What to Do in Milan, Italy

So you’ve got a day to spend in Milan - or if you’re lucky, maybe more! – and you’re wondering how best to truly experience this legendary Italian city. Today we’re joined by our Milanese guide Fedra, who has suggestions for the most essential things to do during a visit to her home town. Hallo! My name is Fedra - I love being a tourist guide and sharing with you my enthusiasm for my home city, Milan. The winter period we’re in right now is a moment I particularly love, because as a local or as a traveler, you can avoid the crowded high season and discover the essence of the town.

Walk through the Golden District

Milan is a vibrant and active city; here fashion and design are the thread of constant change. Creativity is contagious. You can feel it walking though the elegant Galleria Vittorio Emanuele or the Golden District, with the exclusive windows of the Italian fashion designer. The magical atmosphere of Caffè Marchesi, the historical pastry shop now property of the brand Prada, or the elegant Caffe Cova where the Opera Composers made history with classical music are particularly warm and welcoming. You definitely shouldn’t miss the pleasure to drink a delicious Cioccolata, the drink made with melted dark chocolate which really makes your day!

Go to a winter performance at the Opera House

The opera or ballet performances at the world famous Opera House alla Scala in the winter are without equal. The atmosphere of the over 200 year-old walls brings you back to the performances of Giuseppe Verdi’s Nabucco or let you feel like a noble family of the 1700s, owning the boxes and showing their status next to the emperor’s main royal box. Whispers, gossip, intrigue and love stories have been witnessed in the same boxes you may enter today. Of course everything is connected to fashion in Milan, so the dress code is very important to show respect to the great composers, artists and dancers who appear on stage.

Visit Milan’s Incredible Duomo

As you may know, there is no Italy without a church, and you must pay a visit to Milan’s Duomo Cathedral, described also by Mark Sullivan in the novel Beneath a Scarlet Sky. The marble temple was built over 600 years ago, with its incredible spires and over 3500 statues. The marvelous stained glass windows of the 1400s allow the sunlight to penetrate in the gothic interior and create an almost mystic atmosphere.

Experience the Essence of Milanese Fashion and Design

And now is the time for my personal suggestion. You shouldn’t miss a visit to both the Prada Foundation and Silos Armani. The first is an incredible experience into the design world, a unique meeting between the Calvinist architecture of the Holland OMA Studios and the flamboyant Italian touch. The second, a journey into the style of Giorgio Armani, the King of Italian Fashion, the designer who best shows the Milanese style. Red carpets and incredible outfits are displayed in 3 stories of former cereals silos, restored by Armani with his minimal style.

Plan a Visit During Fuori Salone Week

Last and not least: If you would like to experience the craziest week of the year, you are welcome to the Fuori Salone, from April 21 to April 26, 2020. During the furniture fair, the city of Milan becomes a huge design exhibition touching every hidden corner of Milan: abandoned train deposits, former industrial sheds, suburban rooms all become a unique design show, symbols of endless creativity… I hope this article awakes your curiosity! I will wait for you in my hometown with the Milanese smile and a warm “Welcome to Milan.” Any travellers planning a visit to Milan in 2020 can get in touch with Fedra to experience the best of the city with a passionate local guide.