This year\u2019s conference will be held ONLINE from Milan, Italy.<\/p>\n
It is a pity that the pandemic has not allowed you to visit our city. However, Milan has many attractions for tourists: when you think about Milan, the first thing that pops into your mind is the capital of fashion and shopping. The city is indeed famous for its fashion weeks and many designer boutiques.<\/p>\n
In order to help you plan your stay in this beautiful Italian city, below there is a guide of the 15 best things to do in Milan. You will see, there are a lot of places of historical or cultural interest, starting with the most emblematic tourist attraction, the Milan Cathedral.<\/p>\n
So, what to do in Milan? Here are the best 15 points of interest with direct links to Google Maps for finding them easily<\/strong>!<\/p>\n Let\u2019s start this list of the top things to do in Milan with the must-see monument of the city: The Milan Cathedral (\u201cDuomo di Milano\u201d in Italian). The symbol of the city is located on Piazza del Duomo, the historic center and best starting point for a stay in Milan.<\/p>\n Started in 1386, the construction of Milan Cathedral took nearly 500 years. It was finished under the order of Napoleon Bonaparte who absolutely wanted to be crowned as king of Italy there.<\/p>\n This architectural wonder is the third largest cathedral in the world, after St. Peter\u2019s Cathedral in Rome and the Cathedral of Seville.<\/p>\n From the outside, you can admire its facade entirely made of perfectly carved stones. The 2.000 white marble statues and 136 arrows make the whole thing super impressive! When seeing it, you clearly understand why it\u2019s nicknamed \u201cthe marble hedgehog\u201d.<\/p>\n The interior is also worth a visit, with its 5 sumptuous naves and 52 columns, each representing a week of the year. You can also admire sarcophagi and tombs of several archbishops, as well as a crucifix made by the master Leonardo Da Vinci himself!<\/p>\n But the highlight of the visit is the possibility to go on the terrace of the Cathedral. From up there, the view of Milan is breath taking! You can choose to go there either by stairs or elevator. The second option is a bit more expensive: \u20ac12 instead of \u20ac7 for the first.<\/p>\n Voyage Tips Advice<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n As Milan Cathedral is the main attraction of the city, you will always have to wait in line (often for several hours) to go inside.<\/p>\n Plan to be there at the opening, or even better, half an hour before to reduce the waiting time. The best thing to do however is to buy your tickets online or booking a guided tour of the cathedral. You can buy them by clicking here. It\u2019s the best way to save (a lot) of time when you visit Milan<\/p>\n Just outside the cathedral, on the\u00a0Piazza del Duomo<\/a>,\u00a0you can visit the\u00a0Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II,\u00a0another top attraction in Milan.<\/p>\n The place is very photogenic and luminous, with its magnificent arcades and superb dome made of glass and iron. Nicknamed \u201cIl salotto\u201d, the Galleria is considered to be\u00a0one of the most beautiful in Europe, so don\u2019t miss it during your trip to Italy!<\/p>\n Inside, you can find some of the most famous fashion designers stores, including Vuitton and Prada, as well as many high-end restaurants.<\/p>\n Leaving from the\u00a0Piazza del Duomo, along the\u00a0Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, you will arrive directly on\u00a0Piazza della Scala<\/a>. As the name suggests, it\u2019s where\u00a0La Scala, the famous\u00a0Milan Opera house is located.<\/p>\n Along with the\u00a0San Carlo Theater in Naples\u00a0and the Fenice in Venice, it\u2019s one of Italy\u2019s 3 most prestigious operas.<\/p>\n Masterpieces of Italian opera have been created here, such as \u201cNorma\u201d by Vincenzo Bellini or \u201cOtello\u201d by Verdi. Also, one of the greatest classical singers of all time, Maria Callas, has performed in La Scala. The interior is world famous for being sumptuous. So you should really go if you can! The exterior facade however, is quite simple.<\/p>\n On the left of the building you can\u00a0visit the Museum of La Scala and its collection of musical instruments, opera costumes and historical documents.<\/p>\n If you wish to\u00a0attend a concert, an opera or ballet performance at La Scala, you can buy your tickets directly on\u00a0the official website.<\/a><\/p>\n And if you would like to book a guided tour of the Opera and the museum entrance, you need to go on this\u00a0on this website<\/a>. Once again, booking in advance is the best way to save time!<\/p>\n If you take\u00a0Via Dante\u00a0from the Piazza del Duomo, you will arrive directly at the main entrance of the\u00a0Sforza Castle<\/a>, another iconic monument of Milan.<\/p>\n This very impressive castle<\/a> is\u00a0located in the center of the city.<\/p>\n It was built in 1358 by the famous Visconti family to protect and defend the city against its enemy, Venice. Destroyed and rebuilt multiple times, it\u2019s\u00a0famous for having hosted Leonardo DaVinci workshops during the Renaissance period.<\/p>\n Today, the castle hosts several museums (more info here<\/a>):<\/p>\n The vast\u00a0inner courtyard of the castle is open to the public for free. It often hosts cultural events.<\/p>\n If you walk across\u00a0Sforza Castle, you will arrive directly in\u00a0Parco Sempione.<\/p>\n Just behind the\u00a0Sforza castle, you will find the green lung of the city<\/a>. The\u00a0Parco Sempione (Simplon Park in English) is the largest public park in Milan and a perfect place to rest a bit.<\/p>\n Some buildings worth seeing while strolling around:<\/p>\n Without a doubt the most famous church in Milan, Santa Maria delle Grazie<\/a> is known for housing one of the most beautiful masterpieces ever made,\u00a0the painting of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci.<\/p>\n Leonardo da Vinci painted the Last Supper in the refectory of the monastery, now called \u201cCenacolo\u201d in reference to the masterpiece. Thousands of tourists come every year to admire this painting representing the last meal of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n Voyage Tips Advice<\/strong><\/p>\n Remember to book the visit in advance,\u00a0you can only visit by appointment and in small groups of twenty people for 15 minutes. You can by your tickets\u00a0on this website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Since we are talking about Leonardo da Vinci, You may know that the city of Milan has dedicated him a huge museum: the\u00a0Museo nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo Da Vinci\u00a0(Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo Da Vinci)<\/a>. It\u2019s one of Milan best tourist attraction.<\/p>\n Installed in a former 16th century monastery, the museum exhibits more than\u00a0thirty models reconstructing the bold inventions of Leonardo Da Vinci<\/strong>, ranging from war machines to measuring instruments.<\/p>\n The exhibition\u00a0devoted to Leonardo da Vinci<\/strong> is only a tiny part of this gigantic museum. Over several floors, you will discover aviation, rail transport, automobile, naval transport, space, communications and many others.<\/p>\n In order to avoid waiting at the entrance of the museum, you should\u00a0book your tickets in advance here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Voyage Tips Advice<\/strong><\/p>\n The Museum of Science and Technology\u00a0is\u00a0ideal for a family visit. However, it\u2019s very big, so you will need to plan about\u00a0half a day to visit it. A nice thing:\u00a0you can bring a snack, a room has been specially arranged for meals.<\/p>\n As it\u2019s very close to the\u00a0Museum of Science and Technology, you should have a look at the\u00a0Basilica of Sant\u2019Ambrogio<\/a> after your visit of the museum.<\/p>\n Named after the patron saint of the city, a first church was built on site in 386. The current basilica,\u00a0one of the oldest in the city, was completed in 1099.<\/p>\n The exterior of the church, with\u00a0its 2 brick towers of different heights and beautiful atrium is quite unusual. This point of interest isn\u2019t very well known\u00a0by tourists, but it\u2019s definitely worth a look. A great opportunity to take nice pictures!<\/p>\n Inside, you can see:\u00a0the sarcophagus of Stilicon and the crypt, where the remains of Saint Ambrose, Saint Gervasus and Saint Protasus are located.<\/p>\n You\u2019re looking for an unusual place to visit in Milan? You should then definitely visit the\u00a0Cimitero Monumentale di Milano<\/a> (\u201cMonumental Cemetery\u201d in English). More than a cemetery, it is\u00a0a huge open-air museum with many artistic tombs.<\/p>\n At the main entrance, you can see the\u00a0graves of the most important citizens of the country. Amongst the most popular, you can find a pyramid, a white tower or a marble four-poster bed shaped tomb.\u00a0Milan wealthy families have really competed to stand out, as the numerous sculptures of angels or statues can attest.<\/p>\n At the entrance, don\u2019t forget to\u00a0take the map of the cemetery. You don\u2019t want to miss anything of this unusual visit!<\/p>\n Good thing to note: It\u2019s closed on Mondays<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Pinacoteca di Brera (\u201cBrera Art Gallery\u201d in English)<\/a> houses one of the most important art collection in Italy.<\/p>\n It\u2019s located in the\u00a0Palazzo Brera, built on a former monastery<\/a>. At the time, monks were the first to make it a cultural center with a school, an astronomical observatory and a library.<\/p>\n Since then, the collection of the Art Gallery just kept growing. Today, the works are exhibited in about forty rooms and are arranged in chronological order, according to the art technique used.<\/p>\n Amongst the most famous masterpieces, you can admire\u00a0Raphael\u2019s \u201dThe Marriage of the Virgin\u201d or Caravaggio\u2019s \u201dLast Supper to Emmaus\u201d.<\/p>\n Information for the schedule and entrance fee is available on the\u00a0Pinacoteca di Brera official website<\/a>.\u00a0The tickets for the museum\u00a0can be bought in advance here.<\/a><\/p>\n As the seat of the Milanese government for many years, the Royal Palace of Milan has became an important cultural center of the city. Several exhibitions are organized every year, whether of modern or contemporary art, fashion or design.<\/p>\n The Royal Palace is over 7,000 square meters, and\u00a0is home to many paintings\u00a0lent by some of the most prestigious museums in the world.<\/p>\n You can also visit the\u00a0museum of the palace. It presents its own history as well as the city and population of Milan history.<\/p>\n Divided into 4 parts, the museum allows you to explore the\u00a0Neoclassical,\u00a0Napoleonic,\u00a0and\u00a0Restoration periods, ending with the\u00a0unification of Italy, a very important period in the history of Milan.<\/p>\n Voyage Tips Advice<\/strong><\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget to\u00a0walk in the courtyard of the palace, to enjoy a unique view of Milan Cathedral. It\u2019s little known to tourists!<\/p>\n Another place you shouldn\u2019t miss in Milan is the Navigli district<\/a>, crossed by canals. It\u2019s the most picturesque of Milan!<\/p>\n Originally,\u00a0this system of canals connected the Po to the lakes of the region. They were used to transport goods and supply Milan with water.<\/p>\n The system of dam and locks used was invented by Leonardo da Vinci (him again!). Even the marble used for the construction of the Milan Cathedral, was transported by these canals.<\/p>\n Today, you can go to the\u00a0Navigli district, walk quietly along the canals and enjoy a drink or a meal on one of the restaurant terraces.<\/p>\n The best is to go there at the end of the day, with the light of the setting sun. It\u2019s a very romantic neighbourhood, especially in the evening with the lights reflecting in the canals and the local life starting in the numerous bars and restaurants.<\/p>\n The city is internationally recognized as the capital of fashion and design.<\/p>\n For shopaholics, the advise is to go to the quadrilateral of fashion (\u201cQuadrilatero della moda\u201d in Italian)\u00a0composed by the following 4 streets: Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, Via Sant\u2019Andrea and Via Manzoni<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you have a big budget,<\/strong> you will find everything you need in the boutiques of\u00a0great Italian designers like Versace and Gucci. This is also where the Milan Fashion Week takes place.<\/p>\n And for those who want to shop without ruining themselves<\/strong>, go to Corso Buenos Aires<\/a>, located in the heart of Milan. You will find a lot of brands at discounted prices. Another choice is the Scalo Milano outlet, 15 minutes from downtown<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you really love shopping, and you are willing to move, you should definitely book one of these 2 tours to the best outlets (45-60 minutes by bus from Milano): Serravalle Designer<\/a> and Fox town<\/a><\/p>\n If you still haven\u2019t found happiness after that, there is always the \u201cI love Milan\u201d T-shirt solution, a classic!<\/p>\n If you have time during your stay in Milan, go to the business square to admire a unique monument.<\/p>\n Located in front of the Milan Stock Exchange headquarters in\u00a0Piazza Affari,<\/a> you will find a\u00a0magnificent 11-meter marble statue representing a giant middle finger. Baptized LOVE (Libert\u00e0, Odio, Vendetta, Eternit\u00e0 or Freedom, Hate, Vengeance, Eternity in English), the statue was created by the Italian sculptor Maurizio Cattelan to taunt the financial institution.<\/p>\n It was criticized and was supposed to be removed after a few months, but for now, it\u2019s still in place since 2010<\/p>\n LOVE sculpture. You can really feel the love!<\/p>\n\n
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