The 12 best things to do in Milan this year

Known as the fashion capital of Italy, a trip to Milan is always a thoroughly stylish affair. But this dazzling city is about so much more than just high-end boutiques and cutting-edge designers.

A visit to a world-class art gallery or museum, exploring a breathtakingly beautiful cathedral, and spending a night at the opera are all up there among the best things to do in Milan. And while there are so many things to see in Milan, the city’s relatively compact size means the center can be easily explored on foot, where you can meander along Milan’s narrow cobbled streets and take in the cosmopolitan atmosphere of this bustling metropolis. Read on for my round-up of the very best Milan things to do.

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How was this guide created?

Thanks to my Italian heritage, I visit Italy as often as possible, and Milan is one of my favorite cities (it also happens to be where one of my best friends lives). To create this guide on the best Milan things to do, I used my own experiences, complemented by local knowledge and research online.

The best museums in Milan

There’s no shortage of brilliant museums to explore in Milan, where you can marvel at Renaissance masterpieces, admire avant-garde artworks, and experience breathtaking architecture.

Pinacoteca di Brera

When it comes to the best things to do in Milan, a visit to the Pinacoteca di Brera is right near the top of the list. Long known for being the city’s most prestigious art gallery and museum, it was Napoleon himself who first opened the Pinacoteca in the early 19th century, using it to display looted works from French-occupied Italy.

You can’t fail to be impressed as you wander around the Neoclassical palazzo, where you’ll find more than 500 works of Renaissance art on show, including pieces by Giovanni Bellini, Andrea Mantegna, and Raphael. Don’t miss the glass-paneled studio in Room XVIII, where you can watch conservators as they painstakingly restore masterpieces in the Laboratorio Trasparente.

After your visit, spend some time exploring the local neighborhood of Brera, known as the artists’ quarter of Milan. Here, the cobbled streets are lined with sophisticated boutiques and fashionable cafes, as well as several other galleries that are worth a visit.

Fondazione Prada

This contemporary art gallery was conceived by designer Miuccia Prada and architect Rem Koolhaas, so it’s hardly surprising that it’s one of the most visually striking and innovative spaces in Milan.

Start with a tour of the gallery’s nine-story tower, which houses works by Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst, before moving on to the shimmering Haunted House, which is covered in gold leaf, to peruse pieces by Robert Gober and Louise Bourgeois (just make sure to book your ticket in advance for this one).

For movie lovers, there’s a mirrored cinema where you can watch original language screenings, and creative performances are also part of the cultural programming. Don’t leave without visiting the Wes Anderson-designed Bar Luce, with its pink terrazzo floors and retro patterned wallpaper.

Mudec

This art and culture museum, housed in the ex-Ansaldo factory, acts as a bridge between people and world cultures. The sleek and modern design of the building is a work of art in its own right, with the industrial complex re-engineered by British architect David Chipperfield to create a series of studios and workshops out of translucent glass and concrete.

The exhibitions on show here change throughout the year. Recent highlights include a retrospective of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s work focusing on race and identity politics and a show on Frida Kahlo revolving around the museum’s collection of indigenous Mesoamerican artifacts that informed her visual aesthetic.

Whatever you come to see here, you know it will be eye-opening and that you’ll walk away having learned something new, which is why I had to include it in my best things to do in Milan.

Museo del Novecento

Milan’s museum of 20th-century art houses some of the most avant-garde works in the city, with pieces by the likes of Picasso, Modigliani and Kandinsky on display.

Designed as an ode to the Guggenheim and built around a spiral ramp, the striking space features rooms arranged in chronological order, moving from powerful neo-impressionist paintings to Futurist works, with further spaces dedicated to the Novecente movement and Abstraction.

You could easily lose an entire afternoon exploring the artworks here, which offer a fascinating insight into Italy’s social trajectory over the last century. While you’re there, stop off at the lovely Giacomo Arengario bistro on the third floor, which has a terrace overlooking the neighboring Duomo.

Best attractions and things to do in Milan

The most fascinating monuments and attractions to discover in Milan.

The Duomo

No list of the best things to do in Milan would be complete without mentioning the city’s world-famous Duomo. A vision in pink marble, this magnificent Gothic cathedral is the third biggest church in Europe (after St Peter’s in Rome and the cathedral of Seville) and it took roughly 600 years to build its spindly spires, flying buttresses, and thousands of statues.

To get a closer look at that spellbinding architecture, catch the lift or walk the 251 steps to the top of the cathedral, where you can admire the intricate spires and gargoyles up close while also taking in the breathtaking views over the city and the snow-capped Alps beyond.

The interior is just as impressive, with its vast stained-glass windows, while in the crypt you’ll find Carlo Borromeo interred in a rock-crystal casket.

La Scala

There are few opera houses more famous than La Scala in Milan. The sumptuous Neoclassical building was opened in 1778 after the original theatre burnt down in a fire after a carnival gala. The cost of building it was covered by the sale of its private boxes, which you’ll find spread across six dazzling gold-and-red tiers.

Book a tour of the Ansaldo Workshops for a glimpse behind the scenes, where you can see set designers and scenography technicians at work, along with thousands of costumes from over a century of musical drama.

There are more affordable limited-view gallery tickets available for every performance, but if you really want to splash out, book tickets for the opening evening; it’s usually held on December 7 and is one of Milan’s most exclusive events and one of the most Milan things to do.

Santa Maria delle Grazie

For the chance to gaze upon Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, head to the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where you’ll find the famous mural hidden away on a wall of the refectory. It is one of the most iconic images in the world and viewings get extremely busy, so it’s recommended to book your ticket at least one month in advance (and as much as three months ahead in the summer or on a weekend).

Afterward, make sure to visit the Casa degli Atellani opposite, whose garden and vineyard once belonged to Da Vinci. To learn all about Da Vinci’s life in Milan, sign up for the roughly 45-minute guided tour of the charming Renaissance home.

Best restaurants and cafes in Milan

A gastronomic journey through Milan has many gems to offer.

Paper Moon Giardino

One of the best things to do in Milan is eat your way around its many restaurants. And when it comes to the best restaurants in Milan, Paper Moon Giardino is right near the top of the list, housed in a 200-year-old Neoclassical palazzo.

This stylish restaurant is a firm favorite during Milan Fashion Week, thanks to its location in the center of the city’s Golden Rectangle fashion district, but it’s popular with locals all year round. They love it for its beautiful interiors, which include original vaulted frescoed ceilings and Venetian terrazzo floors, but the real draw here is the lovely leafy garden, which was made for lazy al fresco lunches.

In terms of the menu, the focus is on freshly prepared fish and seafood, which are all of the highest quality – no wonder it’s one of the best Milan restaurants. Though dishes change seasonally, highlights include tuna tartare, grilled langoustines, and baked seabass.

Marchesi 1824

This is Milan’s most famous pastry shop – and with good reason. First opened in 1824, it quickly set the benchmark for elegant confectionary, becoming known for its exquisite creations that were more like miniature works of art than cakes.

There are three branches in the city, with the original on Via Santa Maria alla Porta; but my favorite is the one above Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which has views overlooking the elegant shopping gallery. Here you can order one of their delightful pastries, a strong cup of coffee, and a beautifully packaged box of chocolates to take home, as you sink into one of their mint-green velvet chairs (the interiors here are just as renowned as the desserts).

Walk-ins are available, but if you’re looking for one of the popular window seats, I’d recommend making a reservation in advance.

Caffe Napoli Exytus

If you’re looking for a truly authentic Italian coffee experience in Milan, Caffe Napoli Exytus is the place to go. Don’t be put off by the name – yes, their roots may have begun in Naples, where the founders were blown away by the quality of espresso they sampled, but these coffee shops are pure Milanese magic.

Have an espresso while standing up at the bar – the proper way Italians drink it – and if you’re looking for something a little different, order one of the sweet variations from the menu. There are several branches dotted around the city, but the one on Corso di Porta Ticinese is my favorite for a little pick-me-up while visiting the shops nearby.

And if you’re traveling solo in Italy, this is also the one where you’re most likely to strike up a conversation with a fellow coffee lover.

The best shops in Milan

While you’re in this iconic fashion capital, you won’t be able to resist strolling through the best arcades and fashion boutiques.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Wondering what to do in Milan? You can’t go to the Italian fashion capital without indulging in a spot of retail therapy – or, at the very least, some window shopping – and the finest place to do that is at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

One of the best things to do in Milan, this captivating arcade made of stone, wrought iron and glass is Italy’s oldest shopping center and was opened by King Vittorio Emanuele II in 1867. The arcade links Piazza del Duomo with La Scala and is known for its high-end boutiques, with the original Prada store located here.

Be warned that it can get very busy during the day, both with locals visiting what is called ‘the drawing room of the Milanese’ and tourists – if you want to marvel at the architecture in relative peace, it’s best to come for a wander at night.

10 Corso Como

Milan is known for being the fashion capital of Italy, so it’s hardly surprising that the city is home to the world’s very first concept store. Founded by former Vogue Editor Carla Sozzani in 1990, walking through the doors of this 20th-century palazzo feels like being transported to another world, one far away from Milan’s hustle and bustle.

Here, everything is tranquil, from the elegant clothes on display to the vine-covered courtyard, where you can sip cocktails among Milan’s most stylish. The space perfectly blends fashion, art and design, with clothes by the likes of Balenciaga and Vivienne Westwood on display alongside contemporary art and a bookshop that stocks beautiful fashion, photography and design coffee-table books.

There’s also one of the most sought-after Milan restaurants, the 10 Corso Como Restaurant & Café, where you can feast on fresh pasta and Sicilian shrimp.

Of course, this is a just short snap-shot of the most interesting things to do in Milan – there are so many wonderful things to do and see in Milan (not to mention eat) that they could never be covered in one list. And that’s before I even get started on the marvels of wider Italy.

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