Many people choose to extend their walking tour in Italy by visiting Milan.    This could be easily done if you have booked Hedonistic Hiking's The Jewels of Piedmont, The Italian Alps, or Slovenia and Friuli.

Italy's economic if not political centre, Milan is the capital of business, high finance and high fashion, with a population of around 1.3 million.  As a fascist stronghold at the start of the Second World War the city was badly bombed by Allied raids, so much of the architecture is relatively contemporary in style.  It is not possible to mention Milan without reference to its love-affair with football - two of Italy's best teams have their home here and, of course, if you love designer shopping, then this is the city for you.

Highlights:

The Duomo

The city's vast Gothic cathedral is one of the largest in Europe.   It can seat 40,000 people which was the population of the city at the time it was commissioned in 1386.    The roof is constructed with a spell-binding array of statues and spires and the interior jewelled with stained-glass windows.    You can take steps or a lift up to roof to see the detail more closely, along with views over the rooftops of Milan.

Leonardo Da Vinci's Painting of The Last Supper

This world-famous fresco is to be found on the wall of the refectory which joins the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie.     Started in 1495 the iconic painting now has lost much of its colour, but remains one of the most visited artworks in Italy.   It is therefore essential to book your visit well in advance.  Tel +39 02 8942 1146.  The official website is http://www.cenacolovinciano.org.

Sforza Castle

This huge red brick castle was once the home of the powerful Sforza family who ruled Milan in the Renaissance period.   Today it houses a number of museums and galleries, including an archaeological museum, a collection of vintage musical instruments and the Pinacoteca art gallery containing further work by Leonardo Da Vinci as well as Michelangelo and many others.     See http://www.milanocastello.it

La Scala

Milan's famous Opera House has a lavish, scarlet, many-tiered interior which can be visited provided there are no performances in progress from 09.30 - 12.30 or 1.30 to 5.30.     If you would like to experience a performance, you can contact the box office online at http://www.teatroallascala.org, but do so well in advance of your trip.

The Brera Gallery

Situated in the heart of the Brera district at Via Brera 28 this gallery houses a formidable collection of religious art, collected from monasteries and churches across Italy under the period of Napoleonic rule.   Key works on display are by Mantegna, Tintoretto, Piero della Francesca and Raphael.    The museum is closed on Mondays.

Eataly

Eataly is the now famous "supermarket" dedicated to the very best of traditional Italian food and wine.   In Milan you can visit the store in the basement of the Coin department store on Piazza 5 Giornate,  more or less due east from the Duomo look for Corso 22 Marzo.   Well worth a visit!

Where to stay:

As with all big cities, Milan has a vast number of hotels and your budget will make a difference to where you might stay.   A useful website www.hotelsinmilan.it grades them by star rating - but remember too that Milan is a huge centre for international fairs and exhibitions, so hotels get busy and we advise you to book well ahead.   Some of the hotels listed below are known to Hedonistic Hiking and some are recommendations from other people who have extended their walking tour in Italy in Milan.

The Westin Palace
This large modern hotel is well situated close to the Metro line at Piazza della Repubblica and offers all mod cons including business centre, spa facilities and state of the art gym.

Antica Locanda Solferino
This is a small hotel with only 11 rooms but is big on charm - very helpful staff and each room individually decorated.     Has a faithful following of customers, so contact them well in advance of your stay.

Antica Locanda Leonardo
Housed in a 19th century building with an attractive internal courtyard, this boutique hotel is situated on the west side of town, two steps from the Chiesa Santa Maria delle Grazie.   It is family run and the rooms are full of character.

Il Resentin
In the colourful  Brera district, this Locanda has four luxury rooms and a good bar and bistro.

The Sheraton
Very large and ultra-modern, this hotel is located inside Terminal 1 of Malpensa airport but with good transport links into the centre of town.   Swimming pool, lots of dining options and very convenient if you have a late arrival or early departure.

Idea Hotel
Modern, value hotel but close to Malpensa airport with a good free shuttle service to and from the terminal.    Recommend eating in La Quercia as listed below.

Where to eat:

€€€ Savini (II)
For a real treat, this long established restaurant is something of an institution in the city.  Sophisticated atmosphere, excellent service and a great reputation.   Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II  Tel  +39 02 7200 3433

€€€ Bice
Another favourite of the local high flyers, Bice is a high profile restaurant serving impeccable food.   Via Borgospesso 12            Tel +39 02 7600 2572

€€ Royal Restaurant
Conveniently close to the Duomo, this traditional restaurant serves a good selection of well-priced dishes.  Some seating outside for warmer days.  Via Agnello 1  Tel +39 02 875 565 

€€ Ristorante Charleston
In the corner of Piazza del Liberty this lively restaurant is open every day and serves a good selection including pizzas from the wood-fired oven.  Tel +39 02 798 631

€€ La Quercia
Close to many of the airport hotels at Somma Lombardo close to Malpensa, La Quercia is a delightful restaurant run by two charming elderly gentlemen serving wonderful food.     Via per Tornavento 11   Tel + 39 0331 230808

€ Peck
Since 1883 this fabulous delicatessen has been an absolute treasure-trove of Italian delicacies:  cheese, chocolate,  ice-cream,  truffles - everything and anything you can think of.    It has a small restaurant near the shop.  
Via Spadari 7-9  Tel +39 02 802 3161

€ Sapori Solari
On the west side of town, Sapori Solari is another deli with a small seating area which specialises in cured meats and local hand-crafted cheeses of optimum quality.    Via Solari 48   Tel +39 347 755 9993

€ Pasticceria Freni
If you fancy a cappuccino and a chance to marvel at the mouth-watering selection of pastries, chocolate and hand-crafted marzipan fruits, then there are two Freni cafes to choose from both close to the Duomo: one at Via Torino 1 and the other in Via Beccaria 3.   Tel +39 02 877 072

€ Pasticceria Gattullo
For those with a sweet tooth, this place is perfect:  brioches, pastries, hand-made confectionary of every sort and an excellent aperitivo buffet too.    Piazzale di Porta Lodovica 2  Tel  +39 02 58310497

Don't forget that Milan is the city for an aperitivo - nearly every bar will serve drinks from around 6 pm with an astonishing array of antipasti, cured meats, grissini and even pasta, so you can eat for the price of the drink!    Head for the Corso Como or the backstreets of the Brera district.

What to order:

Milan, and the whole region of Lombardy, is well known for polenta, ground maize meal mixed with water, which can be dressed with cheese for example and eaten alone, or served as an accompaniment to meat or fish.    Risotto alla milanese is rice flavoured with saffron and bone-marrow stock and costoletta alla milanese is a flattened breaded veal steak.  Panetone, the sweet bread-cake, is also a speciality from the region.     Don't forget some of Italy's finest cheeses come from here too: gorgonzola, mascarpone and taleggio to name but a few.

The best known wine growing areas in Lombardy are  Oltrepo Pavese,  Franciacorta, Lugana and Valtellina

Transport:

Malpensa airport is used by most European and all International flights, while Linate is used by a small number of other European carriers and domestic flights.    The Malpensa Express is a rail link connecting the airport with Stazione Nord in the centre of town.   There is now also a direct train service from Malpensa airport to Milano Centrale.    It costs approx €7 and takes about 50mins.     There is also a shuttle bus running every 20 mins from Malpensa airport to Milano Centrale.

The major train station in Milan is Stazione Centrale from which you can reach almost all major cities in Italy - Venice, Genoa, Turin, Florence, Rome and so on.

Milan has a very efficient Metro service.

For all train information visit www.trenitalia.com which has an English version.
Train travel in Italy is inexpensive and comfortable.    Major cities are served by non-stop fast trains known as the Eurostar.

If you are making plans for wider Europe then www.raileurope-world.com is a useful site.