Spending The Day in Milan
Milan is one of the places in Italy that people often skip, and if you’re not a fan of the big city vibe it might not be the place for you. However, I fully recommend giving this city a go as it really does have something for everyone. The city is steeped in history and art with plenty of museums, art galleries, and museums. Milan is also a great place to base yourself if you’re wanting to do day trips to other places in Italy. Check out our guide for an easy beach day trip from Milan here. Whether you’re there for the history, the art, or just the pasta, this vibrant, stylish city is sure to leave an impression. Here’s a few places you can’t leave Milan without visiting.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Take a stroll through Italy’s oldest shopping arcade, home to high-end fashion stores and luxury café bars. The first ever Prada store opened in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in 1913 and is still there to this day. The arcade building is a thing of beauty in itself, with it’s intricate mosaic floors and stunning glass domed roof. One mosaic is particularly popular – the mosaic of a bull which, according to popular myth will bring you good luck if you place your heel on the bulls *cough* balls and spin around 3 times. As you can imagine, the bull draws in a big crowd!
Bar Luce
Don’t miss this unique café bar designed by filmmaker Wes Anderson located inside the Fondazione Prada. It’s a little bit out of the city center but you can easily get here by catching the M3 (yellow) Metro line to Lodi T.I.B.B, and then it’s just a 10 minute walk from the station. The pastel colour palette and retro interior has a classic Wes Anderson feel to it – even the bathrooms are aesthetically pleasing! The staff at Bar Luce were so friendly and talked us through every desert available. I ended up having the most delicious chocolate cake – definitely worth a visit for the cake alone!
Duomo di Milano
No trip to Milan is complete without visiting the iconic Duomo in the heart of the city. The Duomo is open from 9am every day and you can purchase tickets to enter the cathedral, the museum, and the terraces together or separately. I definitely reccomend not skipping the terraces - this was our favourite part of the cathedral and offers stunning panoramic views of the city below. Check out our guide to visiting the Duomo di Milano here.
