Milan: what to see in 1 day

Milan in a day is explored starting from the Cathedral, in the heart of the city, then passing by the Sforza Castle until reaching the most elegant neighborhoods around Via Montenapoleone.

It's a route that alternates Gothic, Renaissance, and fashion, then leaving the afternoon choice between two different ways to experience the most international city in Italy.

At Piazza del Duomo it's best to arrive early, before the square fills: the Milan Cathedral, the Gothic cathedral with over 3,400 statues and spires reachable by climbing the terraces, from which on clear days the Alps are visible.

Beside the Cathedral opens the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the nineteenth-century salon of iron and glass connecting the square to Piazza della Scala, where stands the celebrated La Scala Theatre, one of the temples of lyric opera worldwide.

Heading west you reach the Sforza Castle, the fifteenth-century fortress housing various civic museums, including the Pietà Rondanini, the last unfinished sculpture by Michelangelo.

For lunch, the Navigli, the city's historic canal system, offers numerous places where you can taste typical dishes like risotto alla milanese or breaded cutlet.

The Cenacolo Vinciano is Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper painted on the wall of the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, visitable only with advance reservation given the limited capacity.

Those preferring shopping find in the Fashion Quadrilateral, the area around via Montenapoleone and via della Spiga, the boutiques of major Italian and international fashion houses.

With evening falling, the Navigli return as protagonists with their bars overlooking the water, the classic gathering point for Milanese before dinner.

The Duomo, the Galleria, and Castello Sforzesco already tell Milan's story in just a few hours, while the afternoon choice between Leonardo's Last Supper and the Fashion District shows its most contemporary side.

The Brera neighborhood, with its art galleries, and the skyscrapers of Porta Nuova and City Life deserve their own chapter. Climbing the Duomo's terraces at sunset, among white spires and the skyline shifting behind you, is perhaps Milan's most striking image.