari
Stop for Negronis and other cocktails at Camparino. Since Davide Campari opened the bar on Milan’s Galleria’s ground floor in 1915, it has been the go-to destination for drinks with the family’s namesake bitter. Camparino’s Bar di Passo retains the building’s original early 20th-century style and drink menu. However, upstairs at Sala Spiritello, you’ll find a futuristic mixology bar led by heralded bartender and Campari ambassador Tommaso Cecca. New 12-seat lounge Sala Gaspare celebrates Campari inventor Gaspare (Davide’s father) in a gorgeous, underground space with pre-batched archival cocktail recipes served by a personal bartender.
Admire architecture
Explore Milan’s modern architecture with Context Travel. Architect-led walks unfold the layers of the city’s design history, from the medieval fortress to the present-day metropolis and show off genres such as Novecentismo, Rationalism, Neoclassical and the works of architects Piero Portaluppi, Gio Ponti, Marcello Piacentini and the BBPR partnership, which brought Milan to the future.
To focus on Portaluppi (aka the master of modern Milan), visit Fondazione Piero Portaluppi and set up an afternoon walking tour of his most famous projects.
Where To Stay
Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Four Seasons Hotel Milano is the city’s most stylish escape. Taking a cue from the hotel’s original incarnation as a 15th-century convent, the 118 rooms and suites exude Old World charm with frescoes, stone accents and vaulted ceilings, while a location on Via Gesù places guests in the center of the fashion quad, making it an ideal location for those looking to fill their suitcases with the season’s latest designs. Stilla Garden is one of the best spots for cocktails while the Four-Star spa is an oasis.
Since its 1863 opening, the Grand Hotel et de Milan has been a destination for opera luminaries (like Giuseppe Verdi, who made it his home in 1872), stage enthusiasts and global glitterati. With 72 rooms and suites adorned in an 18th-century aesthetic (rich fabrics and period furniture with contemporary flair by Milan’s Dimorestudio), the Grand Hotel is, indeed, quite grand. And its Via Manzoni address in the Quadrilatero d’Oro immerses visitors in historic Milan. Gerry’s Bar is a must-visit during fashion week and Don Carlos Restaurant is a post-La Traviata indulgence.
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