The metropolitan city of Italy "Milan" had changed my whole perspective while being there during my Summer Euro Trip 2023. It was one of the busiest cities I have ever explored yet I fell in love with this city. So, I decided to share my experience with you about Milan city before writing about the precise locations of Milan that I had explored. I came to know about Milan when I was a student of Architecture. The Gothic Cathedral Duomo di Milano was one of the architectural structures I had to study as a student. The benefit of being an architect is I see and observe those small details that generally people ignore. People like to know about culture and history but I mostly notice the infrastructure and architectural part of the city.
Milan is a well-known city in the world for its high fashion industry and designs. When it comes to talking about Prada, Dolce Gabbana, or Versace; everybody knows about Milano, Italy. I own Prada Sunglasses and I bought them with my hard-earning euros so when I was in Milan, somehow I felt a connection with the city. It's like the only brand you own comes from Milan and it's a surreal feeling.
We went to Milan from Switzerland and we stayed there for 2 nights although we got only half a day to explore Milan City. The hotel we stayed in was far from central Milan but that was one of the reasons we couldn't see the city during nighttime. It was a hot summer day and after our breakfast, our car drove us to the nearest location of Duomo di Milano cathedral. From our dropoff location, the cathedral was a 5-minute walk. From far away, the beautiful cathedral was inviting us.
I will write a separate post describing the astounding Cathedral.
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Milan is one of the busiest and most crowded cities I have ever explored and I kinda liked it. I am the kind of person who actually avoid crowds and feel overwhelmed now especially due to my sickness but I kinda fell in love with Milan and the sea of people didn't bother me at all. I was so excited and felt grateful to be there as that city was always on my bucket list after Rome. The tourist crowd starts from the Cathedral and spreads within the city. If you want to avoid crowds, you have to go to the early morning to see the Lonely Cathedral. Both scenarios are completely different. I was later informed that if I wanted to take photos, I should come to the cathedral point in the early morning. But it never happened, unfortunately. Anyway, in the photos you actually cannot see the crowd because I took very unusual photos for this post by avoiding crowds.
The city tour bus was offered to us but I decided to explore the city on foot. I knew I would miss exploring a lot of places but the experience I gathered from walking wasn't possible on a tour bus. I wanted to have a real experience of Milan city and I was happy that I took the decision. Obviously, a hot sunny day was the barrier, the temperature was 35 degrees Celsius but I am from a hot country so I was able to bear with that.
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What kind of architectural style I should expect in Milan, obviously Roman Architecture. Most of the structures in Milan are examples of astounding Neoclassical Architecture; the architectural style that came from the classical elements of Greek and Rome architecture and flourished in Rome first. I have seen Neoclassical architecture before but the source of this architecture is Italy and one of the city Milan. This city is a rich source of history, culture architecture, and of course delicious food.
After visiting the cathedral, I randomly followed the streets and ended up seeing a lot of this metropolitan city. One of the major issues was pickpocketing, I had to be very careful of my wallet. Other than that, I really enjoyed my 8 hours being in Milan. I also bought some souvenirs, sunglasses (of course Prada) and make-up from Sephora. Well, seeing high-end fashion brands and stores made me realize I am so poor. Tons of people were in branded stores. I also noticed that tourists come to Milan not only to see the city but also for shopping. I mean if you have money, why not...
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While walking, we discovered historical locations like the Celtic era and Roman times (Roman ruins in Milan) and Medieval Porta Ticinese. At one point, we were so tired that we thought about taking the tram but after having a refreshing drink, we were able to come back near the Cathedral. Milan City is a financial hub and as a metropolitan city, everywhere was crowded. I could've taken the tour bus and could have a comfortable city tour. Also, I could have seen a lot of tourist locations in Milan but I had wanted to have a real experience in Milan, a pleasant experience. So, I don't regret that I haven't been to many tourist locations in Milan because the experience that I gathered was precious. We had amazing food in Milan, we found the restaurant area near the cathedral and tasted amazing Italian Delicacies.
The building I saw in Milan was different than other neoclassical architecture in other cities. Architectural structures are really well-preserved and even some local buildings are also nicely preserved. The streets in Milan were not narrow but I was expecting narrow alleys. Or maybe I followed bigger streets so that I didn't get lost. If you are not into fashion, you still can enjoy and experience the designs of the modern fashion industry. You can enjoy your lunch somewhere outdoors near the tram line. I saw such an atmosphere in Poland, Warsaw, and then in Italy.
What I love about Milan Italy is the culture. Locals are friendly even though it's a tourist city. If you ask a waiter to explain the cuisine, they will explain to you no matter how busy the restaurant is. The food service is fast and tons of dishes are available to taste. If you don't like fashion, you can always go to local stores. I bought a water bottle and the price was cheaper than in the Netherlands. Food prices were expensive compared to other cities in Italy and the reason was understandable. After all, it's a busy city.
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Some members of our group took a city tour by bus and after discussion, I realized my way of seeing Milan is completely different than theirs. That's why no matter how busy and packed this city is, I may visit Milan again.
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Priyan...
I am @priyanarc.... An architect, a dreamer, and a passionate writer who loves to write about life. I try to present my own perspective and experiences. Please leave your feedback and criticism because it's the only way I can know and reach your mind and thoughts easily...
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