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Second-largest city in Italy
Photo: Bert Kaufmann from Roermond, Netherlands, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Milan (Italian: Milano; Milanese: Milan) is financially the most important city in Italy, and home to the Borsa Italiana stock exchange. It is the second most populous city proper in the country, but sits at the centre of Italy's largest urban and metropolitan area. While not considered as beautiful as some Italian cities, having been greatly destroyed by Second World War bomb raids, the city has rebuilt itself into a thriving cosmopolitan business capital. In essence, for a tourist, what makes Milan interesting compared to other places is that the city is truly more about the lifestyle of enjoying worldly pleasures: a paradise for shopping, football, opera, and nightlife. Milan remains the marketplace for Italian fashion — fashion aficionados, supermodels and international paparazzi descend upon the city twice a year for its spring and autumn fairs. Milan is famous for its wealth of historical and modern sights — the Duomo, one of the biggest and grandest Gothic cathedrals in the world; La Scala, one of the best established opera houses in the world; the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, a glamorous 19th-century arcaded shopping gallery; the Brera art gallery, with some of the finest artistic works in Europe; the Pirelli tower, a majestic example of 1960s modernist Italian architecture; the San Siro, a huge and famed stadium; or the Castello Sforzesco, a grand medieval castle. So, you have your fair share of old and new monuments. Plus, it contains one of the world's most famous paintings, Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper.
The Centro Storico is the historic centre of the city, encompassing Milan's most famous landmarks, including the Duomo (cathedral), Galleria Vittorio Emanuele shopping arcade and the Teatro alla Scala opera house. The most elegant and luxurious area is the Quadronno district. Considered the oldest place in the city, it is characterized by the presence of iconic buildings of Italian archistars from the 1950s.
Likely the best known attraction here are the canals (navigli) that in former times were used for sailing in from the Lombardian countryside. It's quite popular to sit at the bars along the canals and enjoy a drink. The southern area of Milan is the most developing area of the city characterized by the presence of the Prada Foundation, which has created a new center of Milan for luxury fashion, with the headquarters of Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta, Prada, Moncler, Jil Sander, etc. The southern area is also the area of the Bocconi University District, characterized by the Porta Romana District by numerous restaurants among the most characteristic of the city, all to be discovered, and the Corvetto District of interest due to the presence of numerous hidden galleries of avant-garde painters and the Plastic disco once frequented by Andy Warhol, Schifano, Giorgio Armani, etc.
This part of the city encompasses the city's only UNESCO World Heritage Site which includes a famous painting—the Last Supper. Other sights in Western Milan include a cemetery with monumental tombs and the old fair center.
The North-Eastern part of Milan is divided in several districts. Directly north of classy (and touristy) Brera, you’ll find Porta Nuova district, characterised by the tallest skyscraper in Italy and Porta Garibaldi railway station. Moving up the map, you can see Isola (“island”) district, where you can find plenty of small bars and restaurants. East from Isola you’ll find Milano Centrale railway station. North-East, we have Indro Montanelli Gardens (also simply called “Parco Venezia”), one of Milan’s biggest parks, and the lively, queer, Porta Venezia district; from there the long Buenos Aires shopping axis, leading to Piazzale Loreto. Further East the urban layout changes significantly, as streets take on the form of a 19th century grid, creating local residential neighbourhoods, with many schools, small restaurants and less touristic presence.
The outer quarters and suburbs of Milan also hold a few points of interest, grouped together in a separate guide.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
A parade in Milan featuring the Biblical Three Wise Men who visited Jesus on Epiphany.
a very special club, where he spent a lot of time from Andy Warhol to Giorgio Armani and Dolce e Gabbana. It is located in the coolest area of the city, Milano Sud.
a parade and festival, is held at the end of June each year.
By train
Milan is served by two major national companies: Trenitalia and NTV (usually known by its commercial name Italo), both of which are based at Milano Centrale.
By car
Milan is an important road traffic hub with motorways coming in from all directions, both from elsewhere in Italy and from nearby France and Switzerland.
By bus
Milan's main bus terminal is Lampugnano station, connected to the rest of the city by metro. The main national bus lines are operated by Autostradale. Flixbus serves domestic and international routes.
By public transport
A. (ATM) operates a public transport network which is pretty efficient (especially the underground lines and the trams (streetcars)).
By metro
The Metro (short for Metropolitana, the logo is a big white M on a red background) has five lines, each commonly identified by a color as shown below, and is the best way to get around Milan.
By tram
Trams (streetcars) run above-ground on rail lines running through the streets.
By bus
Buses should probably be your third public transport option. Equally comfortable, rather punctual and clean with many routes to choose from.
By taxi
Taxis can be expensive and drivers are allowed to pick passengers up from designated taxi ranks, through phone bookings and directly from the sidewalk of a street.
By train
The Suburban Railway System or S-lines (the logo is a big green S on a blue background) includes a special line known as Passante ferroviario (railway link), considered Milan's fifth subway line…
By car
Driving is definitely not a good idea to get into the city centre. Like most major cities traffic is a considerable problem, not to mention the hassle of parking.
On foot
Milan was cited the “most walkable city in the world” by The Economist .
By bike
Bikes are available through the bike sharing service BikeMI. You can register for annual or temporary subscriptions at any BikeMi station.
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Segrate (MI) · International · LIN
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