A Local Guide to Milan.
Hi folks I've been living in Milan for more than 4 years and I will share you some of the secrets of Milan if you are visiting.
Things to see in Milan if you are doing a 1 day trip.
- Duomo - Milan Cathedral
- Gallery of Vittorio Emanuele II
- Teatro alla Scala
- Pinacoteca Ambrosiana - Brera
- Santa Maria Della Grazia - Cenacolo Vinciano (Last Supper)
- Castello Sforzesco
- Parco Sempione
- Arco della Pace
- Naviglio Area - Night Life
Extra Things to see in Milan if you are doing a 2 day trip.
- San Bernardino alle ossa Church
- Palazzo Reale Milano
- Piazza Affari
- Chiesa di San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore
- Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio
- Basilica San Lorenzo Maggiore
Extra Things to see in Milan if you are doing a 3 day trip.
- Cimitero Monumentale
- City Life
- Ippodromo Snai San Siro
- San Siro Football Stadium
- Giardini Indro Montanelli
Extra Things to see in Milan if you are doing a 4 day trip.
- Parco delle Cave - Cave Park
- Idroscalo
Night Life in Milano
- BRERA
- La Tartina – A cool wine bar offering a wide variety of wines, dishes and salads. A perfect place for aperitif or dinner with your friends
- Break Time – It is quite famous amongst the tourists for enjoying their meal along with watching streets
- Bulgari Hotel Bar – Nice place to have a drink with small scrumptious dishes. You can try their exclusive cocktails invented by the bar’s bartenders
- CORSO SEMPIONE
- Roïalto(suggested for a brunch)
- Serendepico (visit this for a soothing ambience and great food) are visited by young crowd
- CORSO COMO AND GARIBALDI
- The Hollywood – This club is considered to be the most famous disco club in the city and it is rated high in enjoying the glitzy nightlife.
- The Tocqueville 13 – This disco club is second only to The Hollywood but it makes it’s way to the top with riveting parties happening from Thursday to Sunday.
- Caffetteria Degli Atellani –If you are an avid reader and a bookworm, this place is for you. You can enjoy the cafè along with the bookshop.
If you are a party lover, don’t hesitate to pay few more euros to spend your whole night in this area.
- ISOLA
- Frida (most striking feature is a gaudy interior garden)
- Isola della Birra(considered to be the first sushi brewery in the city) are located here.
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- PORTA ROMANA
- La Strada
- Pogue Mahone’s Irish Pub
- IDROSCALO
- NAVIGLI
- Sadler – A very good place to celebrate moments of your life such as birthdays, anniversaries. They serve a creative menu for the people and is known for its friendly staff and great service. Chef Sadler has earned two Michelin stars for his cooking.
- Le Scimmie – It is a two house in pack of one. One room has got a cool bar and a stage where you would find live music almost all nights in a week. Second room is actually a restaurant which serves scrumptious meals
- Mas – This place is designed in a Spanish style and it is quite popular for its “aperitivi.”
- Seven
- Sacrestia
- COLONNE DI SAN LORENZO
- La Hora Feliz (Bar serving drinks in a Cuban style)
- Le Biciclette (bicycle shop turned bar and restaurant)
- DUOMO
- Martini Bar Dolce&Gabbana – This bar was opened in collaboration between Martini and Dolce & Gabbana. You would love its aperitivo and delicious dinner inspired from Sicilian tradition.
- Le Banque – It was basically a bank which got converted into a club. It features a mix of restaurant, bar and dance floors.
- Trussardi alla Scala – It is an elite 2 start Michelin restaurant and can be located in the Trussardi fashion house
Free Museums in Milan and archaeological sites every first Sunday of the Month.
Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum of Milan is located in the ex-convent of the Monastero Maggiore, alongside the ancient church of San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore.
Address: Corso Magenta, 15
Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano (Natural History Museum)
The Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano was founded in 1838 when naturalist Giuseppe de Cristoforis donated his collections to the city.
Address: Corso Venezia, 55
Civic Aquarium
The Civic Aquarium of Milan is the third oldest aquarium in Europe. Built in 1905 on the occasion of the Milan World’s fair. It is the only surviving building from the event.
Address: Viale Gadio, 2
Museo del Novecento (20th Century Museum)
The Museo del Novecento is a museum of twentieth-century art housed in the Palazzo dell’Arengario, near Piazza del Duomo in the centre of the city.
Address: Via Guglielmo Marconi, 1
Cenacolo Vinciano (The Last Supper)
The Cenacolo is a parietal painting obtained with a dry mixed technique on plaster by Leonardo da Vinci, dating to 1495-1498 and preserved in the ex-Renaissance refectory of the adjacent convent at the Santuario di Santa Maria delle Grazie a Milano. Reservation is compulsory.
Ok, technically this isn’t a museum, since there’s only one artwork being exhibited – but as you need to pay a ticket to get in, and it’s definitely one of the top things to do in Milan, I decided to include it anyway.
The Last Supper is Leonardo da Vinci’s most mysterious artwork, portraying the reaction of the apostles after Jesus’s announcement that one of them would betray him. The peculiar expression on the face of Jesus Christ, halfway between sadness and hopelessness, is one of the great enigmas of art history.
The Last Supper is not a true fresco, as it was painted on a dry wall rather than on wet plaster. This makes the artwork very fragile, and only a limited number of people are allowed to see it each day. Make sure you book your tickets well in advance – check our complete guide on how to book Last Supper tickets to find out how!
Address: Piazza Santa Maria delle Grazie 2
Galleria d’arte moderna di Milano (Modern Art Gallery of Milano- Villa Reale)
The Milan Modern Art Gallery also called GAM is a 18th century palace and fine art gallery. It is the most important Lombard collection of nineteenth century works. It is housed in the Villa Reale, opposite the Giardini Pubblici. The collection consists largely of Italian and European works from the 18th to the 20th centuries.
Address: Via Palestro 16
Gallerie d’Italia
Gallerie d’Italia is the set of exhibition spaces created by Intesa Sanpaolo to make available its artistic and architectural heritage, together with collections from the Cariplo Foundation of Milan, another project partner.
This art gallery in Piazza della Scala is one of three galleries opened by major bank Intesa Sanpaolo to display their extensive art collection. The other two locations are in Naples and Vicenza.
The Milan exhibition space includes stunning Palazzo Anguissola, housing priceless 19th century sculptures and paintings from artists like Canova, Segantini, and Boccioni.
Artworks from the 20th century can be seen in the nearby branch of Banca Intesa, right next door.
Address: Piazza della Scala 6
Acquario e civica stazione idrobiologica
Civic Aquarium of Milan was established in 1906 as part of the International Exhibition of Milan. It is the only hall in the Parco Sempione not dismantled after the event ended. It is also the third oldest aquarium in Europe.
Address: Viale Gadio 2
Castello Sforzesco
Free entrance is available to the Museums of the Sforza Castle.
The Sforza Castle (Castello Sforzesco) is one of the most recognisable landmarks in Milan. Most people just pass through its stunning courtyards en route to Parco Sempione, but did you know the castle houses 9 Milan museums, all of which can be accessed with a single ticket?
Here they are – pick two or three if you don’t know what to do in Milan when it rains!
- Museo Pietà Rondanini Michelangelo – dedicated to Michelangelo’s famous unfinished sculpture, Pietà Rondanini
- Museo d’Arte Antica – stunning collection of sculpture and decorative arts from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance
- Sala delle Asse – don’t miss it! An entire room covered in frescos by Leonardo da Vinci
- Pinacoteca – including paintings by Filippo Lippi, Antonello da Messina, Mantegna and other great masters
- Museo dei Mobili e delle Sculture Lignee – pieces of furniture and wood sculptures through the centuries
- Museo degli Strumenti Musicali – this one is for music lovers, a museum dedicated to ancient and rare musical instruments
- Museo delle Arti Decorative – exhibits include jewellery, ivory, bronze, enamel, stained glass and tapestry
- Museo Egizio – the Egyptian collection of Milan’s Archaeology Museum
- Museo Archeologico – Sezione Preistoria – including prehistorical exhibits
Address: Piazzale Castello
Rondanini Pietà Museum
The new museum, created inside the ancient Ospedale Spagnolo (Spanish Hospital) in the Castello Sforzesco, is a fascinating space that has never opened to the public before and is exclusively dedicated to Michelangelo’s last masterpiece.
Free admission every first and third Tuesday of the month from 14:00 and every first Sunday of the month for the whole day.
Address: Castello Sforzesco
Museo Studio Francesco Messina
The Civic Museum-Study Francesco Messina is located inside the deconsecrated church of San Sisto al Carrobbio in the heart of the ancient Roman area of the city of Milan.
Address: Via S. Sisto 4a
Museo archeologico di Milano
The Civic Archaeological Museum of Milan is an archaeological museum located in the former convent of the Major Monastery of San Maurizio, where there are the Greek, Etruscan, Roman, Barbaric and Gandhara sections. The prehistoric and Egyptian section is housed in the Castello Sforzesco.
Address: Corso Magenta 15
Museo civico di storia naturale di Milano
The Civic Museum of Natural History of Milan was founded in 1838 and is one of the most important naturalistic museums in Europe. It is part of the Polo museums.
Address: Corso Venezia 55
Museo del Risorgimento and workshop of modern and contemporary history
Founded in 1885, the museum has been housed in the eighteenth-century Palazzo Moriggia since 1951, designed in 1775 by Giuseppe Piermarini, close to the vast complex of Brera.
Address: Via Borgonuovo 23
Museo diocesano di Milano
The Diocesan Museum of Milan was founded in 2001 by the Archdiocese of Milan with the aim of protecting, enhancing and making known the artistic treasures of the diocese within the spiritual context that inspired them.
Address: Corso di Porta Ticinese 95
Casa Manzoni
Casa Manzoni is an 18th-century palace at the historical centre of Milan and the home of the famous Italian poet and novelist Alessandro Manzoni between 1813 and his death in 1873. Manzoni is famous for his historical novel “I Promessi Sposi” (The Betrothed).
Address: Via Gerolamo Morone, 1
Casa Museo Boschi Di Stefano
The Casa Museo Boschi Di Stefano is a historic house museum situated in Via Jan where 300 works from the Boschi Di Stefano collection may be viewed.
Address: Via Giorgio Jan 15
HangarBicocca
HangarBicocca is a space for contemporary art, located in an area of Milan which used to be dominated by the Pirelli factories. With the completion of the Bicocca Project in 2005 this area has become increasingly urbanised with shops and houses.
Address: via Chiese, 2
Museo Martinitt e Stelline
The Martinitt and Stelline Museum tells the moving story of Milan’s orphans and how they were looked after by the city throughout the past centuries. The use of multimedia allows the visitor to interact and brings the fascinating story to life.
Address: Corso Magenta, 57
Palazzo Morando
The Palazzo Morando is located in the heart of Milan’s stylish fashion district just a stone’s throw from the famous Via Montenapoleone. An elegant 18th century palazzo beautifully decorated and furnished from that period.
Address: Via Sant’Andrea 6
Pinacoteca di Brera / Brera Botanical Garden
The Pinacoteca di Brera is not just an art gallery – it’s one of Italy’s best art galleries, located in an art school in Milan’s ‘artists neighborhood’. The pinacoteca is in a stunning neoclassic building and the collection of paintings dating from the Middle Ages to the Romantic period is perhaps second only to the Uffizi in Florence – and Brera only sees a fraction of its visitors.
Some of my favourite artworks exhibited at Brera include Mantegna’s Lamentation of Christ, Raphael’s Marriage of the Virgin and Caravaggio’s Supper at Emmaus. Complete your visit with a stroll in the Orto Botanico, a secret botanical garden that is a true oasis of peace in the city centre.
Address: Via Brera, 28
Armani/Silos
Armani/Silos is a fashion art museum in Milan dedicated to the Armani style. Are you a fashion lover? After checking out the Prada museum, you can’t miss visiting Armani/Silos, a museum curated by King Giorgio Armani himself, located at Armani headquarters near Via Tortona.
Armani/Silos includes two sections. The permanent exhibition is all about timeless Armani style, divided in three areas – Androgynous, Ethnicities and Stars, themes that have inspired Giorgio through the years.
Temporary exhibitions are always held, showcasing the work of artists chosen by Armani – in 2020/2021, it’s possible to see a retrospective of photographer Peter Lindbergh.
Address: Via Bergognone, 40
Other Museums worth Visiting:
Fondazione Prada / Prada Museum
The centerpiece of the gallery is the Haunted House, a four-story building covered with gold leaf and including artworks by Louise Bourgeois – only 20 visitors are allowed at each time, so make sure you book a time slot when you purchase your entry ticket.
Fondazione Prada is also home to Bar Luce, one of Milan’s most famous cafes and made to resemble an old style Milan trattoria – definitely worth a stop.
Last but not least – tickets to Fondazione Prada also include entrance to Osservatorio, another exhibition space just behind Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.
Fondazione Prada, Largo Isarco, 2, 20139 Milano
Full Price Tickets €15 / Reduced Tickets €12 for temporary and permanent exhibitions
MUDEC
There are examples of art from as far away as Japan, Papua New Guinea and West Africa, and temporary exhibitions – in summer 2017 there will be an exhibition dedicated to Kandinsky and one about Argentinian dinosaurs.
Address : MUDEC, Via Tortona, 56, 20144 Milano
Full Price Tickets €12 / Reduced Tickets €10
Leonardo3 Museum
Leonardo Da Vinci spent almost 20 years of his life in Milan, as a guest of the Sforza family. During this time, he authored some of his most famous artworks, like the Virgin of the Rocks and the Last Supper, plus several codices.
Leonardo’s works can be found in several museums around Milan – in the Science Museum (see below, which is also named after Leonardo), in the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Sforza Castle and more.
There’s also a brand new museum dedicated to the Florentine genius – the Leonardo3 Museum in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, with interactive large-scale reproductions of some of his great machines. This museum is worth visiting if you’re in Milan with children!
Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ / Milan Science Museum
If you’re visiting Milan with children, the Science Museum is one of the best Milan museums to visit! Visitors young and old will love the hands-on exhibits and workshops on offer.
It is divided in sections dedicated to transports, communication, energy and arts and science – don’t miss the transports sections, including planes, the Ebe training schooner and the Toti submarine, preserved in its entirety.
The museum is dedicated to Leonardo Da Vinci – the arts and science section includes some of Leonardo’s drawings and reproductions of his machines.
Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia ‘Leonardo da Vinci’, Via San Vittore, 21, 20123 Milano – free every 1st Sunday of the month!
Full Price Tickets €10 / Reduced Tickets €7.50
Museo Poldi Pezzoli
Villa Necchi Campiglio
Villa Necchi Campiglio is basically the 20 century version of Museo Poldi Pezzoli, the home of a wealthy industrialist family left to FAI (the Italian National Trust) after the death of the last member in 2001, and subsequently turned into a museum.
The building is worth a visit for its exquisite Art Deco furniture and decorations, and because it was one of the first ‘modern homes’ in Milan with a lift, telephones and intercoms, and a heated swimming pool. FAI retains ownership of the house and sometimes organises events like flower exhibitions and farmers markets in the beautiful gardens around the villa.
Address: Villa Necchi Campiglio, Via Mozart, 14, 20122 Milano
Full Price Tickets €14 / Reduced Tickets €10
Triennale di Milano / Design Museum
The Triennale di Milano is located inside Parco Sempione, just behind the Sforza Castle. It’s worth visiting inside as well as outside – it’s one of the best examples of Fascist architecture in the city, located in a leafy, offbeat section of the park.
The building is the headquarters of Triennale, an art, design and architecture event with exhibitions and conferences taking place every three years, gathering visitors from all over the world.
The Triennale also houses the Design Museum, with a range of exhibits illustrating the evolution of Italian Design over the 20th centuries, with iconic pieces like Castiglioni’s lamp and Olivetti Lettera 22 typewriters.
There are also temporary exhibitions, especially on Triennale years – the next one will be held in 2022.
Triennale di Milano, Viale Emilio Alemagna, 6, 20121 Milano
Full Price Tickets €10 / Reduced Tickets €8
Royal Palace of Milan
Milan’s Royal Palace (Palazzo Reale) is set in a prime location overlooking Duomo Square. It was the administrative building for the city municipality ever since the 12th century, and got a major facelift in Napoleonic times, when Milan was capital of the Italian kingdom – that is when ‘Royal’ was added to the name.
Nowadays, Palazzo Reale is the venue for most high-profile temporary exhibitions in Milan. Visiting in occasion of an exhibition is the best way to also enjoy the Palace’s exquisite Neoclassic architecture – many of the spaces are used as offices or function rooms, and may be hard to visit otherwise.
Palazzo Reale, Piazza del Duomo, 12, 20122 Milano
Entry price depends on the exhibition
La Scala Museum
Whether you are visiting Milan for the first or fiftieth time, I’m sure you’ll know that La Scala tickets are quite tricky to come by. If you haven’t managed to snag one of these elusive tickets, but still want to visit Milan’s greatest theatre, you can just head to La Scala Museum!
Visits include access to the foyer and the theatre gallery, unless rehearsals are on. The actual La Scala Museum includes 8 rooms filled with theatre costumes, posters, flyers and other mementoes, detailing the history of the theatre through some of its protagonists, like the great Maria Callas.
Address: Museo Teatrale alla Scala, Largo Antonio Ghiringhelli, 1, 20121 Milano
Full Price Tickets €12 / Reduced Tickets €9
GAM / Galleria d’Arte Moderna
The GAM (short for Galleria d’Arte Moderna) is another of those museums that is worth visiting not just for the artworks, but also for the beautiful building where they’re held.
The setting of GAM is Villa Belgiojoso, one of the most beautiful Neoclassical villas in Milan, a stone’s throw from the Natural History Museum – perfect if it’s a rainy day in Milan and you want to visit two museums.
The collection focuses on paintings from the 19th century – mainly Italian artists like Hayez, De Nittis and Segantini, but also including some international painters like Van Gogh, Cezanne and Gauguin.
Address: GAM/Galleria d’Arte Moderna, Via Palestro, 16, 20121 Milano
Full Price Tickets €5 / Reduced Tickets €3
Museo del Risorgimento
Did you know Milan played a key role during Italian unification? History buffs will enjoy visiting Museo del Risorgimento, highlighting the series of events that started during the first campaign of Napoleon in Italy, and culminated almost a century later with the annexation of Rome as capital of Italy.
You’ll see mementoes, pamphlets and artworks from this period, and learn about what was going on in Milan at the time.
Address: Museo del Risorgimento, Via Borgonuovo, 23, 20121 Milano – free entrance
Civic Archeological Museum
Milan’s Archeological Museum is adjacent to San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore, one of the most beautiful churches in the city, nicknamed the ‘Milanese Sistine Chapel’.
Inside, you’ll find sections dedicated to Greek, Etruscan, and Roman art, plus exhibitions about the Migration Period (‘arte barbarica’ in Italian) and art from the Gandhara region in northern Pakistan. Inside the courtyard of the museum, you’ll find the remains of some Roman walls.
Address : Civico Museo Archeologico di Milano, Corso Magenta, 15, 20123 Milano
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