Milan
Why go?
A big, bold city brimming with designers, fashionistas, artists,
media folk and students, Milan is the driving engine of Italy's
economy and has an energy all its own. This spills out in the form
of frequent, colourful street markets, festivals and processions,
its Fashion and Design Weeks (the main ones around
Feb/March, mid April, and late September), and a sparkling choice
of evening entertainments - particularly in the lively Brera and
Navigli areas. There's also an abundance of culture, from
the ancient history of the Castello Sforzesco and its museums,
through the paintings of Titian, Caravaggio and da Vinci, to the
world-famous opera house of La Scala.
Don't miss its architectural crowning glory - the fabulous
Duomo - which, with its 'frenzy of flying buttresses', 135
spires and astonishing 3,200 statues, is one of the most impressive
Gothic cathedrals in the world. It looks out over an impressively
large piazza (the stage for many a public event), and rubs
shoulders with the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele where designer
boutiques and restaurants shelter under the vaulted glass roof and
cupola of a C19th palace. Close by you'll also find the
Quadrilatero D'Oro, the aptly-named Quadrangle of Gold, where the
designer emporiums of Armani, Versaci, Gucci will charge you
a king's ransom for their latest couture.
Milan also has lots of lovely, verdant parks - the prettiest and
biggest being the lake-filled Parco Sempione behind the Castello
Sforzesco. And this is a city which is super-easy to explore,
thanks to an efficient, clean and reliable public transport
system of metro, buses and trams. Grab a cheap 1-2 day travel
pass or register to use its public bicycles.
Any Downsides?
- The streets can be decidedly dusty and gritty, and there's lots
of graffiti on view - particularly when shops and restaurants roll
down their metal shutters at siesta time.
- Milan's micro-climate often means grey skies, rain and fog -
plus it's very humid in the high summer months
- It's not as beautiful as many Italian cities, having suffered
serious destruction during WWII bombing raids, though some
impressive modern architecture has been built to
compensate
- Most museums are closed on Mondays