Milan is a great city, fantastic even, or at least that’s what every shopaholic will tell you. They can spend hours, even days roaming around the luxury stores of this Italian metropolis. But what if you don’t like shopping? No worries, there is still plenty you can do and see during your visit to Milan. You can roam around an ancient cemetery, peak at an opera rehearsal, wonder at Leonardo da Vinci’s genius or explore the rich bar and club scene at this trendsetting city. Find out here where to go and what to experience!

What to see?

Il Duomo

Let start with the basics. This magnificent church is a symbol of the city. It’s site is the very center of this stylish metropolis. You cannot skip it during your visit to Milan. With its enormous proportions of 158 m (520 ft) long and 65 m high (215 ft) it took almost 6 centuries to complete it. It is mostly made of brick but practically the entire outside is covered in Candoglia marble. The inside is quite impressive but the real fun is exploring the roof of the giant. It’s a great place to chill in the sun and look down on those tiny ants in the square below.

Unfortunately this is not really a secret and the line for the roof can get long, very long (I’m talking about at least an hour). There is only a limited amount of people allowed on at the same time, so even though the line seems not that long, it might still take a while. Here’s what I would recommend: just do it! Buy yourself something to drink and get a couple of panzerottis at Luini (see below) before you go stand in line. When in line, take out your mobile and buy your tickets here.  The Duomo Pass for € 12.50 will allow you to go up on foot AND visit the inside of the cathedral through the fast track (no fast track for going up on the roof). No need to print anything out, just scan the code using your phone when you go in.

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

You can admire the entrance of this great complex already while standing in line for the roof of the Duomo. Only if you step inside will you fully realise the grandeur of this place however. Very impressive piece of architecture housing some of Milan’s most exclusive restaurants and stores. Looking around you’ll see Prada, Louis Vuitton and Versace, just to name a few. Unless you plan to spend you month’s salary on some fine dining I would not recommend grabbing a meal in this place. What is free and fun is participating in one of the strangest traditions in Milan: Spinning on the Bull’s balls.

No you did not misunderstand. However it’s not a real bull of course. The story goes that the architect of the Galleria plummeted to his death from the scaffolding of his own design. Supposedly the bull marks the sport of where he turned into a pancake. To ward of similar luck, Milanese and tourists alike perform a little ritual dance on the balls of the dancing bull. The idea is to plant your heel firmly into the mosaic bull’s balls and spin BACKWARDS times. No guarantees for good luck if you do it wrong and spin forward.

Teatro Alla Scala

This famous opera house is located right outside the other side of the Galleria if you’re coming from the Duomo. The building does not look all that impressive from the outside, but this is one of the world’s most renowned Opera and Ballet theatres. The academy linked to the theatre offers training in singing, dancing, music and even stage management. The opera hall itself is quite impressive, although you only get to peek into it from behind glass if a rehearsal is going on. So do ask before you go in. If you are an opera fan, buy your tickets in advance, most shows get sold out (or at least the affordable tickets do).

If you just want to visit the building you can just walk around, however except for a glimpse at the hall, ti’s not that impressive. A tiny museum houses temporary exhibitions, when we visited it was about Maria Callas. However you can also get Guided Visits that show you the backstage and the hall with the needed context around it. If you’re an opera enthusiast, this is what I would suggest.

Sforzesco Castle & Parco Sempione

Warning: In front on the castle (and in other areas of the city) you will see shady looking people walking around trying to give you a ‘free’ friendship bracelet. They will be mumbling hakuna matata to you and bind it around your wrist before you can say ‘Simba’. Next they will suddenly demand some money for the ‘free’ bracelet. On refusal more of them will suddenly pop up until you’re completely ganged up on. Just politely say no and don’t let them put anything on your wrist.

Milan’s castle is quite unique, it was built in the 15th century and consists of several totally different wings. Inside its walls and hallways you can roam around a bit. Unfortunately a lot of the place has been parted of to form different smaller museums. They house different collections of paintings, sculptures and other historical artefacts. Some of them could be quite interesting, like Michelangelo’s last unfinished work. So do take a look at what’s on display when you’re there!

Moving through the castle you end up in Parco Sempione, the biggest park in Milan city center. It’s the perfect spot for relaxing a bit in the sun after all the walking you’ve done so far. Even better: in the middle of the park there is bar where you can enjoy some a fresh cocktail on the sunny terrace. If you want to get a fantastic view over the park, the castle and the city, walk up to the giant steel tower called Torre Branca. For € 4 you can go up with the elevator and enjoy the view of the mountains beyond the city limits on a clear day. After going back down you can walk to the Arco Della Pace. This arc looks a lot like the ones in Paris and that is no coincidence. It was built as a tribute to Napoleon’s victories.

Cimitero Monumentale

Why would I visit a cemetery, I hear you thinking… Well let me tell you. They did not call the place Monumentale by accident. The entire place is not filled with puny graves for pheasants and ordinary civilians. Instead you can find enormous tombs here, each a piece of architecture by itself. Some modern and sleek built from glass and metal, others centuries old with impressive sculptures looking down on the mortals passing by. The place is also monumentally big, so don’t get lost! You don’t wanna get stuck there forever…

Where to Eat?

There are two place that we went to that I would recommend. We did not succeed in finding a good aperitivo place in Milan, since most places were packed. But I’m sure you can do better by using this guide by Lonely Planet.

Panzerotti Luini

I still don’t really know what they are but they are delicious. It’s a sort of mini calzone but rather fried instead of baked in the oven. It can be filled with whatever you like but I would recommend the ones with some fine italian ham and cheese. Luini is located not that far from the Duomo and makes for the perfect quick-lunch or snack. Starting from € 2.50 you can enjoy this greasy yummy mini pizza while it’s still hot out of the fryer. You can also enjoy some delicious focaccia or other salty pastries.

Dry

This place is famous for two things: cocktails and pizzas. So what are you waiting for? It has a nice bar area in the front and a more quiet restaurant area in the back. We were seated in the back but, if possible, ask for the bar if you want to enjoy the atmosphere a bit better. The pizzas are creative and amazing, the cocktails are the same. They also have some amazing gelato, all homemade and fresh of course. You might want to reserve up front if you’re a group. We were just two and got lucky… They have two venues and you can reserve online through their website.

Where to drink?

The perfect night out in Milan consists of three phase.

Phase 1

Phase 1 is to go for aperitivo: you find yourself one of the less touristy areas and stumbles into any bar. More likely than not, they will have aperitivo. The concept is quite simple: you pay a fixed price varying anything between 10 and 25 euros and you get unlimited food (the price will set the quality) and a cocktail or other drink from the menu.

Phase 2

Phase 2 is, well, more cocktails. Although I normally prefer beers, Milan charges an average of 5 to 6 euros for a small beer. Which in my opinion is way too expensive, especially when you look at the cocktail prices, which vary from 6 to 12 for all kinds of exotic brews. So do yourself a favor and head down to the Navigli area (get of at Metro Puerta Genova and walk down Via Casale). This area centers around some canals and is packed with little bars and restaurants. Every evening the Milanese come out here for a drink in one of the many cocktail bars. Do try out the following ones: ZOG, Mag Café, Rita and Pigato.

Phase 3

Phase 3 is clubbing. Close (15 min walking) to the Navigli area you’ll find the Bobino Club. A fantastic place to get the night started, but unfortunately the place already closes at 3 AM. This is when you see most youngsters sharing Ubers and Taxis straight from Bobino to Corso Como, which is where the night continues. All packed into one street you’ll find several clubs ready to sustain your dance moves until 5 in the morning. Keep in mind though that most clubs will ask for €20-25 to get in with one drink included. Th ones we tried and liked were Hollywood and 11Clubroom. To get into some of them, you’ll need a female companion on your arm. We were flatly refused when we the bouncer it was just us two guys. So find yourself some girls hanging around and go in together with them.