Milan Italy Mini Guide
Between the Alps and the plains of the River Po is Lombardy which has one of the most varied landscapes in Italy, it has lemon groves, vineyards, rice paddies, industrial areas, medieval towns and lakeside resorts. However the area of Lombardy is best known for its capital, Milan, Italy's fashion and finance power house along with being the second largest after
Rome. Armani, Prada, Gucci and dozens of other top designers reside in Milans `Golden Quad' along with homeware and furniture designers such as Alessi and Kartell.
See the industrial powerhouse of Milan using
car hire Milan Airport, we have stylish vehicles to match this most impressive of cities. There are three main airports in Milan - Orio al Serio, Malpensa and Linate.
Milan is the engine room of the economy of
Italy and the home of its Stock Exchange but it is not driven by tourism. By night there is an avant-garde theatre scene with extended happy hours (aperitivi) whereby platters of food are laid on, so if on a budget buy a glass of wine and fill up on the complimentary snacks which include antipasta, bruschetta, cured meats and salads. The city reaches its highest temperatures in August ahen many of the locals take their annual holidays.
Milan is also of course famous for football (calcio) being the home of both AC Milan and Inter Milan and crowds pack the San Siro Stadium every time a match is played. Guided tours are available of this 1920's built stadium which is shared by both teams and include a behind the scenes tour of the locker rooms and a visit to the Museo Inter e Milan museum, where there is a shrine of memorabilia.
Many visitors go to Milan mainly for the shopping but there are plenty of other sights to see apart from's stall the wonderful boutiques including museums, art galleries and the famous legendry Opera House of Mila La Scala. The opera season at La Scala opens on Milans biggest feast day known as the Festa di Sant'Ambrogio on 7 December. Accommodation in Milan is expensive and accommodation is not easily found so you need to make sure you prepare and book in advance.
Like its fashion, meals in Milan range enormously and an increasing number of the fashion houses themselves now have their own exclusive cafes and restaurants attached to their stores. In the Brera area of Milan you will find pavement cafes/terraces and the smart business restaurants tend to congregate around the Cathedral. Milans specialities include polenta and risotto alla milanese. Milan is also the home of panetttone - the fruity Christmas cake. Bars are generally open until 2 to 3am and the canal district with cobbled streets are all popular drinking areas. If you are looking for
Milan Hotels, give www.hoteltravel.com a try, tell them you came from Rhino and they may give you some discount.