It has been a while since we’ve done a good ol’ travel post here on the blog.
Like most folks, I haven’t been doing a ton of travel these past few years (for obvious reasons). But I’m starting to visit new-to-me places again, and I feel completely and totally energized and inspired.
I recently spent a little over a week in Milano, Modena & Maranello, and Torino in northern Italy, and honestly…I think it was one of the best trips I’ve ever been on.
While I can attribute that fact to a ton of different things (great food, fun times with friends, seeing sights I’ve dreamt about seeing for years, etc.), I’m ultimately just really thankful to have had the opportunity to do it.
I hit three different areas during my trip, and while I originally intended to pack recaps for them all into this one post, I have a lot to say! So there will be three separate posts with recaps from each of the cities:
- Milano (this post!)
- Modena & Maranello
- Torino
While I’ve been to Italy before, this was actually the first time I had been to any of the cities I saw on this trip, so these posts will hopefully serve as helpful guides for anyone finding themselves in the same boat, aka. exploring these cities for the first time and in need of some good vegetarian food and activity recommendations.
This post is all about Milano, a beautiful, walkable, historic city in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. It’s the second-most populous city in Italy (after Rome), and it’s known for its fashion, art, and (of course) food.
You can use these handy links to jump around to the different sections in this post:
I had actually planned to spend the entirety of the Milano leg of my trip by myself, but I ended up meeting up with some coworkers (now: friends!), Paul and Marjorie, and we ended up having the very best time.
How I got there
I ended up flying through JFK to Malpensa (one of the two airports in Milano), and I filled my 7+ hours in the sky with books and movies.
Side note but an important one: I feel like a lot of the airlines have a ton of movies from my childhood in their “in-flight entertainment” options right now, and it makes me deliriously happy and a little less grumpy to be sitting in a metal tube hurling through the sky for over 7 hours. Over my flights in the past few months, I’ve watched:
- School of Rock
- The Princess Diaries
- The Parent Trap
- Spy Kids (lol)
- Many of the Harry Potter movies
It’s so fun! Very much a fan.
Once I got to Malpensa, I took the train to a stop near my hotel, and then took a tram the rest of the way. I simply followed the signs in the airport to the train, bought my train ticket, and took it to the correct stop. Then popped on the tram (Apple Maps was great at telling me which tram I needed) and took that it rest of the way.
Where I stayed
I ended up staying at the Max Brown hotel in the Missori district of the city, which was less than 10 minutes walking from the duomo.
It was super cute, and the front desk staff were incredibly kind and helpful. They remembered my name every time I saw them, and they always helped me when I had questions about the city.
I will say that the rooms didn’t have great lighting, especially in the bathrooms. And I actually ended up needing to switch rooms because my first one flooded after some pretty intense rain one night! That obviously wasn’t the fault of the hotel though, and they immediately got me into a different room.
That said, I did really enjoy my stay at Max Brown, and you really can’t beat the location.
How I got around
We walked so much. SO MUCH. One day, Paul and I literally walked a distance equivalent to a half marathon.
Milano is an incredibly walkable city (and you really see so much more of the city this way!), so if you’re planning on seeing as much as you can during your own trip to Milano, be sure to have comfortable and supportive shoes and a decent sense of direction (which…is not my forte to be honest. But I made it work!).
We used public transportation every once in a while––especially the metro to get to the Centrale station, which is where I grabbed my trains to different cities in Italy (more on those in later posts!). The Milano metro is incredibly simple to use and a reliably fast way to get around the city.
One thing that’s definitely new from the last time I was in Italy: all of the public transportation I used––metro, buses, and trams––had a “tap-to-pay” option, so I could use Apple Pay instead of buying a public transportation ticket.
I wasn’t sure how often I’d be using public transportation, and I actually didn’t end up using it all that much, so paying on an as-needed basis really worked out well. Convenient and simple!
That said, if I was planning on using public transportation more heavily, I think daily passes might have been the more financially-savvy option.
What I saw
As you may have guessed based on how much walking I did, I saw a lot.
The first day, I walked around the Duomo di Milano area, and visited some of the stores in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the world’s oldest shopping mall.
There was a Ferrari store close to the galleria, and it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re even remotely interested in cars. The clothing is crazy expensive, but it’s cool to see the Ferrari logo on so many different kinds of clothing, bags, and accessories.
Oh, and there’s an F1 car casually hanging from the ceiling.
The next day, Paul and I did a ton of exploring. We walked through the Sforzesco Castle and the Parco Sempione, and they were actually having some sort of music and vendor festival the day we were there. Both were full of people, and it was great to see folks outside enjoying a nice (albeit hot) day.
Then we decided to stop for some pizza (more on that in a bit), explore Eataly, and walk through Cimitero Monumentale.
The cemetery was one of the most unique places I’ve ever been; the monuments at each grave were intricate and ornate, and the grounds are truly stunning.
There are also quite a few famous folks buried there, from Alberto and Antonio Ascari (racing drivers) to Gaspare Campari (of Campari fame). We spent quite a bit of time tracking down the graves for some of these folks and just walking through the site itself. It was beautiful and a relatively chill way to spend the afternoon.
I also explored the Viale Papiniano Market on Tuesday (it happens every Tuesday and Saturday), and it was part flea market, part fruit and vegetable market. I had such a great time exploring each of the booths, but the food area was obviously my favorite.
I then met up with Paul in Navigli, a hip district located on the city’s oldest canal. We ate lunch there, and I ended up walking around for a bit before heading back to my hotel to catch up on a bit of work.
Even though I had just three full days in Milano, I felt like I saw a ton of it! We really made the most of our time there.
That said, it didn’t feel like too much. I took my time to see what I wanted, but I didn’t stress about seeing everything. I actually ended up sitting and reading a few times, just because I could. Highly recommend!
Where I ate
The most important part!
Not gonna lie: we had a ton of great eating experiences in Milano. Some were recommendations I had saved on my “might go here” list. Others were places we just kind of stumbled upon, and those ended up being some of my favorite food experiences of my entire trip!
Biga Milano
Via Alessandro Volta, 20, 20121 Milano MI, Italy
We found Biga during our half marathon walk day, and we actually found it because we were a bit lost looking for Eataly.
But once we saw a waiter bringing out some pizzas, we knew we had to eat there.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that this was probably the best pizza I’ve ever had.
When we sat down, one of the waiters told us that they had “the best pizza in Milano.” And while that may or may not be the case, I stand behind the claim that they’re most definitely one of the top.
The crust was so chewy and delightfully charred. And while that crust was nice and puffy, the middle of the pizza was almost impossibly thin, letting the toppings––burrata, sauce, and basil––really shine.
But that CRUST. C’mon.
I also experienced my first (and…second) Campari spritz of the trip here, and I can confidently say I am now head-over-heels in love with Campari.
Such a great find!
Fonderie Milanesi
Via Giovenale, 7, 20136 Milano MI, Italy
I actually didn’t have a “proper” dinner at all in Milano. And that’s because we opted for aperitivo every night.
Aperitivo is typically a pre-meal drink and snack situation that many of the city’s bars and restaurants offer, and the food is typically served buffet-style. So for one price, you get a drink and as much food as you’d like.
It’s a pretty great deal, and I found it was more than enough to fill my stomach after a long day, especially given the heavier lunches we were eating.
Paul and I met up at Fonderie Milanesi our first night in the city, and it was busy. I ended up showing up a few minutes before they opened, and there was already a line.
That said, if you can get a table, I’d recommend it because it’s a beautiful spot (especially if you can snag a table outside!), it has good drinks, and there were loads of vegetarian options at the buffet.
Gelateria Kmzero
Piazzale di Porta Lodovica, Via Pietro Teulié, 6, 20136 Milano MI, Italy
After our aperitivo that first night, we stumbled upon this gelateria.
It had exceptional gelato––I ended up getting pistachio and gianduia (chocolate and hazelnut)––and it was so rich in flavor and texture.
One of my favorite gelato stops of the trip!
Bar Coffees Milano
Via Pantano, 20122 Milano MI, Italy
This cafe was right around the corner from my hotel, and for 3 euro, I could get a croissant (even a vegan one!) and a soy cappuccino for breakfast.
On this particular day, I got a pistachio croissant alongside my soy cap:
Everyone there was incredibly kind, especially given my very questionable attempts at speaking Italian, and everything I had there was fantastic. I went there on my first day in the city and again right before I checked out of my hotel. It was a great little find!
Ai Balestrari sul Naviglio Pavese
Via Cardinale, Via Ascanio Sforza, 13, 20136 Milano MI, Italy
Paul found this Roman restaurant the day before, and he loved it so much he wanted to go back. So I joined him!
I got a simple penne all’arrabbiata, and Paul and I split some focaccia and burrata as an appetizer.
It was kind of a magical moment, sitting near the canal on a bright and sunny day with my new friend, drinking wine and eating great food in the middle of the afternoon in Italy.
Definitely one of those, “how is this real life?” kind of moments for me.
Yguana Cafe
Via Papa Gregorio XIV, 16, 20123 Milano MI, Italy
Paul and I met up with another one of our coworkers, Marjorie, here for aperitivo on Monday, and we had the best time.
Not only was the food great––lots of olives and vegetables and salads––but we just had a wonderful time sitting outside during a beautiful night and catching up in a really great area in the city.
DeAmicis Uno
Via Edmondo de Amicis, 1, 20123 Milano MI, Italy
Another great place for aperitivo! Paul and I shared this giant snacky spread, and the drinks were huge and delicious.
As I understand it, we couldn’t customize any of the foods on the board, but all of it was vegetarian. It was a great place if you need a little something at the end of a night but definitely aren’t hungry enough for a full-blown meal.
La Hora Feliz
Via S. Vito, 5, 20123 Milano MI, Italy
This was our last aperitivo in Milano, and it probably had the most substantial spread of them all. I loved the farro salad and pickled vegetables especially, but everything I had there was good.
That said, I especially loved the tiramisu; it was sturdy and rich, yet creamy and decadent. It was one of my favorite bites of the trip, and Paul and I definitely went back for seconds as we waited out the rain.
Colonne di San Lorenzo
Corso di Porta Ticinese, 20123 Milano MI, Italy
While this location definitely isn’t a restaurant, bar, or cafe, I needed to include it.
One of my top memories from the trip was sitting by the columns with a glass of Birra Moretti La Rossa that we got from a nearby bar, chatting with Paul as the sun went down.
It was one of those moments where it hit me just how lucky I was to be where I was and how good of a time I was having. While we got rained out (this was the night of the infamous hotel room flooding incident!), we still had a great night, and I’d definitely recommend doing the same if you want a very chill way to spend the evening!
My short trip to Milano was a dream, and I’m itching at the chance to go back at some point in the future.
What initially started as a solo trip ended up being a food-and-friend-filled extravaganza, and I’m so thankful for the way it turned out. I loved exploring this magically city with some new-to-me friends, and I really couldn’t imagine how we could have done things any better.
It really was just the perfect start to this week in Italy!
What a wonderful adventure you adventure you had in Milano, and the FOOD!!! I’m so craving one of those pizza’s now.