While Milan is Italy's main business center, much of that business is conducted in creative industries; the city serves as a shopping mecca for the fashion-minded from around the world. From a traveler's point of view, Milan has both historic Italian architecture and art, creating a well-rounded travel destination for those in search of a vacation in the city.

Getting There

Milan is serviced by three airports. The largest of the trio is Malpensa Airport (MXP), located about 30 miles from the city center. Malpensa handles most of Milan's international traffic, including European budget airlines such as EasyJet. Orio al Serio Airport (BGY) is 28 miles from Milan; it's used by budget carrier Ryanair. Linate Airport (LIN), four miles from Milan's center, handles domestic routes and some European traffic. Milan is also well-connected to the rest of Italy by rail and by bus.

Getting Around

Milan has both a metro system with three lines and a tram network, so using public transportation to get around the city is simple. Riding the tram has the added bonus of being above ground and offering a view of the city throughout the trip, making it a cheap sightseeing option. According to the Rough Guides Website, taxis do not patrol the streets of Milan looking for fares, so don't bother standing on the street trying to flag down a cab; proceed directly to a taxi stand.


At the forefront of Milan's historic buildings stands its Duomo, a giant, white marble cathedral adorned with over 100 spires and started in the late 14th century. The building took five centuries to complete; it is described by Frommer's as "the last of Italy's great Gothic structures." The city is also home to La Scala, one of the most noted opera houses in the world. For art, da Vinci's painting "The Last Supper" calls Milan its home, as does Raphael's "Betrothal of the Virgin" and Caravaggio's "Supper at Emmaus."


The Italian version of happy hour, the aperitivo, is a national institution; in Milan, it is raised to a level above mere drinks and snacks. Milan's version includes a full-fledged buffet of everything from pocket pizza to sushi, goes by the name of "appy hour" (dropping the first "h"), and practically constitutes a fourth meal of the day. Beyond this is a lively performing arts scene centered on (but not limited to) La Scalla, jazz clubs like Le Scimmie, pubs such as Mussolini's old haunt at Bar Jamaica, and plenty of clubs and lounges.


One of the joys of visiting a city like Milan is the opportunity to sample the city's spin on Lombard cuisine, one of the regional cuisines of Italy, and the Lombards favor risotto over pasta. Ergo, one should expect Milanese specialties such as ossobuco alla milanese (lamb shank stew) and Cotoletta alla milanese (Milan's take on weinerschnitzel) to come with a side of saffron-flavored risotto alla milanese instead of spaghetti.


Photo Credits

Slider images:

  1. Attribution: Goldmund100 at it.wikipedia; License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license
  2. Attribution: l0da_ralta; License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license
  3. Attribution: l0da_ralta; License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license
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