Discovering our world: One day in Milan, Italy

Hello my dear readers,

Are you ready for our first trip of 2020?

Get comfy and enjoy a day trip to Milan 😉

Milan, the fashion capital of the world, a vivid city that will fast conquer your heart.

This winter holidays, we’ve went back home in Italy. From when we live in Singapore, we always like to go back to Italy and explore the country as a tourist.

This time we only had a few days so we’ve decided to do a one day trip to Milan.

Milan has 3 airports: Malpensa, the main city airport, Linate at 20-25 minutes by shuttle bus from Milan, and Orio al Serio, at 4 km from city centre of Bergamo and 50 km from city centre of Milan, so it can be easily reachable. But if happens to be in Italy already and you have some spare time or you want to spend your weekend in a different way, you may easily reach Milan by car or by train too.

I’m not a car lover, it can be very chaotic sometimes, so I prefer the train when possible, it is more comfortable. Italy is pretty much well connected by high-speed trains, having Trenitalia and Italo and you can easily reach most of the cities.

Let’s discover our day trip to Milan by train.

I will let the pictures talk for me 😉

We’ve travelled with Trenitalia and we’ve started our trip from Vicenza train station. We have booked our tickets online with Trenitalia but you may also buy them directly at the train station. A round trip from Vicenza to Milano Centrale with Frecciarossa, the high-speed train, cost from Euro 40 per person in Super Economy to Euro 100 per person in Business class.

Frecciarossa Vicenza train station

Enjoying the train trip and the view, Vinceza to Milan by Frecciarossa 

Frecciarossa Vicenza to Milan, Economy class, pretty comfortable

After less than 2 hours and an enjoyable trip, we’ve reached the Central station in Milan.

Milano Centrale, Railway Station, the largest railway station in Europe by volume, that sees each day about 330,000 passengers. Is really the most beautiful railway station I have ever seen 

Milano Centrale, Railway Station 

From here we’ve took the subway, the yellow line from Centrale to Duomo and after only 4 stops we’ve reached the Duomo.

Milan Metro Network 

Immediately after you exit the subway, you’ll be amazed.

Duomo di Milano is the Milan Cathedral, the largest church in Italy and one of the world’s largest Gothic cathedrals 

Duomo di Milano, dedicated to the Nativity of St Mary 

Duomo di Milano, it can house up to 40.000 people

Duomo di Milano, took five centuries to complete, and the structure was covered with white and pink marble 

Duomo di Milano, is one of the most important attractions in Milan 

Near Duomo there is Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.

 Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, named after Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of the Kingdom of Italy 

 Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, Italy’s oldest active shopping mall and a major landmark of Milan, Italy 

 Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, a four-story double arcade in the center of town

Strolling through the streets of Milan

 Roasting area of Starbucks Reserve in Milan, Italy, a one of a kind space that features an impressive mix of bars, combining the art and craft of coffee 

 Starbucks Reserve in Milan, Italy, a place to explore rare coffees 

 Strolling through the streets of Milan and enjoying a delicious brioche con la crema or croissant with cream

 Strolling through the streets of Milan

 Strolling through the streets of Milan, pomodori verdi or green tomatoes, something that I can’t find in Singapore 

At a short walking distance from Duomo, there is Castello Sforzesco.

 Castello Sforzesco, Sforza Castle, built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan

Sforza Castle, it was one of the largest citadels in Europe

Sforza Castle, Leonardo da Vinci frescoed several rooms of the castle

Sforza Castle, has a quadrangular plan, on a site across the city’s walls

Sforza Castle

Parco Sempione, adjacent to the gardens of the Sforza Castle and to the Arch of Peace, is one of the largest parks in the city

After visiting the Sforza Castle, we’ve walked to the Quadrilatero della Moda. Milan is well know for its fashion, so if you are a fashion addicted, you can’t miss this part of Milan. Here you can see all Italian’s fashion brands atelier.

Quadrilatero della Moda, Milan

Quadrilatero della Moda, Milan

Quadrilatero della Moda, Milan

Quadrilatero della Moda, Milan

Quadrilatero della Moda, Milan, Gianni Versace Atelier

After we’ve enlightened our eyes with gorgeous Italian fashion, we’ve visited Teatro alla Scala or simple called La Scala, where have appeared most of Italy’s greatest artists, and many of the finest singers from around the world.

La Scala, the theatre is regarded as one of the leading opera and ballet theatres in the world

Time for lunch, and what best than a pizza 🍕. I had a pizza of the day which was salsiccia e friarielli or sausage and a type of vegetable, which is similar to broccoletti, and my husband had a 4 season pizza, which has artichokes, mushrooms, ham and black olives and we have drank a delicious house Prosecco. When you visit Italy, you can be sure everywhere you go, the food and Prosecco is delicious 😋  🥂 . And the price for everything was around Euro 30.

Pizza in Milan

After our lunch we’ve returned to the Duomo. To visit it inside, I suggest to buy the tickets online as the queue can be very loooong, tickets cost start from Euro 3.

This time we have visited the Duomo Museum, which is a museum originating from the cathedral, from which all the works on display have been taken and which constantly refers to it. It is a quiet, silent place where sculptures from the Duomo, can be admired from close up, enjoying the colours of the marble and the details of unique works of art which had been placed on the monument, often at dizzying heights.

Duomo Museum, Milan

Duomo Museum, Milan

Duomo Museum, Milan

Duomo Museum, Milan

Duomo Museum, Milan

Duomo Museum, Milan

Duomo Museum, Milan

Duomo Museum, Milan

Duomo Museum, Milan

Duomo Museum, Milan

Duomo Museum, Milan

Duomo Museum, Milan, Leonardo’s drawings

When we’ve finished with the Duomo Museum was dark outside already, so we enjoyed a little bit the Christmas lights and headed back to the Central Station.

After an aperitivo with Aperol spritz and pizza, we took the train and headed back home.

Italian aperitivo: Aperol Spritz and pizza

It was an intense but really beautiful day. Even if it’s winter in Italy, the weather was gorgeous too, sunny and not too cold.

I hope you enjoyed it!

If it happens to be in Italy and have a day and don’t know what to do, a trip to Milano is well worth it 😉

And if you enjoy traveling as much as I do, you may visit my other posts and discover our world one step at the time.

Enjoy our world! Happy travels!

That’s all folks!

Bye bye for now

Ending a day in Milano, tired but happy 

All photo credit: Popsicle Society done with iPhone 11