Experience Milan

The Duomo of Milan is one of the most spectacular cathedrals in the world and one of the symbols of Italy. Don’t miss the rooftop terrace of Duomo, as it offers a romantic and panoramic sight of the city, with its endless statues and pinnacles.

Peculiarity: the Duomo of Milan is the largest church in Italy and the fourth largest in the world, with a capacity of up to 40000 people.

In the 1930s a special law was introduced in Milan (as you probably know it wasn’t respected later on) for which no buildings could have been higher than the highest point of Duomo. Its rooftops host something like 3400 statues and they are not all are saints or angels. For example, you can admire the statue of the boxer Primo Carnera (world heavyweight boxing champion in 1930s – he was the first Italian ever to gain this title), the statue of the pigeon, one of a tennis racquet, and the Statue of Liberty (the myth says it inspired New York’s one!).

The construction of this Gothic church started at the beginning of the XIV century and was completed only 5 centuries later. This is how it looked like in the XVII century:

How to visit the Duomo? The Duomo is located right in the heart of Milan, only 1 minute walking from our hotel. You can visit it every day from 8:00 till 19:00 (last entrance allowed at 18:10). The ticket costs 3€ per person only for the visit of the church, but we strongly recommend buying the priority ticket at the cost of 25€, which will allow the visit of the rooftop and the underground archaeological area.

To save up some time during your stay in Milan (the queues can be quite long during the high season), you can buy the pre-sale tickets online: https://www.duomomilano.it/en/buy-tickets/ otherwise you can buy them directly at the Duomo.

There are different timetables to assist to the mass ceremony inside the Duomo and you can find them in the following link: https://www.duomomilano.it/en/infopage/timetable-ofservices/57/

Dedicated to one of the most important kings of the Italian history, the Gallery Vittorio Emanuele ll is also known as ‘’Salone of Milano’’ and connects Piazza Duomo with Piazza della Scala, only a minute away from The Street Milano Duomo hotel. Inside it, you can find luxury boutiques, historical coffee places, and amazing restaurants.

One curiosity: along the mosaic pavement you can discern a bull, recalling the savoy prestige of Turin: it is said if you can complete 3 turns with the right heel on his noble parts you’ll get a lot of luck. Worth a try, isn’t it?

Milan is the Italian and international fashion center, in the 4 main streets (Corso Venezia, Via della Spiga, Via Alessandro Manzoni e Via Monte Napoleone) you will find luxury stores of fashion brands and designers from all over the world. This area, similar as the Fifth Avenue in New York, is just 10 minutes walking from Duomo and it is worth visiting not only for shopping, but also to enjoy the elegant atmosphere, being surrounded by historical buildings with an amazing design.

The stores in Milan are usually open from Monday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

If you love shopping, you can get tickets from our reception, or ask us for private transfer, in order to reach the famous Serravalle Designer Outlet (Outlet di Serravalle), which is an hour and twenty minutes away from here.

Inside this church, you will find some masterpieces of the history of art.

On the dining room wall of this former Dominican monastery, between 1495 and 1498 the genius of Leonardo da Vinci painted the fresco, the Last Supper.

It’s an enormous painting, 4,6mt high and 8,8mt long, realized with tempera and oil on a chalk preparation, different from the technique used at the time.

Curiosity: Did you know the great reputation of this masterpiece attracts many historical researchers, novelists trying to solve some mysteries and riddles surrounding the painting? Did you know, that during the French Revolution the Napoleonic troops used the wall of the refectory for some shooting training while in 1943, during the II World War the bombarding destroyed the ceiling of the historical Dominican canteen, leaving the masterpiece exposed for numerous years?

How to visit the church and admire the Last Supper?

With time the masterpiece progressively deteriorated, and even after an attentive restoration it is in a very fragile state. For this reason, the access is limited to 25 visits per day and an early reservation is required. The tickets are sold out in a very short time so we suggest you buy them in advance! You can buy it online here https://cenacolovinciano.vivaticket.it

The church of Santa Maria delle Grazie is only in 20 minutes walking distance from Piazza Duomo.

It’s possible to visit the Last Supper masterpiece from Tuesday till Sunday (closed on Mondays, New Year’s Day, 1st May and Christmas) from 8:15 till 18:45 (last entry allowed at 18:30).

The ticket costs 15€ per person only for the painting tour (max 20 minutes visit allowed), while the entry to the church is free (access is not permitted during the mass ceremonies).

Walking along Via Dante, around 10-15 minutes away from Piazza Duomo, you will discover the Castello Sforzesco, built in 1368, destroyed by Napoleon and reconstructed one century later, brought back to the splendor it used to have during the Sforza’s family years.

Inside the castle, there are many museums: The Museum of Ancient Art, the Egyptian Museum, the Museum of the Decorative Arts, the Museum of the furniture, and the one of Prehistory and Protohistory. You shouldn’t miss some of the rooms inside the castle as they host authentic paintings of Leonardo da Vinci or the sculpture of Michelangelo Pietà Rondanini, the last work of the artist.

Curiosity: in the XVI century some thunders were most likely the cause of the explosion of an entire area of the castle and the tower (some other myths attribute it to a soldier dealing with some gunpowder).

In the eighteenth century, it was planned to tear down the whole castle, but architect Beltrami managed with the sustain of the citizens to get the approval for a renovation plan and saved it.

During the night, if the weather conditions allow it, you can see the shiny Madonnina of the Duomo from the castle.

How to visit the Castello Sforzesco? The opening time of the castle is from 7:00 till 19:30, from Monday to Sunday, while the internal museums have the reduced time (from 9:00 till 17:30, with the last entry at 17:00 and they are closed on Monday, Christmas, New Years’ day and 1st May).

The ticket costs 12€ per person and includes access to all the museums inside the castle.

The entrance to the external part of the castle and to the internal museums is free on the first and third Tuesday of the month, from 14:00.

For more information about the castle please check https://www.milanocastello.it or contact us directly, we would be glad to assist you.

A stone’s throw from the castle you can enter Parco Sempione, an immense English garden, considered the green lung of the city, a perfect place to distract yourself from the daily life stress while strolling around the numerous trees and paths. The park is open every day from 6:30 till 21:00 and the entry is free.

Reachable from the Duomo with a nice walk of 10-15 minutes, the neighborhood of Brera is a bohemian district where you will enjoy strolling along cobbled streets and visit some local, original shops, cafes, and charming taverns. There are numerous highlights from the XVIII century such as historical buildings like the Palazzo Brera and the famous Pinacoteca di Brera, hosting great masterpieces of the best artists from XIII -XX centuries.

The neighborhood of Brera is famous for typical trattorias and osterias (both are great places where you can enjoy authentic Italian dishes in a more informal atmosphere than the Michelin star restaurants which have more innovative offers) with great local food.

On the northside of Brera, you can find the Garibaldi area, characterized by a lively atmosphere, full of restaurants and bars surrounding the Garibaldi Gate, the nerve center of the neighborhood. This used to be the beginning of the old path towards Como.

Corso Como, the path between the arch and the Garibaldi station, is one of the most popular and well-known areas, famous for the blend of glamour and design. Corso Como 10 is a multifunctional space combining an art gallery, a library, and a design shop, the perfect location for shopping in Milan if you are looking for some refined gifts with an Italian design.

Continuing our visit in the Garibaldi area, we can see “Bosco Verticale”, which means vertical forest, by Stefano Boeri, and it is the symbol of a biodiverse architecture, which focuses on exploring the relationship between humans and other living beings.

It is situated 30 minutes away from Duomo and was opened in 2014 after 5 years of construction. “Bosco Verticale” is composed by two towers, respectively 80 and 112 meters tall, which host 800 trees.

Due to the chromatic range and the shape variations of the trees, visible from far away, “Bosco Verticale” is one the symbols of the new Milan.

Lombardy is the most awarded Italian region by the Michelin Guide of the best restaurants and 20 of them are in Milan! Obviously, it is a list that is updated yearly; you just need to contact us to have a full list of the best restaurants in Milan center!

If you are looking for a suggestive atmosphere for your dinner with a stunning view on Piazza Duomo, enjoy Maio restaurant on La Rinascente rooftop terrace, with our special discount for our guests!

The Navigli district is composed of 2 canals: Naviglio Grande and Naviglio Pavese, they carry the memory of the past, when Milan was accessible from the sea (in 1953 Navigli were known as ​​the 13th biggest port of Italy). It is situated 25 minutes walking from our hotel and it is connected with the tram line number 2 from Piazza Duomo.

In the XX century Navigli stopped being navigable and today they look like a promenade, full of lively restaurants and bar, being known for a busy night life as well.

Who loves vintage and secondhand cannot miss the big market that takes place in Naviglio Grande every last Sunday of the month!

If visiting Milan highlights is not enough and you would like to explore more the surrounding area, we suggest visiting Como Lake. You can easily reach it by car or train leaving from the Milan railway station (about an hour away).

There are many historical villages around the lake that are worth visiting, among them Varenna and Bellagio stand out, connected by a ferry which leaves every 20-30 minutes.

You have probably heard about Bellagio which is famous for its stunning views and elegant atmosphere, while Varenna will amaze you with its ancient soul (it is more than 1000 years old) and lovely small streets, where fishermans stories still linger on.

It is a highly suggested tour and consider that there is a direct train from Milan to Varenna (it takes about 1 hour), and it is easy to reach Bellagio afterwards with the ferry.