Museums, theatres, but also restaurants, shops, nightlife. Here's where to stay in Milan, one of the capitals of Italian art and fashion.
If you are looking for tailor-made suggestions for finding out where to stay in Milan, here are some ideas that will make your trip even more special.
Milan is a city capable of satisfying everyone's tastes, both those seeking tranquility and those who love being around people. With its museums and monuments, it's also a city full of culture and beauty, while an always very rich calendar of events makes Milan a place where you couldn't possibly get bored.
Let's go to discover the most interesting districts of the capital of Lombardy.
Where to stay in Milan
Looking for the perfect neighborhood where to stay in Milan, you'll find yourself discovering a city of many faces. Cosmopolitan and frenetic, it attracts thousands of visitors a year thanks to some of its most iconic monuments, such as the Duomo or the Castello Sforzesco.
However, Milan is also the heart of fashion and design. Artists from all over the world are at home here, while with a walk in the district known as the Quadrilatero della Moda, you can admire the showrooms of the most important stylists in the world.
Do you prefer a more informal setting? The Navigli area is always lively, day and night, thanks to a myriad of pubs, bars and restaurants of all kinds and sizes. Even the streets of the historic center, outside the typically tourist routes, will surprise you with their silence and with an infinite number of suggestive corners yet to be discovered.
Where to stay in Milan with friends
If you have decided to visit Milan with your friends, the Navigli is the neighborhood to stay in.
The canals making this district unique have been in part designed by Leonardo da Vinci. Furthermore, there're the vintage shops, the small art galleries and the nightlife to make this neighborhood truly characteristic and always very lively and pleasant for a holiday. A boat tour will offer you the opportunity to get to know Milan from an unusual perspective, while a walk through the alleys in this area will be an excellent excuse to discover the courtyards, the street art, or perhaps the house-museum of Alda Merini, the most famous female poet in Milan.
Tram and metro will take you to the center or any other district of the city at any time. If you still haven't found a hotel where to stay in Milan with friends, check Isola Libera, a charming place right in the heart of the Navigli. More info about Hotel Isola Libera❯
Where to stay in Milan with your family
Choosing a neighborhood where to sleep in Milan with your family may be tricky, because the possibilities are truly endless. An excellent solution is the area between the Castello Sforzesco and the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio.
You will have at your fingertips what are two of the major monuments of the city, but also the beautiful park behind the castle and the National Museum of Science and Technology which always fascinates young people as well as adults.
In any case, you will be basically in the centre, a short distance from the Duomo, in an area well connected to every other point of interest in the city, including for example the MUBA, a huge museum for children, or the residential and commercial district known as City Life. Its futuristic skyscrapers and ultra-modern architecture offer an unusual urban landscape for an Italian city.
Antica Locanda Leonardo is a great hotel for an unforgettable family holiday. More info about Antica Locanda Leonardo❯
Where to stay in Milan as a couple
Perhaps Milan doesn't have the reputation of a particularly romantic city, yet anyone who decides to visit it with a loved one is never disappointed.
The best neighborhood where to stay in Milan as a couple is Brera. It is not only the design district, famous for the art gallery Piancoteca which is certainly worth a visit. Brera is also a district made up of cobbled streets, small squares and candlelit restaurants. There are even an Astronomical Observatory to admire the starry night holding hands, and the beautiful gardens of Villa Reale, inhabited by white swans.
Like the other districts of Milan, Brera has excellent connections with the rest of the city, so you can easily reach the Duomo, in time to see the most romantic of sunsets from its terrace.
Brera Cocoon is an awesome place to stay in Milan, in a privileged position, close to the Castello Sforzesco and a stone's throw from the Pinacoteca. More info about Brera Cocoon❯
All these evenings I went around one in the morning to see once again the Duomo of Milan. This church, illuminated by a beautiful moon, offers a spectacle of extraordinary and unique beauty in the world.
How to reach Milan from the airport
Milan is served by three airports, Malpensa, Linate and also Bergamo Orio al Serio.
If you land at Malpensa, the best option to reach the center of Milan is the Malpensa Express train, which stops at the Milano Centrale, Cadorna and Porta Garibaldi stations. It costs €13 and takes just under an hour. Alternatively there are several buses reaching the central station at a cost of €10.
From Linate, the city center can be reached by a bus that arrives at the main station or at the Duomo for a maximum cost of €5.
Even from Bergamo Orio al Serio airport you can easily get to Milan by bus. Another option is the shuttle connecting the airport to the Bergamo train station in ten minutes; from there you can take one of the many direct trains to Milan.
5 things to absolutely see in Milan
There is always so much to do and see in Milan that time may never be enough. So, here is a short list of destinations that you just can't miss.
Take the time to admire all the beauties offered by the huge Piazza del Duomo. The interior of this famous church, as well as the view from its terrace, are unmissable. A walk in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, to the left of the Duomo is a must, just as a visit to the Royal Palace on the opposite side of the square.
The Castello Sforzesco is, of course, unmissable too. In the evening, its courtyards are beautifully illuminated and often host interesting cultural events.
Never say no to a walk along the Navigli, and on the occasion to an aperitif in one of the many bars that you will find along the banks of the canals.
The Last Supper painted by Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most famous paintings in the world and awaits you in the refectory of the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, a beautiful Renaissance church that is still worth a visit.
Last but not least, the church of Sant'Ambrogio, worth seeing because it is dedicated to the patron saint of the city, but also because it is a basically perfect example of Lombard Romanesque style.
