Visiting Milan

(Milan, Italy)

Milan is without doubt a city of style and is home to a wealth of sightseeing opportunities. Many streets in Milan are full of history, with old structures and a variety of architecture on offer. Milan also offers an exceptional selection of appealing art galleries and museums, and is best known for its thriving fashion industry, with numerous fashion boutiques situated throughout central Milan.

The city of Milan is also an important financial hub, containing the Italian Stock Market, while magnificent countryside and large lakes are just a short distance from Milan's bustling city centre.

Visiting Milan: Places to Visit

• Bus tours of Milan, featuring air-conditioned buses and insightful English commentary, taking in many of the city's most notable sights and landmarks, including the cathedral
• Walking tours of Milan, a particularly enjoyable way to learn about the city's rich past, starting outside the APT Information Office on Mondays and lasting around two hours
• Teatro alla Scala, an impressive opera house built during the 1770s and home to a popular museum
• Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a stylish late 19th-century shopping arcade in central Milan, with an enormous glass dome
• Meazza (San Siro) Stadium, the country's premier football stadium, with a capacity of approximately 85,000 spectators
• Palazzo Real, a grand building located in the centre of Milan and rebuilt during the 14th century, now home to the Civico Museo d'Arte Contemporanea (CIMAC) art gallery
• Palazzo della Ragione, an ancient law court dating back to 1233, located on Milan's Piazza Mercanti and known locally as 'Broletto Nuovo'
• Rotonda della Besana, designed and built at the end of the 17th century and offering a seasonal outdoor summer cinema
• Palazzo Sormani Andreani, a spectacular palace which has long been one of Milan's most lavish residences, now home to the Municipal Library and many important local documents
• Arco della Pace, the Milan Arch of Peace, an important monument featuring an enormous statue of a chariot and four horses, standing at the very top
• Archi di Porta Nuova, ancient arches which were once part one Milan's 12th-century medieval city wall
• Castello Sforzesco, a historic fortress built during the mid-14th century and standing in northwestern Milan
• Torre Velasca, a contemporary tower constructed in the 1950s and featuring eye-catching architecture, with a large overhanging area and a definite medieval character
• Museums, with Milan's most popular including the Natural History Museum (Museo di Storia Naturale) and the Theatre Museum (Museo Teatrale alla Scala)
• Idropark Fila and Aquatica, two popular water parks with a range of slides and pools, appealing to all ages
• Grattacielo Pirelli (Pirelli Tower), standing on the northeastern side of Milan and dating back to the mid-20th century, the first building to be taller than the city's cathedral