Milan Travel Guide: Design, Fashion, Food & The Last Supper

A complete guide to Milan — Leonardo's Last Supper, the Duomo, design districts, aperitivo culture, where to eat, and where to stay in Italy's most modern city.

Milan (Milano) is Italy’s most outward-looking city — commercially dominant, fashion-obsessed, architecturally ambitious in ways the more ancient cities cannot be. It lacks the obvious picturesque quality of Venice or Florence, but rewards visitors who engage with what it does well: design culture, serious food, one of the world’s great aperitivo traditions, and a concentrated dose of Leonardo da Vinci.

The essential sight

Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper (Cenacolo Vinciano) is in the refectory of the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. It is not in the church itself — it’s in the dining hall. Visits are strictly timed, maximum 30 people at a time for 15 minutes. Slots book up months in advance. There is no same-day availability in tourist season. Book as early as possible or through a tour operator. The painting is in a state of constant, slow deterioration despite decades of conservation — it may look different from photographs you’ve seen.

The Duomo

The Milan Cathedral is one of the largest Gothic churches in the world — 135 marble spires, the gold Madonnina statue at the top, and a rooftop terrace that gives the best view of the Alps on clear days. The interior is surprisingly dark and atmospheric after the white exterior. Combined tickets for the cathedral, archaeological area, treasury, and roof are available; the roof is the most popular element.

Design and fashion

The Quadrilatero della Moda (fashion quadrilateral: Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, Corso Venezia, Via Sant’Andrea) is the luxury shopping district — expensive to buy in but worth walking for the architecture and window displays. The Brera neighbourhood has independent design and art galleries. The Isola and Tortona districts are where the contemporary design scene operates. Milan Design Week (Salone del Mobile, April) is the world’s most important design fair and draws 300,000 visitors.

Aperitivo

Milan invented the modern aperitivo ritual. Between 6pm and 9pm, many bars offer free buffet food with a drink purchase — a form of pre-dinner eating that functions as a cheap substantial meal. Negroni, Campari Spritz, and Aperol Spritz are the correct drinks. The Navigli canal district and Brera neighbourhood have the best aperitivo scenes.

Getting around

Milan has an excellent metro system (lines M1, M2, M3, M4, M5). Tickets are €2.20 per journey or €11.30 for a day pass. Most sites can be reached by metro from the central station (Milano Centrale).