One of the largest cities in Italy and a cultural and commercial center for centuries, Milan is full of history and secrets. In the streets and courtyards just around the corner from your central Milan hotel, the city’s hidden treasures are waiting to be discovered. From hidden boutiques to remnants of the old canal network, adventure is just a short walk away.

let’s get lost

For haute couture, there’s Quadrilatero d’Oro, the Golden Rectangle; for opera, La Scala; and for effortless cosmopolitan chic, the business district is hard to beat. But getting away from the worn streets around the city’s most famous attractions is also worth it. Leave the luxury of your hotel in the center of Milan and spend a day pleasantly losing yourself in the narrow streets of the city. Many of Milan’s best kept secrets are found in little corners, through courtyards and unexpected doors. Closing the guidebook and turning the corner on a whim could lead to your best vacation story, or a gem of a store you might never have found otherwise. Wondering where to start? Try the streets around the Duomo. For a walk with a more historical focus, the Castello Sforzesco, a collection of museums linked by courtyards and passageways, is a perfect place to wander. Or head north to Groane Park, where you can walk or cycle through acres of exhilarating natural beauty, surrounded by the splendor of 17th-century villas.

fashion out of the ordinary

Canals once carried trade from all over Italy to Milan, and while most of them have now been replaced by roads, there are still some picturesque canals to explore in the city. A little further than the luxury shops near your hotel in central Milan, the Navigli district with its picturesque canals is well worth the trip. The fashion boutiques here are a delight to discover, and the district also boasts an antiques market, where the intrepid shopper is sure to find some one-of-a-kind antique treasures. Top off your adventure with an evening out on the canal: its live music and bohemian cafes provide a perfect change of pace from the busy city centre.

secret stories

Each building tells a story, but some are buried deeper than others. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a true historic shopping center, built in 1867. Like the older hotels and opera houses in central Milan, the dedication to style and splendor here is evident. Located below the iconic Duomo, the mall features lavish mosaics and a vaulted glass ceiling. Today, home to luxury stores like Prada and Louis Vuitton, it’s a great place to people watch, but it also played an important role in the evolution of modern architecture in Europe: the indoor space inspired the modern indoor mall and the iron frame. in the dome itself it is said to have influenced the design of the Eiffel Tower. For a more sobering piece of history, if you’re traveling through Stazione Centrale, look for the plaque in the main concourse inscribed with a line from Primo Levi: Bearing witness is important, as everyone’s anguish is ours. Little evidence remains of the hidden platform beneath the Stazione Centrale, from where Italian Jews were deported during World War II: a campaign is underway to turn the underground space into a memorial center, but for now the plaque is its only monument. .