What to see in Milan. What to visit in the capital of fashion

Are you going to visit this beautiful city and want to know the most essential things to see in Milan? So here we have our list.

But Milan also has many places to visit that, thanks to the fact that they are all very close to each other, can be explored on foot.

Our tour of this city can start in the Piazza del Duomo visiting the main points of interest in Milan.

The essential places to see in Milan

1. Piazza Duomo

The Piazza del Duomo is the most famous image of the city and it is where some of the most important buildings to see in Milan are located.

It is the place where any visit to Milan should begin, stopping to enjoy every corner, its pigeons, its buildings and its atmosphere, something that you can find in few other places in Milan.

The most famous is the Milan Cathedral and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, but it is also home to the Royal Palace.

2. Milan Cathedral

The Duomo, which is how the Milan Cathedral is known, is the main monument to visit in Rome. The Milan Cathedral is 157 meters long and can hold up to 40,000 people inside.

Its exterior stands out for its large marble-clad brick façade that is crowned by numerous pinnacles and towers crowned by the Madoninna, a beautiful bronze statue.

Its interior is also spectacular and has numerous works of art, which follow one another with the spectacular columns. Among his most interesting works is the Statue of Saint Bartholomew and one of the Nails of the Cross of Christ.

3. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

In the same Piazza del Duomo is another of the most important points of Milan, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

It is also known as the Salon of Milan and it is a 19th century shopping arcade where you can find many shops and restaurants. It is shaped like a cross and inside there are exclusive shops, terraces, cafeterias and spectacular restaurants and even an elegant McDonald’s.

Its main facade and its interior is spectacular. Remember to look for its mosaics on the floor, among which the Bull of Turin and the She-wolf of Rome stand out. If you put your foot inside the hole you find in the bull and make 3 turns, you will have good luck. Curious, right?

4. Theater alla Scala

Crossing the Gallery and coming out the back, we arrive at Piazza della Scala, where another of the main buildings to see in Milan is located, the Teatro alla Scala.

It is one of the most famous operas in the world. Its exterior is not too fascinating but its interior will leave you speechless with the possibility of visiting the boxes to have a unique image of the stage and its spectacular lamp. In the same square we find a Monument to Leonardo da Vinci and the Milan City Hall building.

You can take this guided tour of the Teatro alla Scala in which you will discover all its secrets and corners.

5. Piazza del Mercanti

What can we say about Piazza del Mercanti that you don’t already know? It is a very picturesque square that is located next to the Piazza del Duomo that you should not miss.

This square, which was very active during the Middle Ages as it was the main commercial place in the city, today preserves several of the most beautiful palaces in Milan, such as the Palazzo della Ragione or the Scuole Palatine.

It is an area with elegant buildings that are considered one of the best things to see in Milan.

6. Santa Maria delle Grazie

Finally we talk about other essential places to visit in Milan. It is a beautiful temple built in the fourteenth century by order of Duke Francesco Sforza and its exterior has an enviable beauty.

But the best thing to see in Santa Maria delle Grazie is inside. It is one of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpieces, the painting of the Last Supper, which he painted at the end of the 15th century and which today is one of the biggest attractions in Milan.

You can buy the ticket to visit the Last Supper here and not have to wait months to buy it on the official website.

7. Sempione Park

Of all the parks and gardens in Milan we must highlight one above the others, Sempione Park, the best park to visit in Milan.

There, in addition to relaxing and resting, you can enjoy the Sforzesco Castle, a 14th-century fortress that has numerous museums as well as a spectacular central courtyard.

Sempione Park is the largest green area in Milan, dating back to the 19th century and it is a special place to relax and unwind.

8. Castelo Sforzesco

In the middle of Sempione Park we find the Castelo Sforzesco, a spectacular fortress from 1368 and which is another of the main places to see in Milan. This castle was destroyed by Napoleon but was rebuilt in the early 20th century after years of discussions on how to do it.

It was again damaged in World War II but was rebuilt again and today we can enjoy several museums such as the Museum of Ancient Art, the Museum of Decorative Arts, the Museum of Prehistory, the Furniture Museum, the Egyptian Museum or the Pinacoteca.

9. Navigli neighborhood

Although less famous than in other places, in Milan we can also enjoy several canals. There are two of them and they are in the Navigli neighbourhood. These canals were built to be able to reach Milan from the sea and were later improved by Leonado da Vinci.

Nowadays they are no longer used for what they were conceived for but we can enjoy them thanks to their restaurant boats, their terraces and their great atmosphere.

You cannot miss the Church of San Cristóforo or the Callejón de las Lavanderas in this neighborhood, as well as strolling along its 2 canals and admiring this area of ​​Milan.

10. Basilica of St. Ambrose

In Milan there are countless churches and religious temples that we can visit. One of them is the Basilica of San Ambrosio, from the year 387 and with an overwhelming crypt. It is the oldest church in the city, although it was rebuilt in the Lombard Romanesque style in the 11th century.

Its exterior stands out for its two brick towers of different heights, while inside we must highlight the Sarcophagus of Stilicho, or as we have said before, its crypt, where the skeletons of San Ambrose, San Protasio and San Gervasio are found.

11. Brera Art Gallery

There are also many museums to see in Milan, a city full of art and where you could spend days and days visiting all of them.

But if we have to highlight one, we opted for the Pinacoteca di Brera, where we can not only enjoy the art inside but also the palace that houses it, a Jesuit monastery. We can admire works by Tintoretto, Raphael and other great artists. It is one of the main museums in the world and if you are in Milan you should not miss it.

You can find more information on the official Milan tourism website.