Things to See and Do
So you’ve arrived, and you want to take in as many of the memorable sights as possible in your 48 hours. Here’s what’s worth checking out in Milan:
The Duomo
A massive Gothic cathedral dating back to the 14th century. It’s made completely out of marble and has hundreds of spires and is absolutely mind blowing inside. Some of the most beautiful stained glass window installations in Europe and the sheer size is incredible. Walk around the outside and admire the attention to detail in all the gargoyles and other statues adorning this amazing building.
Beware of the dodgy blokes hanging out the front (and around all the Duomo metro exits, and in the grounds of Castello Sforzesco) with their “gifts” of cotton bracelets. They will attach them to you so you can’t get them off and then demand cash. When you see them, keep walking and do not acknowledge them (they will try to lay it on your shoulder). Strategically time your photo opps as to not attract too much attention.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele
A huge shopping mall directly next to the Duomo. It houses boutique fashion labels from all over the world (Louis Vuitton, Dolce and Gabbana, etc) as well as the flagship Prada store. If you’re the shopping type, you will go nuts over this place. Well worth a wander through inside to experience what Milan is very well known for.
Castello Sforzesco
Walk in a westerly direction from the Duomo down Via Dante and you’ll hit Piazza Castello. You can’t miss this massive castle with it’s huge front tower and enormous walls that seem to go on for hundreds of metres, only being ended by circular towers on all four corners.
This was where the ruling families of Milan resided, and later where the Austrian governor resided while the Lombardy area (of which Milan is a part of) was part of the Hapsburg empire. There are a ton of museums inside (e.g. archaeological, Egyptian, natural history, the castle museum itself) and you can buy a ticket from the central office which gets you entry to all of them. Just walking around inside the castle’s epic grounds is cool enough, but the museums may also take your fancy.
Leonardo Da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology
Definitely a great attraction if you’re a tech buff like myself. Here you can find exhibitions on steam power, electricity, biotechnology, air, sea and rail transport, telecommunications and heaps more. The museum exhibits well a lot of the advances Italian inventors contributed to technological development especially in the fields of radio communication and transport.
This museum is also a good way to learn more about Italy during World War 2 and their military innovations. There is a decommissioned submarine on display within the museum grounds; tours inside it are available when scheduled throughout the day.
This one isn’t as easy to find, but it’s right near the Sant Ambrogio metro station or if you proceed south out of the Castle and down Via Giosue Carducci and follow it right down to aforementioned metro station, you can’t miss it.
