Day Trip to Milan
Snippets From Our France and Italy Trip
While staying with our friends Dan and McKenzie in Lecco, we did not want to miss the opportunity to visit Milan.
The first thing we observed on the train was that northern Italy is much more modern than Sicily and Taormina, which we had left just a few days earlier. The landscape on this stretch is relatively flat, and infrastructure seems more up-to-date.
If you travel by train, the magnificent Milano Centrale railway station is the first thing that meets the eye. It is one of the most impressive railway stations we have seen and is the largest in Europe.
The railway station has not only one giant hall or foyer but three. They are equally impressive. I could have stayed there all day doing photography, but Diana convinced me that we should see more of Milan :)
We set out on foot on a route suggested by McKenzie. It took us through a modern city section with office towers, condo buildings, and city parks. We walked by the Pirelli main office and ended up in a section of town that celebrated the Euro 2024 soccer tournament, which was ongoing during our visit.
There was music and various soccer-related games for kids to play. It was lots of fun, and it showed how popular soccer is in Europe.
Shopping and Fashion
Our route led us through cozy streets, where Di shopped for shoes, and we picked a dress for our granddaughter. We quickly stopped at the Sforzesco Castle but did not go inside. Our legs needed a break in the mid-day heat, so we found an excellent restaurant for lunch along Via Dante.
It is suggested that you visit Duomo di Milano early in the day. We did not follow this advice and probably visited it at the worst possible time. It was crowded, but not as bad as we had feared. The adjacent Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping mall was, however, packed.
We explored the area for a while and took in the atmosphere; people watched while others watched us :)
The midday heat (June 21st) was getting to us, so we decided to hop on a tram from the city center to the Navigli Canal area. We rested on a park bench for a while before enjoying excellent coffee at Sofa Cafe.
Later on, we met up with McKenzie for drinks before we drove back to Lecco.
We had an excellent day in Milan and could have spent more time here. It appears there is something for everyone. Milan offers interesting architecture, from old to modern. There are plenty of restaurants/cafés and historic buildings to explore. We would love to visit again at some point.
Please keep scrolling for more photos from Milan.
Wrapping up our day in Milan
5050 Travelog Destinations
All Travel Destinations
Europe
Southeast Asia
Middle East
Canada and USA
New Zealand
The photos in this article are made using a Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton Vintage Line 28mm f/1.5 and Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.2 lenses (links to my camera and lens reviews).
