When you arrive in Italy you breathe excitement, you can’t help but notice the busy streets and all its noise, the incomparable architecture, the art, people laughing out loud and gesticulating with their hands, and how alive the cities are. Of course, Milan could not be different than any other major Italian city, and I liked that.
Having such a short time in the city, I decided to head to the Piazza del Duomo, where tourists and locals meet in what seems to be the city’s heart. Busy as it is, I couldn’t help but stop in the middle of the craziness to admire this phenomenal gothic Cathedral dedicated to Santa Maria Nascente, the Duomo di Milano.
107m high, the Duomo di Milano fills your eyes with architectural beauty, with detailed and hard work. From its terrace, you have probably one of the best views of the city, and for many, a nice spot to lie on the floor and stare at the sky.
Near the Duomo, you can have a little bit of luxury and more stunning architecture at one of the world’s oldest shopping malls, the Galleria Vitorio Emanuele II. Opened in 1877, here is where luxurious brands take over and fancy restaurants serve you in their Italian friendly way. Why miss it? You can at least window shop or stop by at Aperol Terrazza and have a Spritz contemplating the view.
Narrow and empty streets leading to busy and noisy ones, where modern meets the old, where parties go into the night, where tourists mix with the locals, where architecture and design dominate the scenario. Milan left me with the impression of contrasts, of expensive and luxury, of busy and vivid, of mixes, of hidden secrets, of different tastes, and with expectations of discovering more.
The Italian capital of fashion has its contrasts, while in the Centro Storico – old town – you will be amazed by the architecture and all the luxury stores, not so far from there you will be disappointed with what you will see. However, when you don’t expect much of a place, you get no surprises, and I didn’t, Milan is pretty much what I expected it to be.
Even though not my favorite Italian city so far, the expensive and charming Milano has called my attention and asked for more time to be explored, the impressions it gave me are enough to make me want to go back and discover what I missed this first time. Such a short time in Milan.
Have you ever been to Milan? What are your impressions?