Cathedral roof, the Galleria, La Scala and the painters' quarter of Brera, ending in the botanical garden.
Best time: Morning, starting at Duomo opening
The route, stop by stop
- 1
Milan Cathedral (Duomo)Rooftop terraces first thing; 60-90 min.
Gothic cathedral begun in 1386 and finished only in 1965; the rooftop terraces put you among the marble spires with the Alps visible on clear days.
- 2
Piazza dei MercantiMedieval square one block west; 10 min.
The medieval heart of Milan, a small square with the 1233 Palazzo della Ragione, one minute from the Duomo yet feeling a century away.
- 3
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele IIWalk through to Piazza della Scala; 15 min. Coffee standing at Camparino's bar.
The 1860s glass-and-iron arcade linking the Duomo and La Scala, Milan's 'salotto' (living room).
- 4
Teatro alla Scala and MuseumMuseum and a look into the auditorium; 45 min.
The world's most famous opera house; the museum lets you look into the red-and-gold auditorium from a box when there is no rehearsal.
- 5
Gallerie d'ItaliaOptional, 45 min.
Bank-owned galleries in palaces on Piazza della Scala with 19th-century Lombard painting and rotating exhibitions.
- 6
Pinacoteca di BreraBook ahead; 90 min.
Milan's great picture gallery: Mantegna's Dead Christ, Raphael's Marriage of the Virgin and Hayez's The Kiss, in a 17th-century palazzo.
- 7
Brera Botanical GardenQuiet garden behind the gallery; 20 min.
A small historic botanical garden behind the Pinacoteca; locals use it as a quiet reading spot in the middle of Brera.
Walking directions
More walks in Milan
