By rail
Milano Centrale, ~3 h from Rome
Europe · Italy
Milan, Italy
Fashion, the Duomo and The Last Supper
Getting there
By air
Milan Malpensa (MXP) or Linate (LIN), ~50 km or ~7 km
Best time to visit
April to June and September to October — mild
Don't miss
The Duomo
The Last Supper
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
The Sforza Castle
Things to do
The Duomo's rooftop
The Last Supper (book ahead)
The Galleria
A day at Lake Como
Where to eat
What to pack
Something smart for the evenings
A quieter corner
The Navigli canals at aperitivo hour
Questions travellers ask
Which months are mild in Milan?
April to June and September to October. Pack something smart for the evenings.
What are the essential sights in Milan?
The Duomo and its rooftop, The Last Supper (book ahead), the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and the Sforza Castle. With a spare day, go to Lake Como.
What should I eat in Milan, and where's good for aperitivo?
Risotto alla milanese and cotoletta. For aperitivo, head to the Navigli canals at aperitivo hour.
Which airports serve Milan?
Milan Malpensa (MXP) is about 50 km out, and Linate (LIN) about 7 km. By train, Milano Centrale is about 3 hours from Rome.
About Milan
- Inland
Where it is
Milan is the capital of Lombardy and the second-most populous city in Italy, set in the north-western part of the flat Po Valley, with the Alps and the great lakes to the north.
History
Celtic Insubres settled here around 590 BC, and as Roman Mediolanum the city became capital of the Western Roman Empire, where Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313. The Visconti and then the Sforza ruled it as a duchy, and Ludovico Sforza brought Leonardo da Vinci to his court; after Spanish, Austrian and Napoleonic rule, Milan grew into the industrial and financial centre of modern Italy.
People
The Milanese speak Italian, and the city's own cooking includes risotto alla milanese, coloured with saffron, the breaded veal cotoletta and panettone at Christmas. On 7 December, the feast of Saint Ambrose, the patron saint of Milan, La Scala opens its opera season.
Known for
- The Duomo and its rooftop terraces
- Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper
- The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
- La Scala opera house
- Milan Fashion Week and the Furniture Fair
Did you know?
Milan Cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete: building began in 1386, and its final details were finished only in 1965.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.