Milan in one day? Not a problem! Here are 10 ideas of things to do in Milan if you’ve only got a day.
When thinking about visiting Italy, Milan is one of the first cities that would pop in one’s head. Located in northern Italy and the capital of Lombardy, Milan is a very beautiful city to be.
Known as the second most populated city in Italy and the largest metropolitan area in Italy, Milan is the best of both worlds. It is the evidence of how pretty the combination of medieval Italian art and modern age can be.
Planning to visit the city but only got a day to spare? That’s not a problem. A day is already enough to appreciate the beauty of Milan!
Here are 10 things you can do for a day in Milan:
1. Visit the magnificent Duomo di Milano
The grandiose and gorgeous Duomo di Milano is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan. It took nearly 6 centuries to complete this beautiful cathedral. It is also the largest church in Italy. This is definitely number 1 because this is the one place that will make you say, ‘ah, I’m in Milan!’. It is such a very beautiful cathedral too, no doubt about that.
2. Play with the pigeons
If feeding the pigeons was prohibited in Venice, then in Milan it isn’t. The pigeons around the Duomo di Milano is one of the factors that makes Milan beautifully unique. You can feed them all you want for some fun but be extra careful of scammers as they may take advantage of this and rip off money from you.
3. Walk around Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and enjoy window shopping
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is Italy’s oldest active shopping mall, also a major landmark in Italy, just right beside Duomo di Milano. It is such a huge arcade that you will surely enjoy going around at. It has various stores and restaurants. I enjoyed eye shopping there during my last visit but will surely do some real shopping when I get back.
4. Stopover Santa Maria delle Grazie
A known UNESCO World Heritage Site, Santa Maria delle Graize is a church and Dominican convent found in Milan. The church contains the beautiful mural of The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci which is the main reason tourists always manage to stop by this convent.
5. Admire interesting museums and galleries
Milan is filled with lovely and interesting museums and galleries that you’d surely want to visit if you go on a holiday there. Depending on your preferences, you’ve got a wide variety of these museums and galleries. Just like the Civico Museo Archeologico di Milano which we happened to drop by at is dedicated to the history of ancient Milan to the Early Middle Ages and has an Ancient Greek section too.
6. Appreciate beautiful churches like the Chiesa di San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore
Aside from museums and galleries, Milan is embodied by other different beautiful churches. Given that Duomo di Milano is such a gorgeous one, there are also pretty churches that you can visit within the city just like Chiesa di San Maurizio al Monasterio Maggiore or the Church of Saint Maurice al Monastero Maggiore. This church is used to celebrate the Byzantine Rite and also as a concert hall.
7. Enter the grand Castello Sforzesco
Castello Sforzesco or the Sforza Castle used to be one of the largest citadels in Europe. It is such a grand castle which now houses several of the city’s museums and art collections. Collections of the museum from prehistoric and Egyptian civilizations are house in this castle museum. This is also a pretty interesting place to be especially for art lovers.
8. Spend the afternoon at the Parco Sempione
After a whole day of walking around the city of Milan, have some break at the Parco Sempione or the Simplon Park. It is a quite large city park where locals and tourists alike spend some quality time here relaxing or being with family, friends or even alone.
9. Adore fascinating structures and statues like Arco della Pace at Porta Sempione
Porta Sempione, the Sempione Gate, is a city gate of Milan. This gate is marked by the triumphal arch called Arco della Pace, the Arch of Peace. Porta Sempione, just adjacent to Parco Sempione, is another site where you can chill and relax.
10. Have some of the best chocolates in Italy
Italy is definitely one of the cities in the world with the best chocolates and getting to have some while you’re there is a must. I totally loved this hot chocolate from Venchi. Yes, Venchi has got some branches in other cities like London but it’s just different when you’re having it while you’re in Italy.
Milan is such a lovely city! You can totally explore it, learn its history and appreciate its art in just a day.
Be pretty, be happy, be you! H~
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