All European travellers one day come to Milan, thanks to it’s incredibly well connected position (both via air and rail) resulting in the city being reachable cheaply. And indeed, it does live up to at least some of it’s popularity.
At a glance…
- Days To Spend: 1 or 2, maybe more if you do day trips or museums
- Get Around: Metro, tram, or bus
- Get In and Out: By train or plane
- Pay: With Euros, most likely using a bank card
- Speak: Always try Italian first, but English is widely spoken
- See: Monumental Cemetery, Lake Como, Churches
- Should you go?: I think so
General Impressions
Milan is a busy cosmopolitan city, that feels alive yet connected to it’s long and storied past. It features impressive architecture from across the ages, building up to a charming medley of styles reminiscent of London.
Public Transport
Getting Around
Milan has a wide and reliable public transport network, featuring a metro, bus lines, tram lines and suburban rail. Some attractions are quite distant from each other, and you’ll likely want to hop on the metro or tram for a good number of these.
Getting In and Out
From Milan, one can reach nearly every other major Italian city, as well as many Swiss cities (and from there onwards to Germany). Indirect connections also exist to France, Austria, and Croatia, making the city incredibly well connected by rail.
Milan also has 3 airports, Malpensa, Linate, and Bergamo (though this one is a bit further out), all of which have regular cheap flights all over Europe and the world. European budget airlines often have very cheap flights to Malpensa and Bergamo in particular.
Money
Italy is in the Eurozone. In Milan itself, card is acceptable basically everywhere, though some places prefer cash. Outside of Milan, like around Lake Como, card isn’t universal but still fairly common.
Language
The Milanese are less militant about Italian than most of the people in this country, but attempting to speak Italian is always appreciated. I’d recommend giving it a go at first, then switching to English if you’re struggling, most people will accommodate you.
Time
Most of Milan’s main attractions can be done in a day or two. However, this can easily be extended if you go into many museums, or if you take day trips, opportunities for which are plentiful.
My Favourite Spots
Monumental Cemetery
You have never seen a cemetery like this before, I guarantee you! This cemetery is huge, and just absolutely filled with the most exquisite monuments the Milanese have erected for their dead. Best of all, it’s completely free and massive!
Lake Como
About an hour by train away (at least to Varenna, on the eastern edge of the lake), lies the picturesque Lake Como. There are a number of towns dotted around the lake, and most are accessible from each other by ferry. The triple towns of Varenna, Bellagio, and Mennagio are particularly popular, though we were satisfied with just exploring Varenna.
Churches
Being in a Catholic nation, Milan is packed with the most beautiful churches. There’s near on too many to list, but a few of the more memorable ones include:
- Santuario di San Bernardino alle Ossa – Has an ossuary (bone room)
- Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio – Has a unique courtyard, and a beautiful mosaic
- Basilica Santuario Sant’Antonio di Padova – Has a beautiful painted ceilings
Spots That Might Be Good
Milan Cathedral
I may have just sung the praises of Milanese churches, but it’s most important and iconic one is also one of the worst. The outside is amazing, there’s no doubt about that, but the inside is simply fairly average. The cardinal sin, however, is that entry is paid, and quite expensive. The cathedral museum is fairly interesting though. In short, the outside is an absolute must, but the inside is only worth seeing if you’re a big fan of churches anyway, or feel the obligation to do the most prominent attractions in the cities you visit.
Grand Canal
Does what it says on the tin. Milan’s largest canal is quite picturesque at night, and a busy centre for nightlife, but it’s nothing particularly special during the day, and is outshined by canals in other places.
Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery
Located right next to the Cathedral, the Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery is a big shopping centre. The main attraction here, besides the (overpriced) shops would be the arcades that make for some very pretty pictures.
Sforzesco Castle
The place where the old rulers of Milan lived, Sforzesco Castle is impressive architecturally, but there’s not much there. It’s cool and, most importantly, free to visit (except for the seasonal exhibitions), making it something worth consideration.
Conclusion
Milan is seen by nearly everyone who travels extensively around Europe. Is it worth seeing? Yes. Is it going to take your breath away, and leave you memories for life? No, probably not, unless you’re a fairly inexperienced traveller.
We May Roam 