When in Milan
Anyone visiting Italy fuelled by images of romance and charm may find themselves disappointed by Milan. The dynamic city in the northern plains of Italy is a world away from the idyllic Tuscan villages further south, although that is not to say that the city is not worth visiting. What Milan misses in quaint charm it makes up for in sheer energy, being a loud, busy and thoroughly modern city. Milan is definitely a place dedicated to style and lifestyle rather than history and romance.
Milan is Italy's second largest city, home to some 1,300,000 Milanese in the city proper. It is the economic powerhouse of Italy and also home to its world-renowned fashion industry, with Giorgio Armani, Dolce and Gabbana, Prada and Versace among the "local shop keepers". Money drives the city while, according to Lonely Planet, "shopping is of almost religious significance". It is fitting, therefore, that the Duomo cathedral, the third largest church in Christendom, jostles for space on the Piazza Duomo with the Galleria Vittario Emanuele, believed to be the world's oldest shopping mall.
This is not to say, however, that Milan is as vacuous as a city built on fashion and money could potentially be. It still prizes culture and, being Italian, is home to an impressive opera house, the Scala Theatre. The Duomo cathedral is also a "must see", adorned with 3,500 statues to spectacular visual effect. For the ultimate sightseeing experience, visitors should climb up to the cathedral's roof, where on a clear day you can see as far as the Alps. There are also scores of museums and art galleries scattered across the city. The Biblioteca Ambrosiana also contains drawings and notebooks from Leonardo da Vinci among its many historical books. Da Vinci's presence is in fact felt throughout the city; the church Santa Maria delle Grazie is home to his famous The Last Supper, while the artist helped design the city's network of canals.
Sheltered by the mountains to the north, Milan is protected from the worst of the arctic winds, making the climate pleasant all year, although a few very cold snaps during the winter are not unusual. Although the summers are more sub-continental than Mediterranean, visitors also shouldn't be surprised to find themselves in the middle of a hot, sticky city if visiting during July or August. Many Milanese head to the beaches during the worst heat of August and, as is so often the case when traveling, the best advice is probably to take a tip from the locals and follow suit.
Getting to Milan is easy as there are three major airports. The Malpensa International Airport is outside the city but connects to downtown with the Malpensa Express.
Linate airport is within the city itself and caters for European and domestic flights. And finally there is the Orio al Serio. Once in the city, travel is simple, with a good selection of trams, trains and subways. The Milan Metro is only made up of three subway lines, but there is also a light metro service. The tramway is one of the world's largest, bolstered further by a good suburban rail network. There are also five major stations for those planning to come to the city by rail. As you may expect for a city with so much wealth, taxis are expensive and, because the number of licensed white cabs is strictly controlled, can be hard to find during busy periods.
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Introduction
