up on the roof of the Duomo
the inside of the Duomo
Gallerie Vittoria Emanuele
Inside of the train station of Milan
….
Hi guys and happy Wednesday,
as you might know we are currently staying at Lake Garda in Italy. We have been here two years ago and I was here several times ago. Although Milan is about 200 km away we never vistied before and decided to go this time.
After several thoughts about how to get there and some advice of people who already visited we decided to go by train. I am not a real train fan but sometimes there is no way out.
So yesterday morning we got up early and headed to the train station in Peschiera del Garda which is about 5 minutes away. We parked the car and went to get our tickets. Be sure to bring some extra time (about 30 minutes) since the ticket machines aren´t always working and the lines are long.
We caught our train at 08:57 am. The train ride took us about 1 1/2 hours and cost 21 Euro for two adults.
It passes some suburbs of Milan until it finally gets into the main train station. Be warned upfront cause Milan is huge. The population of the city itself is by over one million and including the suburbs they are counting about 8 million milanese´.
So we got into the main train station and believe me when I say it is overwhelming. There are so many incoming trains and so many people you get lost pretty quick. The central station of Milan looks more like a really old and beautiful building than a station – like the Central Station in New York. High sealings, beautiful old stones including lots of artisty carvings and figurines.
You can easily walk into the city centre where the Duomo, the Scala and the insane pretty Galeria Vittoria Emanuele is (takes about 30 minutes) but we took the metro and I am glad we did cause our day was exhausting enough with all the other stuff we did. The metro ticket is super inexpensive. 1, 50 Euro per person and ride.
The best station is called Duomo and that is also where you get out. In front of this absolutely huge and stunning building. We got our ticket voucher upfront through Tripadvisor so all we had to do is get our tickets and the audio guide and we could start to climp up the stairs to the “balcony of the Duomo”. There are over a hundred stairs so be sure you can actually make it to the top otherwise there is an extra entrance with a lift.
It
really is super high and the view over Milan is breathtaking. There
are so many different buildings combining old and new in the best
Italian flair.
After
wandering around on the rooftop we went down a different staircase
but still so so many steps but we totally go rewarded cause we came
out in one corner of the church. The inside of the Duomo itself is
really impressing. Sky high pillars and huge colorful windows. Each
one showing another line from the bibel. The floor is over and over
with the prettiest marble flooring in the most gorgeous color
pairings.
The
Duomo of Milan really is a must-see. I think it is the number one
sight Milan has to offer among many others. A combo ticket is about
21 Euro and I think this is definitely worth it.
Very
close to the right side of the Duomo is the entrance of Galleria
Vittorio Emanule II. I have never seen anything comparable. The architecture really is one of a kind. The shops are as luxurious and high class as possible and the restaurants are super chic. If you are planing on buying a high class souvenir which reminds you of your trip or you are just window shopping don´t miss this out. It really is awesome.
We also planed on visiting the Scala – an old opera building but to be honest we where so exhausted. After a 6 Euro espresso with view to the Duomo and a delicious burger we went into the stores we wanted and then headed back to Peschiera. The train also was on delay so it took about twenty minutes longer and it was super hot. I might have lost two pounds on sweating in the train but we came back safe and sound to the hotel and ended our day with a Spritz Bianco (white wine with sparkling mineral water).
Overall Milan is worth a visit but it is a really really big and crowded city. Although it is full of history and if you also want to shop for designated Italian brands it is perfect.
If there is anything else you want to know feel free to ask maybe I can help you.
Thanks for stopping by. Take care and see you tomorrow.