Apart from being Italy’s second most populous city, Milan is the world capital of fashion and design. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, choosing a Milan weekend getaway allowed me to indulge in a whirlwind adventure through fashion, culture, and culinary delights.
Milan hosts major fashion events like Milan Fashion Week, where designers from all over the globe showcase the latest collections. The event attracts fashion enthusiasts and celebrities providing a platform for designers to present their creations and set trends for the upcoming seasons. Fashion is widely displayed on the streets of Milan as locals and visitors alike dress with a keen sense of style and a flair for the latest fashion trends. One of my favourite pastimes is to sit back with a coffee or a glass of wine and watch the style and expressions of the passersby. Milan is the place to do it…
Weekend In Milan: The Cathedral is a Must-Visit
Milan is also home to the world-renowned Cathedral Duomo Di Milano, a magnificent Gothic Cathedral in the heart of the city. It is one of the largest Cathedrals in the world and on my recent visit there, I was fortunate to see for myself its incredible beauty and dominance. It’s truly spectacular.
Construction began as early as 1386 and spanned over several centuries. To this day, its upkeep is ongoing. The cathedral’s intricate facade is adorned with countless spires, statues, and elaborate decorations which need to be meticulously cleaned to maintain its grandeur. The interior is filled with artwork and religious relics dating back to the 13th century. There is also a plate on the wall celebrating the laying of the first stone in 1386. Once inside, the feeling of peace and serenity is overwhelming and for those who wish to attend church, there is a weekly mass service schedule available both in the cathedral and online.
The highlight of the cathedral for me was the rooftop terraces, which are accessible by stairs (265 steps) or by a lift inside the cathedral. The rooftop terraces offer unique panoramic views over the modern rising city that is Milan. It was fascinating to see the new Milan in the distance, we could also see the famous (Bosco Verticale) Milan Vertical Forest, a pair of residential skyscrapers covered with over 20,000 trees, 5,000 shrubs and thousands of floral plants, creating a green vertical forest. The towers were designed to promote sustainability, reduce pollution and enhance urban biodiversity, making them an example of green architecture. They are very striking to look at, and I’d say even more so in summer.
Another fabulous landmark that blew me away, was the very impressive Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. It is Italy’s oldest active shopping gallery and is a major landmark of Milan. It’s an elegant 19th-century shopping arcade filled with luxury boutiques like Prada, Gucci, Dior, and Chanel, to name just a few of the prestigious brands in this iconic shopping gallery.
Not only is it home to luxury boutiques, but it also has a selection of restaurants and cafés. We stopped for coffee and pastries in Pasticceria Marchesii 1824 (one of the oldest and most renowned pastry shops in Milan) neatly tucked away in the Galleria next door to the Prada men’s store. It’s an upstairs restaurant with incredible views over the main dome of Milan’s living room. The cappuccino was one of the nicest I’ve ever had as were the pastries. We didn’t pre-book and were lucky to get a table, but my advice to you, if you particularly wanted to visit on your Milan weekend getaway, would be to make a reservation. There were a lot of people queueing on the stairs as we were leaving. It’s well worth a visit.
This magnificent shopping arcade is one of the most impressive sights in Milan. On the ground of the central octagonal, four mosaics are portraying the coat of arms of the three capitals of the Kingdom of Italy (Turin, Florence and Rome) plus Milan’s. Tradition says that if a person spins around three times with a heel on the testicles of the bull from Turin’s coat of arms this will bring good luck. Personally, I didn’t get to try it. There’s always next time and another reason I need to come back for a Milan weekend getaway.
