What to Do in Milan: Best Things to See & Explore

You know about the fashion weeks and you might also know about the design equivalent, spring's Salone del Mobile. But this is your guide to Milan's year-round attractions, including the world's most famous opera house, a masterpiece by its greatest artist and an all-marble cathedral…

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CULTURE

La Scala

The world’s most famous opera house opened in 1778. Encompassing premieres of works by the very greatest Italian composers (Verdi, Puccini, Rossini) and legendary performances by Maria Callas, Luciano Pavarotti and so many more, its rich history is showcased in a dedicated museum next door. Opera season begins on 7th December each year, with La Prima – a gala opening night that’s perhaps the most prestigious event in the city’s social calendar. It runs through to July, though other concerts are put on year-round. If you just want to soak in the gilt boxes, velvet seating and magnificent chandeliers, there are daily guided tours.

Visit TREATALLASCALA.ORG

Duomo

Its own rooftop terraces are the best place to really see Italy's largest Gothic cathedral. Climb the 250 stairs (or there’s a lift) and you can get up close to the thousands of sculptures, hundreds of pinnacles and 96 gargoyles that adorn this one-of-a-kind building. On a clear day, the Alps beyond the city – source of the beautiful pink Candoglia marble with which the Duomo was built – will also be visible. We suggest going early (everything opens at 9am) to beat the crowds and enjoy the best light.

Visit DUOMOMILANO.IT

San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore

The grey stone shell of this 16th-century church gives little clue to what awaits inside. With extraordinary frescoes covering all of its surfaces, San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore has been called Milan's Sistine Chapel. The painters who combined to decorate this free-to-enter building in the city’s historic centre are not as famous as Michelangelo but the effect of their joint effort is wonderful.

Corso Magenta 15, 20123

ART

Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano

Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper isn’t just a masterpiece. It’s a masterpiece that still hangs on the wall for which it was originally commissioned more than 500 years ago. That wall is in the refectory of the Santa Maria delle Grazie church, which is itself now part of the Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano. Because of the fragility of the painting, visits are restricted to 15 minutes. Know too that tickets go on sale in quarterly batches and can be hard to come by.

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Fondazione Prada

Miuccia Prada and her husband Patrizio Bertelli’s contemporary art institution occupies an old distillery to which the great architect Rem Koolhaas has added three remarkable structures: the white 60m-tall Torre, the glass Podium and gold-leaf-clad Haunted House. Supplemented by regular exhibitions, the foundation’s permanent collection features Louise Bourgeois and Anish Kapoor, while film director Wes Anderson designed the 1950s-style Bar Luce on site.

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Museo del Novecento, Emanuela Terzi

Museo del Novecento

In a distinctively 20th-century palazzo on Piazza del Duomo, this museum chronicles the full sweep of that century’s Italian art. Telling the story of futurism to arte povera and beyond, its 400-strong collection of works features stars like de Chirico, Morandi and Fontana – the latter’s neon installation lights up a top-floor gallery that also has some fine Duomo views. As you work your way up its spiral staircase, you’ll spot pieces by some non-Italian big names too, including Picasso, Matisse and Kandinsky.

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MUDEC

British starchitect David Chipperfield designed Milan’s zinc-clad Museum of Cultures, transforming an old industrial site in the Tortona district. Inside, there are more than 7,000 objects spanning 1500 BC to the 20th century across Africa, Asia, the Americas and Oceania. The museum shop is a good one and, if you’re going all out, you’ll find Enrico Bartolini’s three-Michelin-starred restaurant on the third floor.

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Grande Brera

Grande Brera comprises three Milanese institutions that are worthy destinations in their own right. With its burgundy and dark green walls, Pinacoteca di Brera is an atmospheric home to masterpieces by Mantegna, Bellini, Caravaggio and Titian. Newly opened Palazzo Citterio is where you can find more modern wonders by the likes of Modigliani, Boccioni, Morandi and Picasso. Then there’s the handsome Braidense national library – and all three now connect to the city’s botanic gardens.

Visit GRANDEBRERA.ORG

Case Museo

Another multi-museum complex, Case Museo is a quartet of grand historic houses whose walls are lined with family art collections from across the ages. With a heated pool and tennis court, Villa Necchi Campiglio is itself a perfect example of 1930s rationalist architecture. Our other favourite is Casa Boschi Di Stefano, which is home to incredible artworks by de Chirico, Fontana and more.

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Galleria Zero

Moving every few years, Galleria Zero has had many homes in Milan. Each time it moves, it invites contemporary artists to respond to the new residence. Along the way it has built an impressive collection of pieces that explore space, time and existence through painting, drawing, installation, sculpture, photography and video.

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Grande Brera

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DESIGN

Armani/Silos

In 2015, to mark 40 years in fashion, Giorgio Armani transformed a 1950s Nestlé granary in Tortona into a museum commemorating his career. Its permanent collection of more than 800 garments and accessories is showcased on floors that explore the defining themes of his work: Daywear, Exoticism, Colour Schemes and Light. In pared-back concrete surrounds, you can get up close with landmark pieces like the suit Richard Gere wore in American Gigolo.

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Palazzo dell’Arte

Palazzo dell’Arte in Parco Sempione is where you’ll find Italy’s design institution. The permanent Museo del Design Italiano presents iconic pieces its huge mid-century collection, including Castiglioni brothers' lighting, Mendini's Proust armchair and Sottsass ceramics, while the Giancarlo de Carlo garden features installations including de Chirico's Bagni Misteriosi. Every few years since the 1930s, the institution has also put on its famous Triennale show.

Visit TRIENNALE.ORG

Rossana Orlandi

After 30 years in fashion, consulting for the likes of Kenzo and Issey Miyake, Rossana Orlandi opened her design institution in a former tie factory just south of Parco Sempione. Surrounding a courtyard of old grape vines, the building draws a crowd each Milan Design Week for its eclectic mix of vintage and emerging designer pieces.

Visit ROSSANAORLANDI.COM

Nilufar

Milan’s most influential design dealership was started by Nina Yashar in the late 1970s. Starting as a specialist in antique carpets, she soon broadened her interest out into mid-century furniture. Now that she has not just a gallery but a second, cavernous Depot space to fill, she also casts her expert eye across the latest in contemporary design.

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Spazio Maiocchi

In one of Porta Venezia’s old industrial buildings, Carhartt WIP and local streetwear retailer Slam Jam have created an appointment-only contemporary space where Kaleidoscope magazine, which has its office on site, curates a programme of events and exhibitions including launches for the hottest new fashion collabs.

Visit SPAZIOMAIOCCHI.COM

Galleria Campari

A few miles north of the city centre, this fun corporate museum celebrates 160 years of the iconic Campari brand through 3,000 works including Belle Époque posters, classic advertising graphics and contemporary design objects. A huge projection wall displays animated campaigns and historic calendar images. Tours require advance booking.

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NEIGHBOURHOODS

Navigli

The medieval canals that once connected Milan to Italy’s northern lakes, and were used to transport all that pink marble to the Duomo’s builders, define this popular neighbourhood. Wander its waterside walkways and you’ll pass 13th-century churches, classic ringhiera townhouses, independent boutiques and vintage shops. Each evening, the main canals – Naviglio Grande and Naviglio Pavese – are among the city’s premier aperitivo-hour destinations.

Brera

Milan's artistic quarter is a place of cobblestone streets, plant-filled balconies, small galleries, old-time osterias and a creative energy inherited from the bohemian gatherings that defined post-war life here. Grande Brera (see above) is the centrepiece of the neighbourhood but there are many quieter places worth discovering here too.

Parco Sempione

Stretching between Castello Sforzesco and Arco della Pace, this 95-acre park is Milan's most substantial green space. As well as the Palazzo dell’Arte (see above) it’s home to a series of local landmarks, including the 108m-tall Branca tower, the neoclassical Arena Civica stadium and the Sirenette bridge across its central pond. Really, though, this is a place that’s loved by runners and picnickers alike as a calming natural haven.

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