Planning a trip to Milan, Italy? Check out this blog post on the top things to and your travel guide to Milan!
Hello & welcome to the fourth post in my Student Travel & Blogging series. What better day to talk about the fashion capital of the world? I visited Milan two years ago while I was still an Erasmus student in Italy.I only spent 24 hours in Milan as a layover to Brussels and fell in love with the charm of the city. Milan is one of those cities you have to visit at least once when you’re in Italy. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I loved it and enjoyed my time there!
Somethings you should know:
✼ Milan is a very busy city so prepare for the main sights to be crowded at all times!
✼ Since there are a lot of people around, pickpocketing is very common. Keep a keen eye on your belongings.
✼ The metro system in Milan is really good. I definitely recommend using the metro if you want to travel around the city over using taxis because they can get pretty expensive.
✼ There are pigeons everywhere
✼ If you’re visiting during the Summer season, make sure you carry plenty of water and sunscreen because the sun is brutal in Milan.
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Best time to visit Milan:
♡ I always recommend visiting big cities in Spring or Fall and Milan is no exception. Temperatures get really high in Milan and northern Italy in general. So if you want to be able to sightsee without sweating and feeling hot, avoid busy summer months!
What to do & see:
At the end of this post, there is a map with all the places mentioned.
⇢ Duomo:
Address: Piazza del Duomo, 20122 Milano MI, Italy
Opening hours: 9 am – 7 pm
Cost to get in>range from €17 – €8.50
Official website: Click here
When in Milan, it is a must to go to the Duomo! Like all major European cities, the Duomo (Italian for cathedral) is the city’s main cathedral. The church is dedicated to the Nativity of St Mary and it is the seat of the archbishop of Milan. Also, did you know that it took SIX centuries to finish the duomo?? How insane is that!
If you’re planning on capturing your Insta moment in front of the cathedral without people in your background, I recommend going very early in the morning. It starts to get really busy around 8 am!
⇢ Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II:
Address: Piazza del Duomo, 20122 Milano MI, Italy
Opening hours: 24 hours
Cost to get in: N/A
Official website: Click here
I never felt so poor in my life.
Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II is a shopping mall but not just your average shopping mall. It is Italy’s oldest shopping mall and a major landmark in Milan. It houses designer brands such as Versace and Prada. When we went in, all we could see were people carrying these huge designer bags and walking around like money wasn’t a problem!
The Galleria is named after the first King of the Kingdom of Italy and was built way back in the 1800s. Furthermore, the Galleria is known as il salotto di Milano which translates to Milan’s drawing room due to it’s importance as a commonplace where the Milanese meet!
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⇢ Sforzesco castle:
Address: Piazza Castello, 20121 Milano MI, Italy
Opening hours: 7 am – 7:30 pm
Cost to get in: Free
Official website: Click here
The first time I heard of the Sforza family was when watching Medici. The Sforza family was once a powerful family from Lombardy and this castle was the seat of the Duke of Milan, Francesco Sforza. If you’re new here, I am a big history buff and anything medieval and royal history sparks my interest. So you can imagine my excitement when we went to this castle!
Sforzesco Castle is located in Sempione Park and it is now an art museum. It was built in the 15th century and saw many battles. Nowadays, you can walk in for free and roam around the building and its stunning surrounding parks!
If you want to relax and do what the locals do, Sempione Park is perfect for that! We saw a bunch of locals relaxing in the park and there were also food stands.
⇢ Arco della Pace:
Address: Piazza Sempione, 20154 Milano MI, Italy
Opening hours: 24 hours
Cost to get in: N/A
The origins of this gate can be traced back to Roman times! This gate served as the city’s main gate however very little remains from the original Roman structure. In the 1800s Napoleon Bonaparte ordered a new gate to be built. Napoleon was a French general who took over the French government after the French revolution.
As you might be able to see, this gate is similar in style to the Arch De Triomphe in Paris! I immediately recognized the French influence in the gate.
⇢ Wander around the pretty streets of Milan:
Milan is full of pretty narrow streets which I love! You may also find a Lamborghini or two parked there haha. We stepped away from the touristy part of Milan and ventured to the more quiet areas. It gave off a different vibe and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
⇢ Nightlife in Navigli:
Before heading back home, we stopped by the neighbourhood of Navigli. Navigli is the hub of partying and drinking in Milan. It was extremely busy and packed but we still had a good time! Definitely stop by Mag Cafe for some amazing drinks – you will not be disappointed!
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Other recommendations:
▷ Teatro Alla Scala
▷ Santa Maria Della Grazie
▷ San Siro Stadium
▷ Brera
And that brings an end to today’s post! I will be publishing another post in my student series and then spend the next two weeks writing about .. THANKSGIVING! I am so excited that the holiday season is finally here. Bring on the snow, Christmas lights and hot chocolate!
While you’re still here, make sure to follow me on Instagram to keep up with my travel adventures and pin this blog post to your Pinterest boards!
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