1.

Milan Cathedral
Let’s start this list of the top things to do in Milan with the must-see monument
of the city: The Milan Cathedral (“Duomo di Milano” in Italian). The symbol
of the city is located on Piazza del Duomo, the historic center and best starting
point for a stay in Milan.

Started in 1386, the construction of Milan Cathedral took nearly 500 years.
It was finished under the order of Napoleon Bonaparte who absolutely wanted
to be crowned as king of Italy there.

This architectural wonder is the third largest cathedral in the world, after St.
Peter’s Cathedral in Rome and the Cathedral of Seville.

From the outside, you can admire its facade entirely made of perfectly carved
stones. The 2.000 white marble statues and 136 arrows makes the whole thing
super impressive! When seeing it, you clearly understand why it’s nicknamed
“the marble hedgehog”.

The interior is also worth a visit, with its 5 sumptuous naves and 52 columns,
each representing a week of the year. You can also admire sarcophagi and
tombs of several archbishops, as well as a crucifix made by the master Leonardo
Da Vinci himself!

But the highlight of the visit is the possibility to go on the terrace of the
Cathedral. From up there, the view of Milan is breathtaking! You can choose
to go there either by stairs or elevator, the second option being of course a bit
more expensive.As Milan Cathedral is the main attraction of the city, you will always
have to wait in line (often for several hours) to go inside. Personally, during my visit in July,
I had never seen such a long waiting line for a monument!

Plan to be there at the opening, or even better, half an hour before to reduce the waiting
time.
2. La Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Just outside the cathedral, on the Piazza del Duomo, you can visit the Galleria Vittorio
Emanuele II, another top attraction in Milan.

The place is very photogenic and luminous, with its magnificent arcades and superb dome
made of glass and iron. Nicknamed “Il salotto”, the Galleria is considered to be one of the
most beautiful in Europe, so don’t miss it during your trip to Italy!

Inside, you can find some of the most famous fashion designers stores, including Vuitton and
Prada, as well as many high-end restaurants. You should definitely go there with a full wallet,
if your sweetheart decides to do a little shopping!

3. La Scala de Milan
Leaving from the Piazza del Duomo, along the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele,
you will arrive directly on Piazza della Scala. As the name suggests, it’s where
La Scala, the famous Milan Opera house is located.

Along with the San Carlo Theater in Naples and the Fenice in Venice, it’s
one of Italy’s 3 most prestigious operas.

Masterpieces of Italian opera have been created here, such as “Norma” by

Vincenzo Bellini or “Otello” by Verdi. Also, one of the greatest classical
singers of all time, Maria Callas, has performed in La Scala.

I didn’t have the opportunity to see the interior, but it’s world famous for being
sumptuous. So you should really go if you can! The exterior facade however, is
quite simple.
On the left of the building you can visit the Museum of La Scala and its
collection of musical instruments, opera costumes and historical documents.

4. Sforza Castle
If you take Via Dante from the Piazza del Duomo, you will arrive directly at the main
entrance of the Sforza Castle, another iconic monument of Milan.

This very impressive castle is located in the center of the city.

it was built in 1358 by the famous Visconzi family to protect and defend the city against its
enemy, Venice. Destroyed and rebuilt multiple times, it’s famous for having hosted
Leonardo DaVinci workshops during the Renaissance period.

 Today, the castle hosts several museums:

 The Museum of Ancient art, with frescoes of the Sforza family and many sculptures
 The prehistoric collections of the Archaeological Museum of Milan. There, you can
learn about the story of Lombardy since the Neolithic
 Museum of Decorative Arts, with the work of stonecutters, weavers and upholsterers
 The Egyptian Museum and its collection of sarcophagi and mummies
 The Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco, with more than 1500 works of art from the
13th to the 18th century
 The Museum of musical instruments from around the world
 The Antique Furniture and Wooden Sculpture Museum.

The vast inner courtyard of the castle is open to the public for free. It often hosts cultural
events.

When I was there, there was an event celebrating the launch of Game Of Throne season 7.
They installed a central stage with a huge screen to broadcast episodes of the past seasons.
The reconstruction of the iron throne and the transformation of the fountain at the entrance
with ice stalactites were also quite popular. Winter is coming!

If you walk across Sforza Castle, you will arrive directly in Parco Sempione.
 The fountain, in front of
Sforza Castle south entrance

5. Parco Sempione

The Arco
della Pace, north of Parco Sempione

6. Santa Maria delle Grazie church

Without a doubt the most famous church in Milan, Santa Maria delle Grazie is
known for housing one of the most beautiful masterpieces ever made, the
painting of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci.
Leonardo da Vinci painted the Last Supper in the refectory of the monastery,
now called “Cenacolo” in reference to the masterpiece. Thousands of tourists
come every year to admire this painting representing the last meal of Jesus
Christ.

7. Museo nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia

“Leonardo Da Vinci”
Since we are talking about Leonardo da Vinci, You may know that the city of Milan has
dedicated him a huge museum: the Museo nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia
Leonardo Da Vinci (Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo Da Vinci). It’s one of
Milan best tourist attraction.

Installed in a former 16th century monastery, the museum exhibits more than thirty models
reconstructing the bold inventions of Leonardo Da Vinci, ranging from war machines to
measuring instruments.

The exhibition devoted to Leonardo da Vinci is only a tiny part of this gigantic museum.
Over several floors, you will discover aviation, rail transport, automobile, naval transport,
space, communications and many others.

In order to avoid waiting at the entrance of the museum, you should book your tickets in
advance here. It’s what I always do when I travel, and It saved me countless hours of
waiting in line!

The Museum of Science and Technology is ideal for a family visit. However, it’s very big,
so you will need to plan about half a day to visit it.

Even by going fast and not necessarily reading everything, I spent almost 3 hours there, so
don’t go there an hour before closing time. A nice thing: you can bring a snack, a room has
been specially arranged for meals.
 Interior of a
steam locomotive at the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum

8. Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio

As it’s very close to the Museum of Science and Technology, I advise you to go have a look
at the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio after your visit of the museum.

Named after the patron saint of the city, a first church was built on site in 386. The current
basilica, one of the oldest in the city, was completed in 1099.

The exterior of the church, with its 2 brick towers of different heights and beautiful
atrium is quite unusual. This point of interest isn’t very well known  by tourists, but it’s
definitely worth a look. A great opportunity to take nice pictures!

Inside, you can see: the sarcophagus of Stilicon and the crypt, where the remains of Saint
Ambrose, Saint Gervasus and Saint Protasus are located.
9. Visit the Cimitero Monumentale
You’re looking for an unusual place to visit in Milan? You should then definitely visit the
Cimitero Monumentale di Milano (“Monumental Cemetery” in English).

Now you think I am weird! Ok, let me tell you something: even if I like zombies stories,
walks in cemeteries after dark aren’t really my thing. The Monumental cemetery of Milan
however is really worth seeing, because it’s really special.

More than a cemetery, it is a huge open-air museum with many artistic tombs.

At the main entrance, you can see the graves of the most important citizens of the country.
Amongst the most popular, you can find a pyramid, a white tower or a marble four-poster bed
shaped tomb. Milan wealthy families have really competed to stand out, as the numerous
sculptures of angels or statues can attest.

At the entrance, don’t forget to take the map of the cemetery. You don’t want to miss
anything of this unusual visit!

 Good thing to note: It’s closed on Mondays.

 The  entrance of the
Monumental Cemetery

10. Pinacoteca di Brera

The Pinacoteca di Brera (“Brera Art Gallery” in English) houses one of the
most important art collection in Italy.

It’s located in the Palazzo Brera, built on a former monastery. At the time,
monks were the first to make it a cultural center with a school, an astronomical
observatory and a library.

Since then, the collection of the Art Gallery just kept growing. Today, the works
are exhibited in about forty rooms and are arranged in chronological order,
according to the art technique used.

Amongst the most famous masterpieces, you can admire Raphael’s ”The
Marriage of the Virgin” or Caravaggio’s ”Last Supper to Emmaus”.

Information for the schedule and entrance fee is available on the Pinacoteca di
Brera official website. The tickets for the museum can be bought in advance
here.
 The Pinacoteca di Brera

11. The Royal Palace of Milan

As the seat of the Milanese government for many years, the Royal Palace of
Milan has become an important cultural center of the city. Several exhibitions
are organized every year, whether of modern or contemporary art, fashion
or design.

The Royal Palace is over 7,000 square meters, and is home to many paintings
lent by some of the most prestigious museums in the world.

You can also visit the museum of the palace. It presents its own history as well
as the city and population of Milan history.

Divided into 4 parts, the museum allows you to explore the Neoclassical,
Napoleonic,  and Restoration periods, ending with the unification of Italy, a
very important period in the history of Milan.

Don’t forget to walk in the courtyard of the palace, to enjoy a unique view of
Milan Cathedral. It’s little known to tourists!
 The Royal Palace of
Milan

12. Navigli canals

Another place you shouldn’t miss in Milan is the Navigli district, crossed by canals. It’s the
most picturesque of Milan!

Originally, this system of canals connected the Po to the lakes of the region. They were
used to transport goods and supply Milan with water.

The system of dam and locks used was invented by Leonardo da Vinci (him again!). Even the
marble used for the construction of the Milan Cathedral, was transported by these canals.

Today, you can go to the Navigli district, walk quietly along the canals and enjoy a drink or
a meal on one of the restaurant terraces.

The best is to go there at the end of the day, with the light of the setting sun. It’s a very
romantic neighborhood, especially in the evening with the lights reflecting in the canals and
the local life starting in the numerous bars and restaurants.
13. Shopping in Milan
Yep, we had to include a short paragraph about shopping in Milan in this article. The city is
internationally recognized as the capital of fashion and design after all!

For shopaholics, we advise you to go to the quadrilateral of fashion (“Quadrilatero della

moda” in Italian) composed by the following 4 streets: Via Montenapoleone, Via della
Spiga, Via Sant’Andrea and Via Manzoni.

If you have a big budget, you will find everything you need in the boutiques of great Italian
designers like Versace and Gucci. This is also where the Milan Fashion Week takes place.

And for those who want to shop without ruining themselves, go to The Highline Outlet,
located in the heart of Milan. You will find a lot of brands at discounted prices.
The 3 Best Things to Do Around Milan
Lake Como, Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore

All located between 1h and 1h30 from Milan, Lake Como, Lake Maggiore and Lake
Garda are a good idea for a day trip, if you want to get away from the city.

Bergamo

At 60 kilometers from Milan, you can visit the beautiful fortified city of Bergamo. Like the
lakes, it’s perfect for a day trip! A must see for the upper side of the town, a very nice
medieval city.

Turin

If you have 2 or 3 days, your should really seize the opportunity to visit Turin during your
trip in Italy. The city is only at 1 hour by express train from Milan! You can find all my
best tips to visit Turin in my article: Visit Turin: the ultimate guide.
 Bergamo, close to
Milan

A day in Milan
If you have one day to visit Milan, here is a good itinerary to discover the city’s must-see
attractions:

 Start by visiting Milan Cathedral in the morning, trying to be there 15 to 30 minutes

before the opening.
 Then, have a walk in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the beautiful luxury
shopping mall located just next to the cathedral.
 On the other side of the Galleria, you can see the opera of Milan: La Scala
 Lunch break
 After the meal, head to Sforza Castle, its museums and Parco Sempione, about 10-
15 minutes walk from the Cathedral of Milan.
 You can also go to Milan’s Chinatown, north of the Arco della Pace

2 days in Milan
In 2 days in Milan, in addition to the 1st day itinerary, you will be able to visit the following
tourist attractions:

 The Monumental Cemetery in the morning. The visit takes 1h-1h30.

 If you feel like walking a bit (about 40 minutes), you can walk to the Leonardo Da
Vinci Science and Technology Museum, passing by the Arco della Pace.
Otherwise, take the bus or subway!
 Lunch break
 Visit The Museum of Science and Technology (3-4 hours)
 After visiting the museum, take a walk to St. Ambrose Basilica, which is just 5
minutes away. Don’t miss the original architecture of Castello Cova, located next to
it.
 In the evening, head to the Navigli district. It’s very nice at dusk!

if you have planned to Visit Milan in 2 days, I highly recommend you to take the Milan pass
(buy it here). It can be used as a skip the line ticket for Milan’s best attractions like the
Duomo and Lac Scala opera. With the pass, you also get free unlimited access to public
transport as well as many rebates for 48h.
3 days in Milan
3 days in Milan will allow you to discover the city a bit more in depth, or to take a day trip
to one of the many points of interest around Milan.

If you plan to stay in the city, you can seize the opportunity and visit 1 or 2 other museums
such as the Pinacoteca or the Royal Palace of Milan. And of course, do some shopping!
You are in the fashion capital after all.

Another option is to go for a day trip to Lake Como, about 1 hour from Milan by train or car.

The city of Bergamo is a great alternative, less than an hour away. And I am telling you, it’s
worth a look!