MilanTravel Guide

The largest Gothic cathedral in Italy, nearly six centuries in the making, with 3,400 statues and spires — climb to the rooftop terraces for views over the city and, on clear days, the Alps.

One of the world's oldest shopping arcades, an iron-and-glass 19th-century structure connecting the Duomo to La Scala — spin on the bull mosaic underfoot for luck, a genuine local tradition.

Leonardo da Vinci's mural at Santa Maria delle Grazie, viewable only in 15-minute timed slots for a strictly limited number of visitors per day — book weeks ahead, tickets sell out fast.

Milan's former artists' quarter, now cobbled streets of galleries, boutiques, and aperitivo bars around the Pinacoteca di Brera — the most atmospheric part of the city for an evening walk.

A network of Renaissance-era canals, once designed partly by Leonardo da Vinci for transporting marble to build the Duomo — now Milan's aperitivo and nightlife district, especially lively at sunset.

An hour by train from Milan, Lake Como's villas, funiculars, and lakeside towns like Bellagio and Varenna make one of Italy's most popular half-day escapes from the city.

A 15th-century fortress of the ruling Sforza dynasty, now housing several city museums including an unfinished Michelangelo sculpture — the surrounding Sempione Park is a good place to unwind after.

One of Italy's finest art museums, with major works by Raphael, Caravaggio, and Mantegna in a collection built largely from churches suppressed under Napoleon.

Home to both AC Milan and Inter Milan, one of European football's most storied stadiums — tours include the changing rooms and pitch-side access on non-match days.

Milan's fashion quadrilateral — Via Montenapoleone and its surrounding streets — where the world's luxury houses have their flagship stores; window shopping is free and the streets themselves are handsome.