Milan was the first stop on the Italy trip for my fiancé and I. We researched the cheapest airport to fly into in Italy and Milan was overwhelmingly the answer everywhere we looked. We also did some research on hotels and the way we picked it was by proximity to the train station. We narrowed our search results down to the hotels that were walking distance to the train station (which is absolutely beautiful by the way, props to Milan for building a train station that exquisite) since we had some hefty suitcases with us and then based on description, availability of free Wi-Fi and breakfast (as that would then be one less meal we would have to pay for while we were there), we ended up picking Hotel New York. Our check in wasn’t till 1 pm so we were hoping they would just let us leave our bags in the lobby and go explore while we waited for our room to be ready. We arrived to the train station at 8 AM and were very surprised at just how close the hotel was to the train station. I mean, it doesn’t get closer than literally across the street. So we headed up to the hotel and were actually able to be checked in right away which was amazing and made our lives so much easier. The hotel itself was great, with a great view of the train station mentioned above.  The staff spoke flawless English, were very accommodating and were great at explaining how to get places and giving us some recommendations for the city. I would highly recommend this hotel to those traveling to Milan as it’s close to the train station and is in walking distance to all the big tourist attractions without being right smack in the middle of all the busy areas. After checking in, we dropped off our bags and headed straight to the Duomo.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

The Gallery aka the mall with all the designer shops (Prada, Valentino, etc) is a beautiful “street” located under a dome that is directly on the way to the Duomo. Literally, when you exit the Galleria you are facing the Duomo. The Gallery is named after Italy’s first King and is definitely a place to stop by and see. There is gold everywhere and the ceiling is just gorgeous and with Milan being one of the fashion capitals of the world, this is a place you have to stop by and see.

The Duomo

The Duomo (Cathedral) in Milan is literally the most impressive piece of architecture I’ve ever seen. It is so intricate and so detailed, you can’t help but stand and stare at it in awe when you first get to it. We went ahead and bought tickets to go inside and roof access which I highly, highly recommend as the view from the roof is amazing and you get to see the really cool architecture close up. The inside of the Duomo is beautiful as well and if you can get in on a tour that explains all the history behind it, I would recommend this as well. There were a lot of street performers and artists around the Duomo so it’s definitely a place to spend some time.

Side note – there are a ton of restaurants located around the Duomo. It is always said to walk away from touristy spots to get food in new places as they are usually more expensive and less “authentic” but we were able to find a cute little café which was very reasonably priced (and had humongous portions) that was pretty much right outside the Duomo.

Navilgi District

This is the area of the city where the canals are located and from what I read online, it is best to go here during the night time. We went during the day and just walked around but apparently at night there is live music and a lot of things to see in this area. It is overall a very cute area to walk around in but if you have limited time in Milan and are not located within walking distance of this, it may be something to skip and visit a different time.

Milan had beautiful statues, sculptures, fountains, etc. all over the city. It is definitely a city that is filled with art and history and you can find something unique all around the city. We definitely loved visiting this place. Since we were only in Milan for one day (and not to mention this was the day we flew in so still a bit tired) we did not get to see everything we probably could have if we stayed longer. We wanted to see the Sforza Castle as well but unfortunately did not have enough time. This castle is located in a park (a huge one) and has outdoor dining and bars located throughout it. Definitely sad we didn’t get to see it.  This is on the list for when we come back to Milan.

Stay tuned – Venice is up next!