Milan Landmarks: Book Tickets Now

The Duomo di Milano is the landmark most people picture first. Work on the Gothic cathedral began in 1386 and took centuries to finish, which explains the forest of spires and the thousands of statues covering its marble exterior. Inside, the scale is easier to take in, and up on the roof you can walk between the spires with the city spread out below. The golden Madonnina statue watches over it all from the top of the main spire.

Many visitors pair the cathedral interior with the terraces, so allow a good chunk of time if you want to do both.

Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper covers a wall of the refectory at the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where he painted it in the late 1400s. The church and convent are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the painting is one of the best-known works of the Renaissance. It is fragile, so visits run in small timed groups, which is why plenty of travellers lock in this stop first and plan the rest of the day around it.

Going with a guide is a popular choice if you want the story behind the painting.

For a different angle on the city, head to Torre Branca in Parco Sempione. Gio Ponti designed the steel tower, which went up in 1933 and stands around 108 metres tall, with a viewing platform at the top. On a clear day you can pick out the Duomo’s spires, the modern towers of the newer districts and, beyond them, the Alps.

The tower sits in the park behind Castello Sforzesco, so a stroll through the gardens makes an easy lead-in.

Milan’s landmarks aren’t all churches and towers. Teatro alla Scala, one of the world’s best-known opera houses, opened in 1778 and still stands in the middle of the city centre. Out to the west, the San Siro stadium is home to both AC Milan and Inter, and a visit is as much about football history as it is about the building.

For something quieter, the Cripta di San Sepolcro is a medieval crypt beneath the church of San Sepolcro, a few minutes’ walk from the Duomo.