Milan holidays

The University district buzzes with student cafés and historic sights. The imposing 15th-century Ca’ Granda was once the old city hospital and is now home to Milan’s state university. To the west is the beautiful Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio, set on the piazza named after Milan’s patron saint, St Ambrose. His feast day is on 7th December, also the traditional opening of La Scala’s opera season.

Close to the historic centre, this is one of the largest commercial main roads, and is well served by the metro. It has a cosmopolitan feel and brims with ethnic restaurants. It is also an important shopping centre and just a short distance from the fabled designer district, the ‘quadrilatero’. Nearby too is the Castello Sforzesco, famous for Michelangelo’s last work, the Pietà Rondanini.

The heart of Milan, the Duomo is Europe’s biggest Gothic cathedral and the third largest church in Christendom, adorned by 3,500 statues and 135 soaring spires. The magnificent sculptural detail can be seen from the roof, and on a clear day there are stupendous views as far as the snow-peaked Alps. A short walk leads to the world-famous opera house La Scala, and the designer shops of the ‘Quadrilatero’ – Europe’s ‘catwalk capital’.

Located in the north-west and originally established in the 1920s, Fiera Milano is Italy’s most important exhibition centre. Now revitalised and set around a central park, some 80 trade fairs are held here annually including the all-important fashion collections. A circular bus service links all entrance gates with Amendola Fiera metro station. Frequent shuttle buses also run from Linate airport.

Inaugurated in spring 2005, the sleek Rho exhibition centre has given Milan a new makeover. Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas’ glass and steel structure echoes the forms of hills and mountains, surrounded by greenery and water features. There are 80 conference halls and numerous bars, cafes and restaurants. It is linked to the city’s Porta Est station and en-route to Malpensa airport.

Generally preferred by the Milanese, Linate Airport is conveniently located about five miles to the east of Milan. Nowadays Linate is mainly used for domestic and European flights and some low-cost carriers. City buses depart every 15-20 minutes for the journey taking around 15 minutes to downtown.

Milan’s intercontinental airport is approximately 45 kilometres north-west of the city centre. Malpensa opened its second terminal to celebrate the Millennium and is now one of Europe’s most modern airports. The journey by Malpensa Express train to Milan Cadorna station, takes about 40 minutes. The Air Pullman bus service takes longer, but terminates at the Stazione Centrale, Milan’s main train station.

Like Paris’s Left Bank, this area is awash with artisans, painters and tourists. Once navigable canals flowing across the city, the Navigli have been reopened to pleasure boats, and cafés and restaurants now line the banks. Leonardo da Vinci helped to design the canals and to the west is the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie showcasing his famous masterpiece ‘The Last Supper’.

One of Milan’s most fashionable areas, Porta Garibaldi is also the business district of the city and Italy’s powerhouse. From here there is access to all areas including the chic Brera quarter, full of designer boutiques and art galleries. The most famous of these is the Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan’s best gallery housing one of Italy’s greatest art collections and spanning 700 years of Italian art.

All roads lead to Rome and the palazzo-lined Corso di Porta Romana follows the route of the ancient Roman road. The Pinacoteca Ambrosiana is a small treasure trove of art including works by Botticelli, Titian and Leonardo da Vinci. Nearby, the Museo della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci is one of the world’s most important science and technology museums with over 15,000 exhibits.

Vittoria is a popular shopping and residential area with leafy avenues. At its heart is the Palazzo di Giustizia (Law Courts), a focal point in the 1990s due to the iMani Pulite/i (‘clean hands’) corruption trials which changed the face of Italian politics. For a more spiritual experience, Santa Maria della Passione is Milan’s second largest church after the Duomo, with some remarkable paintings and frescoes.

Milan’s central station is monumental; full of marbled halls, terraces and mosaic floors. It is Northern Italy’s largest and busiest station and, arguably, Europe’s most splendid. Most international and high-speed trains arrive here and there is easy access to the city centre by metro. Nearby soars the Pirelli skyscraper (Grattacielo Pirelli), Milan’s highest building and symbol of its prosperity.