Milan

It may be a mecca for fashionistas but Milan is much more than simply high end shopping and glamorous boutiques (though it is certainly that). This is a city that fizzes with cultural energy, from the show-stopping architecture and world-famous art to the dining scene and nightlife. In one day you can tick off Da Vinci’s The Last Supper, tear-jerking opera at the Teatro alla Scala, and the mesmerisingly colourful marble of the Duomo. Milan effortlessly combines Versace, Gucci and Prada with Michaelangelo and Botticelli, and this is particularly true in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II where glitzy shops link the piazza del Duomo to the Teatro alla Scala.Milan is an art enthusiast’s dream, whether strolling past works by Carravagio and Tintoretto in the Pinacoteca di Brera or The Last Supper in Santa Maria delle Grazie, but it’s also a city for enjoying Italy’s culinary art. Feast on risotto alla milanese, ossobuco and polenta, enjoy an aperitivo in one of the canalside bars of the Navigli, and join locals on a post-dinner passeggiata (evening stroll). Lake Como, Garda and Maggiore are all within reach of Milan, making this a city to pair with the outdoor pursuits of this picture-perfect region.