A trip to Milan

Milan is well known for its fashion and design industry because a lot of famous headquarters are located exactly there. Milan is quite big and has a lot of interesting places to visit but you can probably manage to fit everything into 2-3 days. Milan has 2 airports that are pretty close to the city as well as the main train station in the center so getting there is definitely not an issue.

Firstly, of course, I recommend to visit the famous Duomo but the best way is to go on top to the rooftop which unveils a beautiful view of the city and makes you understand how massive this cathedral is. However, I do recommend going inside downstairs because it’s also beautiful and very unique (get the tickets online to avoid long queues).

Next, very close to the Duomo it is worth to go walk through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. It’s a huge gallery with designer stores and cafes that has very pretty ceilings and brings you right to the Piazza di Scala from the Duomo. During Christmas time they also have a huge Christmas tree which is different each year.

As many other cities Milan is beautiful during December and very well decorated; in my opinion the most decorated and festive city in Italy. The famous street named Via Montenapoleone is a very long street with brands from all over the world and each store has very pretty and decorated facades which is worth seeing.

Next to this famous street there is a hotel called Portrait which was a monetary and now got renovated to become a hotel decorated by Ferragamo. The design still remains in some parts very historic but with modern touches which makes it very unique. The way it is structured is very typical of Milan with an open air square in the middle. One of my favorite restaurants in Milan is located there, called Beefbar. I have tried almost everything on the menu and it’s all amazing.

In the evening I recommend to go to Teatro della Scala which is very famous all over the world and has different performances depending on the time of year. It’s also worth dressing up for because the opera shows are a work of art that everyone has to see at least once in their lifetime.

Of course, Milan has plenty of good Italian restaurants but I would recommend two in particular. The first one is Papermoon Giardino, which is located right next to the Via Montenapoleone in a garden. The restaurant has a very local atmosphere and is decorated beautifully. There are a lot of typical Italian dishes on the menu but my favorites are the parmigiana and the cotoletta milanese which is a native milanese dish so it’s the perfect place to eat it. Lastly, get tiramisu for dessert (best one I’ve tried in Italy).

The other restaurant is called Langosteria Bistrot and is located near the Duomo. There are a lot good pasta dishes and fish. Depending on what you like but my favorite is the pasta with yellow tomatoes and shrimps which is seasonal for summer.

Another restaurant that has great typical Milan atmosphere is Salumaio and it serves very simple yet delicious dishes. I recommend to get a salumi platter with cured meats, buratta with tomatoes, and risotto alla milanese. It is the perfect place to go to when there is good weather because the seating area outside is like no other.

Milan is the perfect place to walk around and discover new places. Each time I go there even for the day I like to walk to new areas and explore new places. There are always some fashion pop ups, galleries, and sculptures so it never gets boring or stays the same.

A big thank you to my local friend Carolina for helping me make this post and select the best places for you.