Milan is a metropolis in the Lombardy region of northern Italy and a world capital of fashion and design. It is also a financial center, home to the Italian Stock Exchange. Milan is known for its designer boutiques and gourmet restaurants. Entire streets in the city center are lined with the most chic Italian (and French!) labels. Culture lovers are not left out with a remarkable heritage to discover, including the Gothic cathedral of the Duomo of Milan, in the heart of the city, and the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, which houses the famous fresco of The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. You can visit the basilicas and the Abbey of Clairvaux, the Pinacoteca di Brera, the Poldi-Pezzoli Museum and the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The emblematic Scala di Milano, where prestigious operas are performed throughout the year, is a must. We stop in a great restaurant or at the terrace of a café. And we go hunting from a store to a monument. Those who have not had their fill of shopping or who have been dissuaded by the prices of luxury brands can still go and browse in the outlet stores concentrated on the outskirts of the city.

When to go Milan ?

Milan is a city that can be discovered all year round. The summer can be hot and some stores are closed in August. This is when hotels are cheapest and April is when they are most expensive. February is when you will get the cheapest flights. Christmas and New Year's Day in Milan is a festive and original option. The city is beautifully decorated, midnight masses in prestigious buildings are added to a program of shows and festivities, not to mention tempting gastronomic proposals. Fashionistas will not want to miss the two highlights of the destination, the fashion weeks.

Weather at the moment

Loading...

Find unique Stay Offers with our Partners

How to go Milan

Use the map to see the lowest prices at a glance:
See prices on map

How to go alone

Milan can be reached by car (good formula if you also want to visit the great lakes). You leave your vehicle on the outskirts of Milan (heavy traffic and difficult parking). By train, you can reach Milan's Central Station from where you can use public transport. By plane, you have the choice between three airports. Malpensa (50km), Bergamo (45km) and Linate a few kilometres from the centre. Choose a well located accommodation to reduce your time in transport.

How to go on a tour

Milan is not the most touristy destination in Italy. Nevertheless, you can easily find organized stays. Most of the time they are weekends with flight and hotel. They are advantageous outside the tourist season, but be careful about the location of the hotels offered. It is better to stay in a hotel that is a little less comfortable but closer to your points of interest. The Milan and Great Lakes tours can also be attractive.

How to get around

The best way to get around Milan is by public transport: metro, streetcar and bus. By juggling all three you can reach all the important destinations. The Milanocard allows you to use public transportation free of charge for 24, 48 or 72 hours, depending on the option you choose.

Featured articles Milan

Organize your trip with our partners Milan
Transportation
Accommodation & stays
Services / On site

Discover Milan

Milan was originally a Celtic city before becoming, by the law of arms, Roman, Lombard, French, Spanish and Austrian. Destroyed, rebuilt, the capital of Lombardy does not cultivate a stereotypical Italian identity. Spearhead of the national economy (the Stock Exchange is headquartered here), queen of fashion alongside New York and Paris, Milan has chosen to link its destiny to the future, without forgetting its illustrious past. While at first glance Milan's grey, industrial suburbs may be discouraging, discovering the city is a succession of pleasant surprises, and a plunge into refinement and savoir-vivre "à la milanaise". A skilful blend of heritage and modernism, Milan's charms appeal to lovers of art, culture and urban planning, as well as shopping and design aficionados. As the gateway to the Lake District and the ideal starting point for exploring the region, Milan is well worth a visit.

Pictures and images Milan

Hôtel Straf. Philippe GUERSAN - Author's Image
Détail des pics et des statues du Duomo. Stéphan SZEREMETA
Vue de Milan depuis les terrasses de Duomo. Philippe GUERSAN - Author's Image
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II située sur la Piazza del Duomo. Philippe GUERSAN - Author's Image

The 12 keywords Milan

1. #Abbayes

Scattered south of Milan and towards Pavia, the silhouettes of several fine Romanesque abbeys stand out elegantly in their red-brick finery against the Lombardy countryside. Architectural masterpieces and spiritual centers of the Middle Ages, their monastic communities played an essential role in the region's agricultural development.

2. #Business

Bourse de Milan © Claudio Divizia - Shutterstock.com.jpg

A major business hub, Milan is often referred to as Italy's economic capital. Its stock exchange is the country's most important economic exchange. Most industrial activities are present here, but the city also draws its economic dynamism from tertiary activities, often managed by family-run SMEs.

3. #Biscione

iStock-1171658539.jpg

The coat of arms of Milan depicts a snake (il biscione) holding a child in its mouth. Legend has it that a dragon terrorized the Milanese and that Umberto Visconti killed it before it could devour a child. An emblem that the Alfa Romeo company, the Mediaset group and Milanese soccer club Inter F.C. have made their own.

4. #Fog

Nebbia, the dense fog that envelops the city and its surroundings, has become an inseparable feature of the Lombardy winter landscape. It's a meteorological feature linked to the morphology of the Po Valley, which is humid, highly industrial and not very windy. It does, however, lend Milan a certain charm, and always ends up dissipating.

5. #Channels

iStock-471124352.jpg

In the past, Milan was entirely crossed by a dense network of canals, but today only a few sections of them remain. The Navigli went beyond the urban perimeter, extending to a large part of Lombardy. They have been reduced in size, but are no less present in the Lombardy landscape, and their picturesque aspect has now gone beyond their functional aspect.

6. #Case di ringhiera

"Balustraded houses" is the name given to Milan's old buildings with spindly balconies. Once popular, now appreciated for their picturesque character, they are often transformed into artists' studios. Numerous towards the Navigli, they are sometimes hidden behind austere storefronts that you should not hesitate to pass discreetly.

7. #Design

Milan is not only the capital of fashion, it's also the capital of design. Since 1923, the city has hosted the annual Salon International du Meuble, a major design event. Alessi, Kartell and Artemide are just some of the famous names of brands born in Milan or Lombardy that justify the title of design capital.

8. #Fiera

Since 1920, the Fiera di Milano has been one of the country's leading trade fairs. Located on two sites, one in the city center and the other in Rho, 15 km to the northeast, it hosts events of all kinds all year round; with over 80 events and 160 congresses a year, it's a huge business showcase.

9. #Liberty

Along with Turin and Palermo, Milan is Italy's most Liberty city. This contemporary style of French Art Nouveau flourished in Milanese architecture at the end of the 19th century. Flowers, leaves, animals and nymphs in wrought iron or majolica decorate many buildings on Corso Venezia and around Corso Magenta.

10. #Locali

Milan offers night owls a whole panoply of bars, nightclubs and pubs, summed up in Italian by a single word: locali. From trendy bars with designer decor to underground clubs and concert halls to jazzy cafés, each district has its own range of good addresses, for all styles and ages.

11. #Madonnina

Madonnina © Viacheslav Lopatin - Shutterstock.com.jpg

A gilded statue of the Virgin Mary dominates Milan from the cathedral's highest spire. A symbol of the city, the Milanese donated it to the church in 1774. The Duomo is in fact dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and its full name is Santuario di Santa Maria Nascente. Over 4 metres high, it weighs 1,390 kg. Her halberd is actually a lightning rod.

12. #Fashion

Stores are everywhere, the greatest couturiers are everywhere, and dressing up is an art. Italy's fashion capital, especially during Fashion Week, Milan is all about fashion, and fashion is all about you! Window-shopping or shopping, the choice is yours, but one thing's for sure: you'll succumb to Milanese style!

You are from here, if...

You eat breakfast to the sound of " cappuccio e brioche ", standing at the counter of the local café.

You're dreaming of buying tickets for La Scala's season opening on December 7.

You discover Brera in the early hours of the morning, enjoying the silence of its sleepy alleyways.

At weekends, you're off to the lakes to experience la dolce vita, between boat trips and aperitivi on the terrace.

For you, work comes first and your days are never-ending. In fact, you're very proud to live in the country's economic capital!

You stroll through all the designer showrooms at the Salon du Meuble and manage to get invited to a select event.

On Christmas Eve, you line up at the patisserie to pick up your hot 1 kg panettone.

For nothing in the world would you miss the AC Milan or Inter FC players on Sunday afternoon at the San Siro.

Card Milan

Send a reply