Things to do in Milan

Marble, masterpieces and canals

Milan rewards travellers who look up and look closer. The Duomo took nearly six centuries to finish, and its roof is a forest of 135 marble spires. A short walk away, Michelangelo's last sculpture stands in the Sforza family's castle, while Brera's galleries hold Mantegna's Dead Christ and Hayez's The Kiss. To the south, Fondazione Prada has turned a former distillery into a sprawling art campus. Most central sights sit within a few metro stops of Piazza del Duomo, so two or three days go a long way. Book timed slots for the big names, cover shoulders and knees for churches, and save an evening for the Navigli canals at aperitivo hour. With Lake Como, Verona and Lake Garda all within a day's reach, Milan also makes an easy base for northern Italy.

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