Milan

Milan sits the region of Lombardy, northern Italy, not far from the foothills of the Alps. It’s Italy’s most cosmopolitan city and has the air of Northern European city in comparison to the Mediterranean south. Milan is a world-class city for art and culture, and most famously, for fashion and shopping.

Like all Italian cities, Milan has its fair share of history, culture, art and architecture. But while much of Italy consists of quaint villages that time forgot and medieval ruins, Milan is different. It has grand boulevards lined with skyscrapers, and many big corporations base themselves here.

It also has a wealth of luxury boutique hotels, an A-list line-up cocktail and aperitivo and excellent upscale restaurants. There’s a real flair for innovation and design in Milan, as seen at the cutting-edge Triennale museum.

Milan’s also home to some of Italy’s most celebrated attractions. Our Italy experts will design a luxury tailor-made holiday itinerary so you can take in all the sights and still have time to hit the shops – or should that be the other way round?

The obvious place to start is the magnificent Milan Duomo. It took about 500 years to build with its 135 spires and 3,500 statues – it does take time to build the greatest Gothic cathedral in the world. Nearby is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the fashionable steel-and-class covered shopping arcade and the world-famous opera house. If you need tickets for the evening show, we’ll sort them out.

Housed within the convent walls of the Unesco-listed Santa Maria Delle Grazie is Milan’s greatest treasure and among the most famous artworks in the world: da Vinci’s fresco, The Last Supper.

So, the shopping: Rome may have the history, Venice the romance, Florence is a remarkably beautiful city, but Milan has the style. Milan is Italy’s catwalk queen; it’s the luxury shopping capital of Europe and a major reason why many choose to stop over in Milan.

For the flagship stores of Italy’s top designers, make a beeline straight for the Quadrilatero d’Oro (Golden Quad) and its major boulevard Via Montenapoleone. It’s a who’s who of Italian couture featuring Versace, Armani, Gucci, D&G, Prada, Valentino and so on; the highest concentration of designer brands in Europe.

When booking a luxury Milan holiday Lightfoot Travel, our Italy experts will offer impartial advice on accommodation and design your perfect tailor-made itinerary. Enquire now!