We asked Milan’s top hotel concierges to share their personal recommendations for the perfect day
MARIO GAMBRON
“In Milan, shopping is a quasi-religious experience for visitors and locals alike.
The city’s fashion district from Via Sant’Andrea to Via della Spiga and Via Gesù to Via Montenapoleone is virtually on Hotel Principe de Savoia’s doorstep, so take your time exploring the world’s finest clothes designers, jewelers, and interior design showrooms. For your dose of rich culture, take a wander into Milan’s historic center to see Duomo Cathedral, the world’s third largest and one of the most impressive. Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper lies in Santa Maria delle Grazie, but to see more priceless works by Renaissance masters visit Brera Art Gallery where you can find Raphael, Mantegna and Caravaggio. For the evening’s entertainment, Milan has plenty to offer that is equally as fashionable and historic as the day’s pursuits. La Scala Theater is recognized as one of the world’s leading opera houses and to see a performance here is a sensational experience. There is also the more modern Teatro Degli Arcimboldi, Milan’s modern alternative to La Scala. Corso Como and Navigli are Milan’s trendiest destinations for aperitif bars and nightclubs, so expect high fashion throughout.”
BEST RESTAURANT
Acanto
Cuisine: Classic Italian
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Piazza della Repubblica 17, 20124
Best for: Sunday brunch
BEST SHOP
10 Corso Como
Best for: Art and books
Via Tazzoli 3
MARIO PICOZZI
CULTURAL DAY IN MILAN
Milan is a city full of riveting history and culture so start your day early.
Most of the sights are centered around the Centro Storico, or the historic center, allowing for a gentle stroll between each. For museums start with La Scala Theater Museum, a collection of memorabilia dedicated to the legendary La Scala Theater. The Poldi Pezzoli Museum is a wonderful collection of paintings, jewelry, tapestries and archaeology collected by Poldi Pezzoli and housed in his former family palace. The Novecento Museum displays a collection of art works from the avant-garde up to present times. The most impressive gallery of all is Pinacoteca di Brera, which houses one of Italy’s most important collections. There you will find 38 rooms packed with masterpieces from the 13th to the 20th century. While flittering between galleries and museums don’t miss Milan’s architectural monuments such as Duomo Cathedral, Castello Sforzesco and the glass-roofed Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.
BEST RESTAURANT
The Park Restaurant
Cuisine: Classic Italian
Park Hyatt Milan, Via Tommaso Grossi
BEST SHOPPING
Via Montenapoleone
Via della Spiga
Corse Vittorio Emanuele II
CHIEF CONCIERGE
Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper
The best way to view Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper (L’Ultima Cena in Italian) is in the evening when the gallery is free of crowds and dusk adds to the mystical atmosphere. The concierge can arrange this visit, which is held by art experts who reveal the mysteries behind the painting to you.
Lake Maggiore by helicopter
For one of the most remarkable days out of Milan take a helicopter to the stunning Lake Maggiore and wander among its shore side treasures. Start early with a limousine transfer from your hotel to Linate Airport where the helicopter awaits you. The flight over Lake Maggiore to the Borromee Isles is truly breathtaking. The Borromee Isles are named after the Borromeo family who built a grand palace and magnificent gardens here. Have a guide accompany you on a tour among the villas to point out the artistic baroque testimonies and the rare garden plants. You could also ask your concierge for a pre-prepared picnic to enjoy in the gardens. Finally have your helicopter whisk you back to Milan in time for drinks and dinner.
BEST RESTAURANT
The Bulgari Hotel Restaurant
Cuisine: Modern Italian
Bulgari Hotel Milan, Via Privata Fratelli Gabba
DOMINGO SATURNO
A day spent in Milan’s historic center can combine high-end fashion with exploration of the city’s heritage and art.
So, for the best fashion head to Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga and Via del Gesù, the triangle of exclusive fashion shopping and just a short walk from Seven Stars Galleria. Relax afterwards over a cappuccino in one of the open-air coffee shops in the sophisticated Brera area.
You can take a break from shopping in one of Milan’s parks or gardens. At the Villa Reale, the statues of the Pavilion of Contemporary Art nestle amongst the trees and flowers and those by Giorgio De Chirico are perfectly located in the gardens of the Triennale. Parco Sempione is the largest park in the city where you can find jogging paths as well as refreshment and entertainment areas. The park of Porta Venezia dates back to 1700 and is dedicated to the writer and journalist Indeo Montanelli. Here you will discover a haven of gardens and lakes within the Bastion (old toll gates) di Porta Venezia, the elegant Corso Venezia and Via Palestro.
To incorporate some art into your day, visit the Museo del Novecento in Piazza Duomo, which is just a few steps from the Seven Stars Galleria and conveniently next to the historic Bar Zucca. ‘Zucca in Galleria’ as it is sometimes known was a favourite aperitif spot of Giuseppe Verdi and Arturo Toscanini who would stop here and discuss a performance they had just seen at la Scala.
