Back in 2019 I visited Milan for a day as part of a small trip from Prague. This visit would be my first time in Italy and would be the city that I was most surprised by on this trip.
Naturally as I had just 24 hours I could not see everything the city had to offer, however, I wanted to share with you my highlights from the city, just in case you decide to visit one day.
There is so much more to see in Milan, however, I had to prioritise what I wanted to see.
As with all of my city posts I will list everywhere first and allow you to decide what parts of the post you would like to read. In this post you will find read about;
I have also included a small guide to the public transport within Milan at the end of this post which can be viewed here.
I have included some pictures for each listed location and will aim to provide some information about each one.
Duomo di Milano
Duomo di Milano (Milan Cathedral in English) is the cathedral church of Milan and is currently where the Archbishop of the city is seated.
Construction began in 1386 and took over 500 years to complete! It was built to modernise the area as well as to celebrate the expansion of the Visconti Territory – who ruled over Milan at the time.
It is one of the largest catholic churches in the world being able to hold 40,000 people inside. This brings me on to an important point – make sure when you visit you wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees as you may not be allowed in without them covered. To access the inside it costs 2 euros.
Once inside it will cost a further 8 euros to access the rooftop terrace.
How to Reach Duomo di Milano
Due to it’s location within the city centre you can easily walk from most hotels.
To access by Metro – The closest station is Duomo which is on lines 1 & 3.
To access by Tram – The closest stop is Torino (Duomo) on lines 2, 3 & 14, or stop Dogana (Duomo) on line 24.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
If like me you were wanting to see some of the designer brands within Milan then Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is where you will want to be.
Built between 1865 and 1877 this impressive building can be found just a 60 second walk from Duomo di Milano. The building is shaped like a cross and is home to brands such as Gucci, Saint Laurent and more than one Prada store.
The luxury brands are outside as well with Ferrari having their flagship store just outside on the street “Via Giovanni Berchet.”
If like me you cannot afford to shop in any of the stores inside, Burger King has a branch inside which offers a low cost meal. It has been styled in the same way as the building so it blends in and does not take away from the building.
How to Reach Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Due to it’s location within the city centre you can easily walk from most hotels.
Also as it is next to the metro the same stations can easily be used these are,
Closest Metro Stations – The closest station is Duomo which is on lines 1 & 3.
Closest Tram Stations – The closest stop is Torino (Duomo) on lines 2, 3 & 14, or stop Dogana (Duomo) on line 24.
Tram stop Grossi S.Margherita on line 1 can also be used as well
Castello Sforzesco
This famous Milan Landmark should be visited by everybody, for the sole reason of it was nearly destroyed on multiple occasions.
Originally built in 1368 before being expanded it sat proudly in Milan until it was nearly entirely destroyed by the Golden Ambrosian Republic between 1447 and 1450.
It was rebuilt by the Sforza family (that’s where the name comes from) and remained in one piece until 1800. In 1800 Napoleon ordered the destruction of the entire castle, in 1801 the towers were destroyed but nothing more.
Fast forward to the mid 1850’s when residents in Milan nearly destroyed the castle to build houses, for context of how insane that would look today, imagine pulling down Edinburgh Castle to build houses. They decided to keep it and ordered its renovation, this was finished in 1905.
Then during World War 2 the castle was damaged. More damage was caused in the 1960’s by the construction of the Milan Metro. In 2005 restoration work was finished.
The site is home to no less than 7 museums ranging from Ancient Art to Ancient Wooden Sculptures. These museums cost 10 euros to enter, unless it is the first Sunday of the month, they cost 5 euros on those days.
How to Reach Castello Sforzesco
Due to its location it is very easy to walk to from most hotels. The following public transport options are also available.
Metro – The closest stations are Cadorna (line M1), Cairoli (Line M1) or Lanza (Line M2).
Bus – Lines 18, 37, 50, 58, 61 & 94
Tram – Lines 1,2,4,12,14 & 19 all run here.
Milano Centrale
This might seem weird that I recommend going to a train station, but, hear me out. This is the most impressive train station I have ever visited and is the one I talk about when people mention impressive public transport.
Opened in 1931 the station opened as a replacement to the original that was too small for the needs of the city. It became the impressive structure it is today under the rule of Benito Mussolini. He wanted the station to be a symbol of the fascist regime.
Some statistics for you, the station is used by over 300,000 passengers per day and houses 24 platforms. Trains run to cities across Italy, France, Switzerland and Germany. It can also be used to reach Milan Bergamo Airport – simply catch a Trenord service to Bergamo and transfer to a local bus to the airport.
How to Reach Milano Centrale
Well train is a good start, after all it is a train station.
It is also easy to reach by foot from most hotels in the city. The public transport options are,
Metro – Station Centrale F.S. on lines 2 and 3
Tram – lines 2,5,9 &33
What you need to know about Milan’s Public Transport.
The two most common methods of public transport are the Metro and the trams.
Metro Information
There are currently 4 lines on the network, which are as follows;
- Line M1 – This is red on the map
- Line M2 – This is green on the map
- Line M3 – this is yellow on the map.
- Line M5 – This is purple on the map.
The metro is open every day of the year and is open between 0600 and 0030. In the centre of the system trains run approximately every 5 minutes
One way tickets cost .€2
24 Hour cards are valid from validation! and will cost €4.50
48 Hour cards are valid from validation! and will cost €8.25
Tram Information
There are 18 lines on the network, which covers the city.
Services start at 0430 and run until 0200 (meaning the run 21.5 hours a day)
One way tickets cost .€2
24 Hour cards are valid from validation! and will cost €4.50
48 Hour cards are valid from validation! and will cost €8.25
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George Nugent Travels 