When it comes to travelling throughout Italy, it sounds like the most romantic holiday getaway and you might leave many jealous. Between Rome, Naples, Milan and more, it can be a daunting task trying to make sure you see all the best parts of each. Not familiar with some of them? No problem! It can be time consuming to look into each of them, so check out this easy to digest guide to a city break in Milan to help you plan the ultimate visit to this beautiful and fashionable northern Italian city. So get your taxi booked and hit the town – this is one place you will want to visit time and again!
Churches
If there’s one thing that Italy is famous for, it’s churches. While many think about the likes of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, but Milan has a whole variety of churches which are beautiful and welcome visitors. In fact, there’s so many that you probably won’t have time to see them all unless you’re a real church aficionado, but if you want to see at least one, make it the Duomo. The Duomo is Milan’s main cathedral and at around 800 years old, it’s one of the oldest. Visitors can climb to the top for some spectacular views around the piazza it’s built on. If you like artwork and architecture though, check out the Saint Mary of the Graces church – home to some impressive examples of renaissance art, sculpture and paintings. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and entry is free.
Squares
It’s no surprise that Milan would be a city of squares – and we don’t mean the eating kind. Town squares, known as piazzas in Italy, are beautiful open spaces often with fountains, cafes and restaurants, usually home to a church or two and often paved with marble tiles or the like. The resulting feel is a cosmopolitan and beautiful example of architecture and building ideas that allow for an open air meeting space of locals and tourists alike. One of the most popular Milan piazzas is the Piazza Mercati, a beautiful medieval style square that comes alive with lights and music at Christmas time with a small market. The rest of the year you can enjoy the gorgeous examples of Italian homes that are on display before sampling some of the cuisine or gelato off the square in one of the shops or restaurants. You can book a great Milan tour to make sure you see a few more of the special sites including other piazzas and points of interest as well.
Shopping
Milan is essentially the heart of the Italian fashion scene and it hosts the world famous Milan Fashion Week each autumn. This is the big fashion party of the year where up and coming models can make their debut and popular fashion houses like Gucci, Versace and others showcase their new creations. If you can’t make it for fashion week (good luck getting tickets!), check out the shopping district for your own look at the fashions of Milan. Via Dante is the street you will want to hit as its home to some of the world’s most high end designers and their street level shops. It’s a great place just to wander around as well though because with all sorts of street vendors, street art and food it’s a lively street that blends a number of styles and curiosities.
So if you’ve been looking for a great way to spend your summer getaway, have a look at Milan. You won’t be disappointed!
