Essential
Museums & culture· Duomo
Milan Cathedral (Duomo)
The vast Gothic cathedral of pinkish marble that took nearly six centuries to finish. Its rooftop terraces let you walk among the spires and statues above the city.
Collection · Milan
Milan, from Gothic to skyscrapers
12 placesFreeUpdated November 5, 2026
From the Roman columns of San Lorenzo and the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio to the Duomo, the Galleria, Gio Ponti's tower and the Bosco Verticale.
Loading map…
Places in this collection
12 places
Save these 12 places to Google Maps
Google Maps opens with the list: tap “Select all” and save it to your profile (you need to be signed in to Google).
- Essential
Museums & culture· Duomo
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
The 19th-century shopping arcade linking Piazza del Duomo with Piazza della Scala, under a glass-and-iron dome with mosaic floors.
- Essential
Museums & culture· Centro
La Scala
The world's most famous opera house, plain outside and red velvet within. Its museum lets you look into the auditorium from one of the boxes.
Museums & culture· Sant'Ambrogio
Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio
The Romanesque basilica of Milan's patron saint, with an arcaded brick atrium and a ninth-century golden altar. It's the church the Milanese love most.
Museums & culture· Magenta
San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore
A modest-looking church whose interior is covered wall to ceiling in 16th-century frescoes. Locals call it Milan's Sistine Chapel.
- Essential
Museums & culture· Castello
Sforza Castle
The brick fortress of the dukes of Milan, with courtyards open to all and museums inside, including Michelangelo's last sculpture.
Special place· Ticinese
Colonne di San Lorenzo
A row of sixteen Roman columns in front of the Basilica of San Lorenzo. In the evening the square fills with young people and drinks.
Museums & culture· Monumentale
Monumental Cemetery
An open-air sculpture museum of family tombs, in styles running from Gothic Revival to Art Nouveau and Art Deco.
Viewpoint· Sempione
Torre Branca
The steel tower Gio Ponti designed in 1933 in Parco Sempione. A lift takes you to the top for views over the city and, on clear days, the Alps.
Nature & beaches· Sempione
Parco Sempione
The big park behind the castle, with a pond, little bridges and the Arch of Peace at the far end. It's where the Milanese run and lie on the grass.
- Essential
Special place· Porta Nuova
Bosco Verticale
The two tree-covered residential towers that became the symbol of modern Milan, next to the new skyline around Piazza Gae Aulenti.
Shopping· Quadrilatero
Via Montenapoleone
The main street of the fashion district, with Italy's big fashion houses in old palazzi. Walking it and looking in the windows costs nothing.
Loading map…
Before you go
How to see Milan's architecture
Roman and Romanesque, side by side
The Colonne di San Lorenzo and Sant'Ambrogio are fifteen minutes apart on foot, with San Maurizio on the way back towards the centre.
Churches are best in the morning
Sant'Ambrogio and San Maurizio are free, but close around lunchtime and during Mass. Go before lunch.
Take your time at the Monumentale
Entry is free and it's closed on Mondays. Pick up the map at the gate that marks the finest tombs; allow at least an hour.
Walk Porta Nuova
From Piazza Gae Aulenti, cross the Biblioteca degli Alberi park to the foot of the Bosco Verticale. The towers are homes, so you only see them from outside.
Checked on November 5, 2026. Opening hours and tickets can change, so check each place’s website before you go.
