Shopping

Splurge at Quadrilatero, San Babila's posh shopping district and home to fashion emporium Spazio Armani. Find affordable style along Corso Buenos Aires and Corso Vittorio Emanuele, go shoe-mad on Via Torino and buy leather bags and belts in Chinatown. For new trends, head to Brera and the markets of the Navigli canal quarter.

Quadrilatero della Moda (Fashion Rectangle) between via Montenapoleone and via della Spiga is worth a visit, but for actual shopping, do as the locals do, and trawl through the discount houses (50-70 per cent off) such as Il Salvagente (via Fratelli Bronzetti 16) and Dmagazine Outlet (via Montenapoleone 15).

Street market in Viale Papiniano has a rich assortment of fashion and vintage clothing, shoes and accessories of all kinds and food. Held on Tuesday from 8:30 AM to 1 PM and on Saturday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM. Take the bus 50 or tram 2, 9, 14, 29, 30 or subway M2 Sant' Agostino

Naviglio Grande Antique Market is held on the last Sunday of every month except for July, from Viale Gorizia to the bridge on Via Valenza covering almost two kilometers overlooking the banks of the Naviglio Grande, the oldest canal in Milan. Furniture, clocks, porcelain, silver, jewelry, dolls, games, collectibles, books, glasses, radios, modern antiques, canes, bronze, glass, comics and prints are accurately displayed.

During the days of the event, all the shop-owners of the area and all the restaurants and numerous art galleries remain open so as to add to the pleasure of visiting the exhibition. Open time from 9.00 to sunset. Take the bus 47, 79 or tram 2, 9, 29, 30 or the subway M2 Porta Genova

Eat & Drink

Splash out in Michelin-starred Cracco Peck near the Duomo. Dine in fashionable Brera with its mix of traditional, modern Italian and cosmopolitan cuisine. Head south to easy-going Ticinese and Navigli canal quarters for trattorias and pizzerias. Specialty to try: Osso buco (veal shank) and saffron-flavored risotto.

Visit Italian Lakes from Milano

Lake Como

Hop on a train for half an hour drive to picturesque Lake Como  - visit Varenna and Bellagio for the ultimate romantic spots. One of the best vantage points for this breathtaking view is in Piazza Cavour, on the banks of the lake in the town of Como.

For a romantic view of the lake and alps, take the funicular from Como town to the village of Brunate.

Take a cruise starting from Como town . Ferries run daily, roughly every half hour from about 7.15am to around 11.30pm  You can spend the whole day  exploring Lake Como and its many elegant villas and towns. Part of the fun of your lake visit is town hopping on the ferries.

The ideal home base for Lago de Como is Varenna. The town is easily accessible by train from Milan’s Central Station on the Milan-Sondrio line, a route that provides an inexpensive scenic overview of the region.

Varenna has a romantic promenade, a tiny harbor, and narrow lanes. It's a perfect place to savor a lakeside cappuccino or apperitivo. The town of Varenna has its own website, with more extensive listings for hotels, restaurants, and attractions, as well as photos and maps.
This area has long been the playground of the aristocracy, with wealthy villas and ancestral summer homes dotting its shores.

Varenna is considerably quieter than its companion resort towns of Bellagio (where actor George Clooney owns a private villa) or Menaggio. However, both are a mere fifteen-minute away via regular and reliable ferry service.

Although there are many charming hotels in Varenna, we chose the Villa Cipressi, the only one that is open to guests without pedigrees or personal connections. In addition to 32 elegant guest rooms, the villa offers vast private gardens were you can take actual moonlit strolls and work off big lunches along the terraces and paths that lead down to the lake.

More affordable option is Albergo Olivedo (Plaza Martiri della Libertà, 4 - Loc. Olivedo Varenna), steps from the ferry landing.

Visit Castello Vezio (Fraz. Vezio, 23828 Perledo), was founded by the Romans, and rebuilt in the Middle Ages, complete with turrets and towers. Daniele Tagliaferri, the Falconer of Vezio, trains his birds in the castle garden and offers regular public demonstrations of their talents.

Other must-sees include the old town square, featuring Saint Giorgio’s Church, consecrated in 1313. From this square, you can take the scenic promenade down to the landing stage on the lake.

Bellagio is one of the most romantic spots on the lake. Villa Serbelloni, owned by the New York's Rockefeller Foundation, sits above Bellagio, and is well worth visiting its formal gardens. Also slightly south of Bellagio's centre, is the Villa Melzi d'Eryl, where you can visit the outstanding gardens.

Stop by the Villa Carlotta, a tribute to 19th-century art and possibly the most famous villa on Lake Como. Marquis Giorgio Clerici built the mansion in 1690. The villa was later named for "Carlotta," a Prussian princess who received it as a dowry for her marriage in 1848. It displays marble sculptures by Canova, bas-reliefs by Thorwaldsen and paintings by Hayez and Wicar.

If you are a fan of Star wars visit Caserta’s Royal Palace and the impressive Villa del Balbianello, in the village of Lenno. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones was filmed in these two locations.

Lake Maggiore

On the lake Maggiore, head to Stresa. It has long been the premier Italian Lakes resort for travelers since the Victorian era long, well before Hemingway’s famed use of the town in A Farewell to Arms here.

In Stresa, you can take a s boat  to Isola Bella, the most beautiful of the Borromean Islands. Owned by the Borromeo family since the 15-th century, the island boasts lovely formal gardens and a magnificent palace. The family still lives here in summer. Priceless antiques, Murano chandeliers, and walls hung with tapestries and art adorn this palace. Their gardens offer a splendid view of the Alps. Have lunch in Stresa and walk along the lakeside promenade.

Today, Milan is Italy's commercial heart, an intoxicating mix of the latest trends and world-class art and culture.  Hip nightspots, fashion and art mix together. Beautiful lakes north of Milan complete the picture.

The  importance of Milano is nothing new. Three hundred years before Christ, the Romans called this place Mediolanum, or "the central place."

By the 4th century AD, it was the capital of the western half of the Roman Empire. It was from here that Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, which legalized Christianity in the year 313.

Things to do in Milan

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