Milan is known for quite a few things: The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, the Duomo, the fashion…read morecapital of the world, and more. Castello Sforzesco, while it doesn't get as much hype, is on par with the aforementioned attractions. It's a must-visit while in Milan! We saw the castle as part of a tour which did a gross injustice because the tour guide only spent about 20 minutes at the attraction. We ended up skipping the rest of the tour to spend more time at Sforzesco. Located in the heart of Milan, Castello Sforzesco is one of the largest castles in Europe. It's free to enter. Once you do, marvel at the medieval architecture. You can also check out the park adjacent to the castle where you'll find a large statue of Napoleon along with other goodies. While entering the castle is free, you have to pay to see the various museums inside the castle. The most prominent is the one that features Michaelangelo's Pieta. The famous artist's last work, although unfinished, is one of his most notable works. Beyond this museum, there's plenty more to visit. We spent three hours or so at the castle and didn't have time to visit everything before it closed. Make sure to make it part of your Milan itinerary!

This is a campus of museums- you could spend an entire day here alone!…read more We visited prior to another tour so only explored the campus itself not any of the museums- impressive! Many many various courtyards that all have a different purpose & feel. I am sad we did not have more time here to explore but we had not researched the area enough to... shame on our loss

Such a hip little area to explore while in Milan! I stayed in the Navigli district during my visit…read more and it was definitely the best decision that I made. First off, the views of the canal (Naviglio Grande) are stunning! It's safe and a wonderful place to get your stroll on. Every morning I'd see people out running, walking their dogs, and taking a stroll up and down the canal. Public transit is so easy to access and will take you to any part of the city from here. Also, there are a ton of cute restaurants, bars, and shops! This is the place to be at night. If you want a nice aperitivo, you HAVE to check out Navigli in the evenings! There are literally tons of bars and restaurants advertising their aperitivo hour and trying to scoop you up into their places. The music is bumping and there are live street performers and several vendors out on the street selling all kinds of things. This is the epicenter of Milan's urban nightlife and it's so fun! When in Milan, you should definitely make some time to check out Navigli.

A recent tour guide recommended the Canal neighborhood and her recommendation was definitely 5*…read more There are so many options to choose from. They specialize in "Happy Hour" (Italian word apparently) with snacks and drinks. They also have lots of restaurant choices with patio and inside options. Lots of street vendors. Definitely make time for a walk both before and after a meal or snack. It is really close to the green line Genova stop. I'm very glad to have made this a part of my Milan trip, it is a must go!

L.O.V.E. While…read morewandering from the Museo del Duomo to San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore, I needed to find something besides another cathedral, which is what I wanted to see, to capture my husband's attention. After checking out the Starbucks Reserve Roastery around the corner, we stumbled across this monumental sculpture by Maurizio Cattelan. Also known as Il Dito, or The Finger, it is a giant hand with all of the fingers cut off except for the middle finger sculpted from Carrara marble. L.O.V.E. The name L.O.V.E. stands for Libertà, Odio, Vendetta, Eternità, which translates to Freedom, Hatred, Revenge, Eternity. It is located in Piazza Affari in front of the Italian Stock Exchange, although it did not start there originally. Coincidence?? Art brings the world together. While talking to the manager of Tavola at a Wine and Food Event in The Woodlands, he actually told us a story about Maurizio Cattelan, whose piece The Comedian sold for $6.2 million. Interesting to learn more about this self-trained Milano based artist who uses humor and satire in his works of art. My husband did share our Milan photos with that manager. We bonded over L.O.V.E.

L.O.V.E. aka Il Dito (Italian for 'the finger') is a sculpture consisting of a hand with the middle…read morefinger. The name L.O.V.E. is the acronym of "Libertà, Odio, Vendetta, Eternità" ("Freedom, Hatred, Revenge, Eternity"). The sculpture is placed in front of the Italian stock exchange. It's a fun art piece to check out that wasn't too out of the way.

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is not only beautiful with high end shopping but it is much…read morelarger than I expected. I made way over to spinning the bull mosaic and there was a circle full of people just jumping in to spin the bull. It is best to visit the Galleria on a week day for the weekend is super crowded. I experienced both and I prefer the weekday 100%.

A centrally located, beautiful little luxury shopping gallery. The original Prada store is located…read morehere - there are actually two stores across from each other, one featuring women's items, and one for men. There is a YSL, Dior, LV, etc.

Everybody heads to "The Last Supper" while in Milan but I liked this museum much more. For fans of…read moreda Vinci here are some reasons to head here: 'Portrait of a Musician": unfinished da Vinci painting, his only known male portrait and to me has a similar emblematic and mysterious facial expression as the Mona Lisa. There was a printed Last Supper mural in this room that everyone was taking photos of and ignoring this real da Vinci! Codex Atlanticus: Collection of writings and drawings by da Vinci. There are scans online but they have been recolored blue so you could see them better but nothing can beat the well-lit originals where you can see finer details, erase marks, and small mistakes. The pages rotate every 6 months so you can see new pages. Whole I was visiting there were oages on mayh, machinery, and gears. Museum was founded in 1618 and has 24 rooms. You can easily spend an hour and a half here minimum. If you buy the dual ticket there is a crypt right at the museum exit you can also go to though that is much faster than the museum. Here are some other things I enjoyed: Caravaggio Basket of Fruit: painted on an empty background, I'm not sure if this was the intent but it makes the painting more timeless and draws the eye to the detail on the plate of fruit. The apple is rotting and the leaves have bits of decay, the grapes are opaque but have an amazing translucent quality to them. Napolean Bonaparte gloves: made from buckskin and worn by Napolean at his definitive defeat at Waterloo. I love how casually these are displayed in the box they were gifted to the museum in. Dolce and Gabbana da Vinci clock recreation: mechanical and functioning, created from a da Vinci sketch. The building itself is red brick and stunning from the outside. You can see different masonry techniques from different eras and the imperfections in alignment and depth give it a nice human touch.

4.5 and rounded up. For a smaller museum, it packs a punch! I purchased this ticket in combination…read morewith the Duomo cathedral, rooftop and Duomo Museum for €35,50, which was a good value since individual tickets for this place are €15. Since it's located a short walk (10ish minutes if you aren't really familiar with the area) away from the Duomo Museum, I came here toward the end of the day after also visiting the Palazzo Reale. There's something about antique and unique libraries that draws you in. Taking in the sights, sounds, smells of tomes older than most buildings in Manhattan, and the architectural details of the spaces they are housed in--knowledge and history come alive. In the case of this museum, the 12 volumes of the Codex Atlanticus are housed here, which are the most extensive compilation of writings and drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, compiled posthumously by sculptor Pompeo Leoni in the late 16th-early 17th centuries. By combining some of da Vinci's loose notes and pages from notebooks onto large-dimension paper, used to print atlases at the time, the compilation became known as the Codex Atlanticus. Subjects covered by da Vinci fall into the categories of: 1) geometry and algebra, 2) physical and natural sciences, 3) tools and machines, 4) architecture and applied arts, 5) human sciences. Aside from above, there are a few other noteworthy displays of art by mostly Italian masters, da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Botticelli and Caravaggio included, with a couple Dutch painters like Brueghel and Bosch sprinkled in. Arriving at close to 4pm on a Saturday, it was a bit rushed to try and get thru everything in roughly 45 minutes (they start to usher people out starting around 15min before the museum closed), though the floor plans and direction of exhibits were pretty straightforward--the exhibits start on the second floor and you make your way down back to the first floor again. The exit of the museum is separate from the entrance so it took a few minutes to walk back around.

Terrible experience last Friday. I was literally hounded by the staff over a tiny backpack, despite…read morethe empty rooms and the total lack of checks at the entrance. Meanwhile, there were women with oversized bags, and I was carrying my backpack at my side with full respect and awareness of my surroundings. I was forced to leave after only three rooms due to what can only be described as 'harassment,' despite having paid for a ticket. The treatment was rude and illogical, especially toward someone like me who has studied and loves art. I hope management takes action.

4.5 stars but rounded down. TLDR synopsis: stellar exhibitions, well put together and curated with…read moreample descriptions and detail. What detracts from overall experience is needing separate tickets for each exhibition, at €15 a pop they aren't cheap if you see more than one. But above all, signage for entry is not clear. If you didn't buy tickets in advance (highly recommended to do this), the line at front of the building is only for ONE of the exhibitions, not all of them. There is no main lobby like in a regular museum. So make sure you get in line at the particular entrance of the exhibit you came to see, or you'll waste time in line for nothing. To the unfamiliar visitor you might assume the line in front of the building is for the entire museum (which is generally how entry lines work in a museum). BUT NO, DON'T MAKE THIS MISTAKE :) Walking up to the entrance area I saw signs for that particular exhibit, which I just assumed was marketing to feature that exhibit. The museum attendants don't specifically mention that this ticket line is for only one of the temp exhibitions either, they only kept asking if everyone in line had yet to purchase a ticket. Basically I wasted time waiting for an hour, then paid for the ticket and ended up only noticing then it only had the Cezanne and Renoir image on the ticket. This wasn't the one I came to see (although I had a mild interest), and unfortunately they don't let you switch tickets once you purchase them. So I had to purchase a separate ticket at the entrance to the Dolce & Gabbana exhibit which HAD NO LINE which I saw afterwards at a different entry. If you buy tickets in advance then do it before the day of your visit, bc the website can be finicky when loading on your phone. I tried to buy tickets while standing in line but when it came to entering the timed security code they texted to my phone, the website kept saying it couldn't send the code, while meanwhile I kept receiving a code but not being able to enter it to complete the transaction. It may be an issue related to using international phone numbers in Italy bc I overheard a couple other people in line having the same issue. The only good thing about buying tickets in person is you save the €2.50 online service charge. Online it's €17.50, in person it's €15pp. Also, there is a free portion of the museum (in Apr 2024 this was for the accessories portion of the D&G exhibit) which no one (I asked 3 different museum attendants) could point me to -_- tho to be fair it could've been a lost in translation situation since I have zero Italian competency. I finally went to the gift shop for one of the other temp exhibits and they mentioned it's actually the same entrance to the main D&G exhibit, you proceed up the stairs but it's on the other side of the ticket counter. It's def confusing bc the timed ticket line for D&G is cordoned at the base of this same stairwell, with a couple attendants manning this line. So unless you knew that there's no one barring you from straight up going upstairs, you might think you have to get in line to go upstairs. Exhibitions: Cezanne and Renoir: they put a lot of attention into construction and descriptions of each painting, and audio guide came included for free in the ticket price, which was informative and took about 30-40 minutes to listen thru in entirety. The number of rooms and artworks was a couple fewer than I would've imagined though overall well curated. Dolce&Gabbana: MIND-BLOWING. I've seen all the major Met fashion exhibitions in NYC and a couple in London, and this one stands out in every way. Talk about over-the-top! So amazing bc all of these garments are shown in fully themed rooms, not behind glass displays. Jaw-dropping to see that level of detail up close. If you're a lover of fashion, fabrics and design or even just curious this is a must-see. I'm sure you could walk thru all the rooms in 30-40 min but I spent 3 hours here just taking it all in.

A very large and beautiful park in central Milan. It reminds me of a smaller Golden Gate park…read more Lots of great sites and greenery to view. There are activities for the kids to do, and mini rides. Lots of statues as well. Very clean for Italy as well. It's not the largest park, but still very large if that makes sense. Overall, a nice detour from all the hustle and bustle of the city.

The Parco Sempione is the largest city park in the historic center of Milan, which is generally…read moreused by the local people for running, exercising, and social hangout activities etc. I would recommend you to explore and relax here.

Seeing The Last Supper is one of those Milan experiences you kind of feel obligated to do, and…read morehonestly, it's worth it -- just don't expect fireworks. Even with prepaid tickets, you still have to go to the building next door to redeem them, then wait until your exact assigned time to enter. They run it super precisely, moving groups of about 20-30 people through a few climate-controlled rooms before you reach the main hall. You wait around five minutes in each section, then get about 15 minutes with the mural itself. Total experience is roughly half an hour. The process feels like airport security meets museum logistics, but it's designed to protect the painting. Having a tour group in my slot actually helped a lot: I unintentionally learned a ton by listening in, which made the experience more interesting. Without context, it's easy to just stand there like, "Yep, that's the painting." As for the mural itself, it's cool, historic, and obviously iconic -- but it is pretty faded in real life compared to photos. It's not visually mind-blowing, but knowing you're standing in front of something Leonardo painted over 500 years ago hits differently. Not thrilling, not overrated either. More of a quiet, respectful "wow, this actually exists" moment.

It was a very cool place in Milan! We went a few months ago but it was hard to purchase tickets…read moredirectly without a tour group (they get the tickets) The " Last Supper"

The Duomo was truly breathtaking and incredibly intricate. We spent a long time admiring the…read moredetails. We purchased the terrace access via stairs for 15 euro each for 9:30 am. I recommend showing up earlier in the morning to avoid the crowds. There are different entrances depending on the ticket you purchase. The staircase is narrow and the turns are quick and can feel a little claustrophobic. Every part of the Duomo is worth taking a moment to take it in.

Magical and a must visit if you are in the city of Milan…read more Be sure to secure a reservation online and print out the tickets or you can just open your phone to scan your QR code. You can buy tickets the day of, but the lines were so long. I wouldn't recommend it! You don't want to spend your day waiting in line. Reserving a time slot online was soooo easy!! People who secure online can bypass the line by simply walking towards the BACK. There will be a lot of workers to help guide you. Before going into the cathedral, there is a restroom to use but for a fee. 2 euros per person and I paid with a credit card. Wear comfortable walking shoes. The cathedral is not stroller friendly and it is not handicap friendly so keep that in mind. You will have to walk up and down stairs. Very manageable! Give yourself time to enjoy the cathedral in all the angles!

I learned that the Scala is not the name of the opera house but is named for the original structure…read morethat was here originally, the Church of Santa Maria alla Scala. So there's that nugget for you. A beautiful spot to sit and watch the people, this is a lovely piazza complete with tourists, pigeons and a fabulous statue of the great Leonardo Da Vinci at the center. It is near the Piazza del Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. With the La Scala on one side and the Palazzo Marino (Milan's city hall) on the other, it's a truly magnificent spot. [Review 10688 overall, 456 of 2019.]

Piazza Della Scala, a pedestrian plaza in central Milan, is one of my favorite places for people…read morewatching. Bordered by Milan's City Hall, a museum, a bank, a shopping mall and an opera house, the plaza is of a very human, manageable scale. I especially appreciate the ample seating, something that is seemingly missing in most public spaces. The statue of The Maestro, Leonardo da Vinci -- a truly remarkable man -- is just icing on the cake. I know there is an ongoing competition to redesign Piazza Della Scala. I hope they don't screw it up :) Five Stars.