There’s no better way to spend a weekend in Spring than go to a quick weekend getaway to beautiful Milan, the fashion capital of Italy. Fresh off from my most recent trip to Italy, I want to share my experience in this city.
This was my first time of visiting Milan and I spent two full days exploring the city. Two days was the perfect amount of time to see what the city had to offer. Even though Milan is a huge metropolitan city in the heart of Italy, the main attractions are all a walking distance from each other which makes it very easy to explore the town by foot. Also, walking around is the perfect way to experience the atmosphere of the city with the cobblestone streets, the old architecture, small cafes and restaurants.
Where did we Stay?
As in any large metropolitan city, Milan has a great public transportation system which makes it easy to get around even if you are staying a bit further away from the main attractions. However, I would recommend to stay within a walking distance from the Duomo di Milano since the city is best explored by foot and the main attractions are fairly close by to each other.
We stayed close to Porta Venezia metro station which I thought was a nice 20 min walking distance from the cathedral.
What did we do?
Duomo di Milano
This beautiful cathedral is the most known landmark in Milan and a focal point of the city. The cathedral is a big tourist destination and you can expect a large crowd of people standing on the square in front of the Duomo if you’re not up early in the morning.
You can also purchase tickets to visit the cathedral inside and get access to the rooftop views. I only got the tickets to walk 200 steps up to the rooftop to see the view from the heights. From the rooftop you can see the beautiful architecture up close but be aware of the queues of other tourist that are eager to get some photos.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Right next to the Duomo, you can find the oldest active shopping center in Italy, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. This magnificent shopping center is famous for its glass dome ceiling and luxury retail stores.
Shopping
Milan is not the fashion capital for no reason. There’s plenty of shopping opportunities for all budgets in this town. Head to Via Monte Napoleone for some luxury shopping/window shopping 😉 Here you can find all the major luxury brands right next to each other in a quiet small side street. For more high street shopping, head to Via Torino which is located right next to the Duomo.
Other sites
There’s plenty of other sites you might be interested of seeing when visiting Milan
- Sforza Castle
- Da Vinci’s Last Supper – Santa Maria della Grazie
- L.O.V.E statue
- Starbucks Reserve Roastery – the only Starbucks roastery in Europe
Where did we Eat?
Breakfast/Brunch
For the first morning, we head out to a close by café Biancolatte for a delicious breakfast. The café was filled with beautiful pastries and cakes and the menu had great options for savoury items as well.
For the second morning, we headed to LúBar. This restaurant has beautiful and whimsical interior decor and the menu offers plenty of different options for breakfast. I had a nice cup of coffee and a bowl of açai here. If you want to visit here, please book a table ahead. This is very busy brunch spot so make sure you have a reservation to secure a spot for breakfast.
Lunch
For a lunch or dinner spot, I highly recommend Il Salumaio di Montenapoleone. The restaurant is located right next to the Via Monte Napoleone shopping street and serves delicious classic Italian cuisine. We booked a table on their gorgeous inner courtyard and enjoyed delicious meal of pasta.
Dinner
For dinner, we ate at Cacio & Pepe restaurant that is known for their delicious pasta. This restaurant is close by the lively Navigli neighbourhood where you can find loads of restaurants and bars next to the canal where people gather for a night out.
For the second dinner, we went to Paper Moon restaurant that was quite hidden in the streets of the fashion district. The restaurant was more of an upscale restaurant with traditional Italian menu and nice atmosphere.
Aperitivo
When visiting Italy, an aperitivo is a must! Enjoy a glass of fresh aperol spriz after a day of walking and shopping to keep the hunger away before dinner time. You can find plenty of places offering aperitivo/happy hour deals so find a cute restaurant or a sunny terrace off the main street to not pay overprice for your drinks.
Sara Travels 