10 attractions

The view from the lofty spires of Milano’s Duomo is an experience you will treasure: the Cathedral brings to life in its smooth marble half a millennium of history, light filtering through from the glass-stained windows to the aisles and the priceless artworks within.

Nowadays the Castello Sforzesco, the city’s former fifteenth-century defensive fortress, is now a place where art can be relished in several first-class museums. The most prized artworks are certainly Leonardo's Sala delle Asse and Michelangelo's Pietà Rondanini, but many other great Masters are represented. The Castello is also a place to enjoy in the open, pausing to take in the spectacular courtyards, embraced by the massive walls.

The elegance of the Milano Salotto par excellence, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, is a pleasure to walk through without haste, shielded by the glass and steel dome of its central Ottagono, enraptured by the charm of its stylish shop-windows.

The heart of exclusive, high-end shopping in Milano is very close to the city centre - in the area bordered by via della Spiga, via Monte Napoleone, via Manzoni and Corso Venezia: most of the designer labels that have made ltalian style and fashion famous all over the world will be found on these streets.

Set in one of the most charming neighbourhoods of the city, the Pinacoteca di Brera belongs to the exclusive club of Europe's premier art galleries: not to be missed are magnificent works by Mantegna, Raphael, Bellini, Piero della Francesca, Caravaggio and Hayez, along with many others.

The Navigli district is the ideal place for a romantic evening stroll along the city’s waterways, as well as for a montly visit to the bustling antiques market, or chilling out at one of the many restaurants and bars.

Milano’s state-of-the-art architecture and its vibrant nightlife scene come together among the skyscrapers of Piazza Gae Aulenti and Corso Como - the perfect place to gaze in awe at the Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) tower and enjoy a happy hour with friends.

The Last Supper, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, has fascinated and intrigued art lovers and countless visitors for centuries.

With its four-sided portico welcoming visitors and the evocative remains of its early Christian church, the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio (St. Ambrose, Patron Saint of the City) is one of the most beautiful examples of Romanesque architecture in Lombardy.

Since 1778, operas and ballets at La Scala have provided exhilarating emotions for enraptured audiences: its famous stage has hosted the greatest conductors and artists - from Arturo Toscanini to Claudio Abbado, on to the magnificent voice of the iconic Maria Callas.