Things to do in Milan, Italy – Not to Miss Attractions

Milan is not the city you thought it was

Milan is not generally considered a tourist destination. It is famous for its fashion scene and the financial capital of Italy, but the truth is there is much more to it. These are the 10 best things to do in Milan, Italy.

About Milan

Milan is the second-largest city in Italy, after Rome, but the metropolitan area is probably the largest in Europe. Milan is vibrant but well organized, combining a rich history with modern and chic trends.

You know by now that I love Italy, but Milan is the place I could live in.

It is also a city where you can (and should) book almost everything in advance, starting with the transport from the airport to the entrance for every attraction you plan to visit.

Top 10 Things to do in Milan, Italy

Milan Cathedral and The Terraces

The first image that comes to mind is the Cathedral of Milan. Il Duomo is Milan’s symbol and also one of Italy’s landmarks. Building this stunning Gothic Cathedral took more than 500 years!

The church is open daily from 8:00 to 19:00 and is free to enter, but some sections require a fee to visit. You won’t be allowed with any large bags when you visit the church, so leave the shopping for after. The dark stone and huge pillars inside will make you feel small and humble. The stained glass windows are just beautiful. It’s an impressive cathedral.

On the outside, the almost-white marble contrasts sharply with the dim light of the interior. Still, the best of it all is the rooftop terrace.

You can access the terraces either by stairs or by elevator. I recommend booking your tickets in advance to avoid the line outside Il Duomo. Get your ticket in advance here.

The rooftop terraces look like complicated marble lacework. You can walk among the pinnacles, spires, and hundreds of statues. Also, you will have a great panoramic view of Milan. On a clear day, you can see as far as the Alps.

Keep in mind that you will have to go through a security check and that inside the cathedral, you’ll have to respect the dress code (no sleeveless tops or shorts).

The Sforza Castle

Another symbol of Milan, the red brick fortress of the Sforza Family, stood there since the 14th century. It also has a special meaning for me as this is the place where I first discovered Italy and where my travel addiction started.

It now hosts seven different museums. The entrance to the castle grounds is free, and the entrance ticket for all the museums is 10 €. The main attraction of the Castle Museums is the last of Michelangelo’s sculptures, Rondanini Pietà. If you’re looking for a guided tour, you can book a good one here.

Find out more about opening times and exhibitions on the official website.

The Sempione Park

As you walk out of the Sforza Castle, you’ll step directly into Parco Sempione. It used to be a hunting ground of the Castle, and during the 19th century, it became a park. Now, it has an English-style Garden, and it also hosts an Aquarium, an Arena, and the triumphal arch celebrating the Italian unification-Arco della Pace.

The Vittorio Emanuele II Galleria

La Galleria is an elegant street linking Piazza del Duomo to Piazza della Scala, covered with a glass roof. It hosts some expensive shops, restaurants, and cafés, and it’s an important meeting point for the Milanesi.

Fun fact about one of the best things to do in Milan, Italy

Inside the gallery, mosaics represent four coats of arms. According to a Milan tradition, one of these. the symbol of Turin, brings good luck if you spin on your heel over the bull’s testicles. You will see many people doing that if you spend some time in the area.

La Scala

Walking out of La Galleria, you’ll find yourself in the square in front of La Scala Theater. Teatro alla Scala seats among the most famous Opera Houses in the world. The outside, less than impressive, was rebuilt after WW2 because of extensive bombing damage. The inside is magnificent, a perfect setting for the great names performing here.

You can visit La Scala with a guided tour to enjoy the Theater and its story. I would still love to see a performance there, though I’m not exactly an opera connoisseur. Maybe next time.

Find the full calendar of the events at La Scala on the official website.

The Last Supper – One of the most popular things to do in Milan, Italy

Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper is a mural painting on a wall in Santa Maria delle Grazie monastery in Milan. It definitely qualifies as ‘not to Miss in Milan’.

There are many things to say about the painting.

One of them is that the painting was a ‘failed experiment’ in terms of technique. Da Vinci used tempera paint on a dry plaster wall, unlike frescoes where paint is applied on wet plaster walls. The paint didn’t last well, and many restorations were necessary throughout the centuries.

Another fact is that the wall was repeatedly vandalized. Soldiers cut a door into it, destroying a piece of the painting. Then the room was a stable for Napoleon’s soldiers, and later the monastery was bombed during World War II.

Also, Leonardo was a man of symbols. There are many in this painting, starting with the spilled salt on the table and finishing with the Da Vinci Code interpretation.

Even if the existing wall suffered so many interventions that it’s hard to know how much of the original remains, The Last Supper is undoubtedly a masterpiece of composition, perspective, and vision.

The tickets for this attraction sell out fast, and it is important to get there a few minutes before the booked time. I recommend visiting with a guide to hear the full story.

The Church of Sant’Ambrogio

The Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio is very close to Santa Maria delle Grazie, so you can visit it after you’ve seen The Last Supper.

Ambrose, bishop of Milan, built the first church here in the 4th century. It has been restored and extended many times since then. Now, it is a beautiful red brick complex with two bell towers, an atrium, and a Romanesque church.

Make sure not to miss the Altar and the beautiful golden mosaic of the dome. You can also see St.Ambrose’s tomb, patron saint of Milan, in the crypt below.

The Historic Tram in Milan, Italy

One of my personal favorites to get around Milan’s center is tram no.1. It’s a historic tram with wooden steps and benches set along the car’s sides. This quaint tram is one of the symbols of Milan.

Tram 1 runs every 10 minutes from 8.00 AM to 0:00, and you can use a regular 2€  ticket for a ride.

The canals (I Navigli) – Best things to do in Milan, Italy

I didn’t even know about the canals on my first visit to Milan, but I’m very glad I found them later.

The Navigli is a system of artificial canals built over seven centuries that connected Milan to lake Maggiore and Lake Como, by the Ticino and the Po rivers. In fact, with the canals system, Milan was linked by water to Switzerland and the sea. Locals also used it for irrigation.

The Navigli were extensively used for water transport allowing commerce to grow. Also, they played a big role in transporting the heavy marble necessary for building the Milan Cathedral. Leonardo da Vinci was also involved in designing a system of dams to control the water flow.

When the rail transport and the cars replaced the water transport, the canals were abandoned and covered. Two of the canals, Naviglio Grande and Naviglio Pavese, were restored in southern Milan and allowed for rapid development of the area.

It is now a very trendy neighborhood full of shops, restaurants, and bars and a popular area for a walk. This brings me to the next point on the list of things to do in Milan, Italy. The Navigli is also a perfect place to enjoy … the Aperitivo.

L’aperitivo

The Aperitivo is a moment in the early evening after work and before dinner. Seemingly all of Milan stops in a bar for a cocktail at that time of day.

It happens in other Italian cities too. In Milan though, they took it to the next level. The aperitivo is a drink, usually a cocktail, the Milanesi have before dinner to work an appetite. With the drink, you get some free snacks, anything from simple peanuts to varied buffets.

The aperitivo etiquette:

• In Milan, for the aperitivo, you pay for the drink, and the food is free. Expect the price of your drink to be a bit higher than usual.
• The Milanesi have a snack with their drink, but they don’t treat it as a meal. They usually intend to have a regular dinner afterward.
• As a tourist, you can probably turn a buffet-style aperitivo into dinner. Just don’t pile up food on your plate as if you were in an all-inclusive resort.
• Most Italians prefer either Campari-based cocktails or a Spritz variation. That said, the Milanese bars have almost unlimited options to choose from.

If you want to make your trip to Milan a luxurious experience, here are the best luxury hotels in Milan.

That’s about it, the most important things that you shouldn’t miss in Milan. Of course, depending on how much time you have to explore, there are many other things to do in and around Milan (and the rest of Italy). Take a look at some day trips from Milan:

• Lake Maggiore and the Borromean Islands
• Bergamo – the city on 2 levels

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