Milan in 1 Day

Located in the northern Lombardy region, Milan is one of the fashion capitals in the world.  With a population of over 1.3 million, it was the largest city in Italy that I had visited. There are many activities and sights to see; however, you can still see the highlights in one day. Here is Milan in 1 Day.

Start your visit with a stop to the center of Milan, the Piazza del Duomo.  It is considered the heart of the city with many shops and restaurants for you to see. Centered in the Piazza del Duomo is the Milan Cathedral. The church is commonly described as being "gothic revival architecture," taking nearly six centuries to complete!

Come early if you want to get a glimpse inside because the lines will be lengthy. Inside you can find numerous monuments and artworks including the statue of Sant Barthomelew Flayed, the sarcophagus of Marco Carelli, and the three altars by Pellegrino Pellegrini.

Adjacent to the church is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the oldest active shopping mall in Italy. The extravagant mall is a four-story double arcade with many shops and restaurants.

Even if you're not interested in the stores, this landmark is a sight worth visiting for the architecture alone.

Venture out to the side streets and find yourself immersed in a New York meets Italy environment.

Just a 6-minute walk from the Milan Cathedral is the most amazing pizza restaurant, Piz. With only 3 types of pizza on the menu, this restaurant is popular no matter what time of day. The staff at Piz are the most accommodating, serving samples of their pizza and champagne flutes as you wait for your table. The line does move quickly so be patient!

The dough is nothing like I've had before with great chew and flavor. You can order half of one pizza and half of another if you have trouble picking. My favorite was the white pizza. The pizza is so simple with parmesan, bocconcini, and chives, but my goodness, it was amazing. I can say without a doubt that this was my favorite pizza in all of Italy.

After stuffing yourself with a delicious meal, head back on the road to walk off the calories. Take the train or walk 14 minutes from the cathedral to the next stop, Sforzesco Castle.

The castle used to be a defense fortress and residence but today, it houses 12 museums featuring ancient art, Egyptian artifacts, and even furniture. There is a fee to visit each museum so if you are planning on visiting more than one, consider purchasing the 3-day pass which grants you admission to all 12.

Walk through the castle to the other end which opens to Parco Sempione, one of the biggest parks in Milan.

From the park, hop on a cab and ride for 5 minutes to Piazza di Santa Maria delle Grazie. Here you will find the original Last Supper by Leonardi di Vinci. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of not booking the tickets in advance and was unable to view the painting. Make sure to purchase tickets ahead of time to avoid the mistake I made!

And there you have it. Find yourself a fancy restaurant for dinner as Milan has many high-end restaurants with fabulous food. If you're still looking for another activity, you can check out the Brera district, an artsy neighborhood with traditional bars, restaurants. Navigli district is also a beautiful sight, located near the water with an exciting nightlife.

And that concludes our Milan in 1 Day itinerary. Naturally, the first thing I did was when I came back home was to recreate the pizza that I fell in love with in Italy. Stay tuned for the recipe!