Explore Metropolitan city "Milan, Italy" through My Eyes

in Pinmapple3 months ago

The metropolitan city of Italy "Milan" had changed my whole perspective while being there during my Summer Euro Trip 2023. It was one of the busiest cities I have ever explored yet I fell in love with this city. So, I decided to share my experience with you about Milan city before writing about the precise locations of Milan that I had explored. I came to know about Milan when I was a student of Architecture. The Gothic Cathedral Duomo di Milano was one of the architectural structures I had to study as a student. The benefit of being an architect is I see and observe those small details that generally people ignore. People like to know about culture and history but I mostly notice the infrastructure and architectural part of the city.

Milan is a well-known city in the world for its high fashion industry and designs. When it comes to talking about Prada, Dolce Gabbana, or Versace; everybody knows about Milano, Italy. I own Prada Sunglasses and I bought them with my hard-earning euros so when I was in Milan, somehow I felt a connection with the city. It's like the only brand you own comes from Milan and it's a surreal feeling.

We went to Milan from Switzerland and we stayed there for 2 nights although we got only half a day to explore Milan City. The hotel we stayed in was far from central Milan but that was one of the reasons we couldn't see the city during nighttime. It was a hot summer day and after our breakfast, our car drove us to the nearest location of Duomo di Milano cathedral. From our dropoff location, the cathedral was a 5-minute walk. From far away, the beautiful cathedral was inviting us.

I will write a separate post describing the astounding Cathedral.


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Milan is one of the busiest and most crowded cities I have ever explored and I kinda liked it. I am the kind of person who actually avoid crowds and feel overwhelmed now especially due to my sickness but I kinda fell in love with Milan and the sea of people didn't bother me at all. I was so excited and felt grateful to be there as that city was always on my bucket list after Rome. The tourist crowd starts from the Cathedral and spreads within the city. If you want to avoid crowds, you have to go to the early morning to see the Lonely Cathedral. Both scenarios are completely different. I was later informed that if I wanted to take photos, I should come to the cathedral point in the early morning. But it never happened, unfortunately. Anyway, in the photos you actually cannot see the crowd because I took very unusual photos for this post by avoiding crowds.

The city tour bus was offered to us but I decided to explore the city on foot. I knew I would miss exploring a lot of places but the experience I gathered from walking wasn't possible on a tour bus. I wanted to have a real experience of Milan city and I was happy that I took the decision. Obviously, a hot sunny day was the barrier, the temperature was 35 degrees Celsius but I am from a hot country so I was able to bear with that.


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What kind of architectural style I should expect in Milan, obviously Roman Architecture. Most of the structures in Milan are examples of astounding Neoclassical Architecture; the architectural style that came from the classical elements of Greek and Rome architecture and flourished in Rome first. I have seen Neoclassical architecture before but the source of this architecture is Italy and one of the city Milan. This city is a rich source of history, culture architecture, and of course delicious food.

After visiting the cathedral, I randomly followed the streets and ended up seeing a lot of this metropolitan city. One of the major issues was pickpocketing, I had to be very careful of my wallet. Other than that, I really enjoyed my 8 hours being in Milan. I also bought some souvenirs, sunglasses (of course Prada) and make-up from Sephora. Well, seeing high-end fashion brands and stores made me realize I am so poor. Tons of people were in branded stores. I also noticed that tourists come to Milan not only to see the city but also for shopping. I mean if you have money, why not...


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While walking, we discovered historical locations like the Celtic era and Roman times (Roman ruins in Milan) and Medieval Porta Ticinese. At one point, we were so tired that we thought about taking the tram but after having a refreshing drink, we were able to come back near the Cathedral. Milan City is a financial hub and as a metropolitan city, everywhere was crowded. I could've taken the tour bus and could have a comfortable city tour. Also, I could have seen a lot of tourist locations in Milan but I had wanted to have a real experience in Milan, a pleasant experience. So, I don't regret that I haven't been to many tourist locations in Milan because the experience that I gathered was precious. We had amazing food in Milan, we found the restaurant area near the cathedral and tasted amazing Italian Delicacies.


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The building I saw in Milan was different than other neoclassical architecture in other cities. Architectural structures are really well-preserved and even some local buildings are also nicely preserved. The streets in Milan were not narrow but I was expecting narrow alleys. Or maybe I followed bigger streets so that I didn't get lost. If you are not into fashion, you still can enjoy and experience the designs of the modern fashion industry. You can enjoy your lunch somewhere outdoors near the tram line. I saw such an atmosphere in Poland, Warsaw, and then in Italy.

What I love about Milan Italy is the culture. Locals are friendly even though it's a tourist city. If you ask a waiter to explain the cuisine, they will explain to you no matter how busy the restaurant is. The food service is fast and tons of dishes are available to taste. If you don't like fashion, you can always go to local stores. I bought a water bottle and the price was cheaper than in the Netherlands. Food prices were expensive compared to other cities in Italy and the reason was understandable. After all, it's a busy city.



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Some members of our group took a city tour by bus and after discussion, I realized my way of seeing Milan is completely different than theirs. That's why no matter how busy and packed this city is, I may visit Milan again.



Love

Priyan...



I am @priyanarc.... An architect, a dreamer, and a passionate writer who loves to write about life. I try to present my own perspective and experiences. Please leave your feedback and criticism because it's the only way I can know and reach your mind and thoughts easily...



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Wonderful city, wonderful writeup and wonderful photos as always :-)

After watching Miami Vice through the early 80s and admiring how cool they looked in their Armani and Versace, I made it a goal to save up and buy an Armani suit, no matter the cost. It took me years so when I hit 30 in 1996, I flew out there and bought a beautiful, classic grey suit with a purple pinstripe. The problem was, it was off-the-shelf but they still needed to finish it off to suit the customer so I had to fly out there again, 2 weeks later to pick it up lol
All in all it cost me close to £1500!

Happy memories and thanks for the reminder.

I hope everything is going well and you're stating as strong as you can.

Best wishes Priyan :-)

PS I still didn't look cool lol

Armani and Versace

That was the trend at that time and I guess still many people love Armani and Versace because of the designs and tailoring. The fine fabric and hemming are what make Armani unique and popular among men. One of my friends is obsessed with Armani suits. Well, 1500 euros at that time is not cheap at all but I guess right now, that suit might cost around 3000-4000 euros.

Let me share a story with you, I went to the Prada Milano store located at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. It's their biggest showroom around the world and inside interior is just gorgeous. Taking photos was not allowed. Anyway, while checking their unique pieces, my eyes suddenly stuck on the finest leather keychain. It was a parrot made with different leather. It was really pretty. When I asked the price (it was not written) the store girl told me 600 euros. I looked at her face thinking she must be joking so again I told her to recheck the price. Her emotionless face answered the same and I asked her what is the speciality of this parrot which made it cost 600 euros. She said leather and design. 😂 My answer was thank you, I better buy sunglasses which cost around 200 euros instead of a leather parrot keychain...

Thank you, Nathen for sharing such a precious memory... @nathen007

A leather parrot keychain for 600euros ? lol....but 200 for a good pair of sunglasses is quite reasonable in relation and it's actually very inexpensive if they make you feel good :-)

Have a wonderful week Priyan and get to work on the next post!

Yes 2-3 pairs of Prada sunglasses = 1 leather parrot keychain...🤣 Prada glasses are actually not so expensive compared to Dior or Chanel...

I have recently experienced what it means to be in Rome, about a month ago I had a dilemma where to spend a mini-holiday in Italy, I was torn between Bari, Tuscany, Rome or Milan.

In the end I chose Rome.

After going through your post I realized that Milan is also an amazing city worth visiting, and yes very beautiful photos you captured here.
Thank you for reinforcing my idea to visit Milan.

I have a plan to visit Rome and Vatican City because it's my long-time wish. I couldn't visit Rome because my last Italy trip was to visit cities like Venice, Milan, Genoa, and Lake Como; so we didn't have time for Rome. You made the right decision to visit Rome and I saw your post about the fountain. Milan is not historical like Rome but if you like to explore the metropolitan city with Fashion, Milan would be nice to explore...

Rome is an encyclopaedia of historical monuments, you can see them everywhere and moreover you can learn many details about everything you see.
Unfortunately I only got to visit part of the Vatican, I didn't visit the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, I arrived at the Vatican around 10 am and the queue to visit the Vatican Museums was over 1 kilometer long and honestly I didn't have the patience to stand in line for more than 2 hours (it was too long).
I hope that in the future I will have the opportunity to visit other Italian cities, so far I have visited Venice, Mestre, Treviso and Rome.
I wish you that your plan to visit Rome comes true as soon as possible.

the queue to visit the Vatican Museums was over 1 kilometer long and honestly I didn't have the patience to stand in line for more than 2 hours (it was too long).

This happened to me when I tried to see inside Duomo di Milano. I thought it was better to see something else rather than wait for a long queue. You have visited some amazing cities, I saw Venice, Pisa, Milan, Lake Como, and Genoa. My next target is rome side and florance... I personally enjoyed my time at Genoa though...

I have to admit that I am not very comfortable wasting my time in line.
But when I want to see a place I've been dreaming about for a long time, I sometimes make an exception.
I wish that your wish to visit Rome and Florence will come true.

Italy is a truly wonderful country to vacation in.

I've visited several times, but Milan has always slipped my radar.

While Rome holds a special place in my heart so far, I'm excited to explore Milan and see if it might challenge my current favorite.

Your inspiring travel blog has definitely fueled my wanderlust!

And those photos are stunning - you could tell they were taken by someone with a keen eye for architecture.

Greetings and have a lovely weekend. 💚
!LADY

Rome is a special city and nothing can be compared with Rome; I know that. I haven't visited Rome yet and I learned about Rome and it's on my list. Milan is interesting in its own way and I like Milan because of its infrastructure and fashion industry. This city is quite unique in its own way even though it's a crowded city. For a day or two, it's a nice city to see...

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Beautiful post, city, images!
!LUV !HUG

Dear @priyanarc, you just got hugged.
I sent 1.0 HUG on behalf of @katerinaramm.
(1/3)

Thanks, Kate, I hope you are having a nice week...

Milan truly sounds like a mesmerizing blend of history, architecture, and fashion! Your experience beautifully highlights the unique lens through which an architect views the world, appreciating the intricate details that make a city like Milan stand out. It's fascinating how you connected with the city through both its architectural marvels and the fashion icons it houses. The way you chose to explore Milan, favoring the authenticity of on-foot adventures over the convenience of tour buses, really speaks to the depth of your exploration and the genuine connection you felt with the city. Your approach to experiencing Milan, from the bustling streets to the serene moments near the Duomo, reflects a true traveler's spirit. Can't wait to read more about the specific locations you discovered and the stories they hold. Your journey is a reminder that the essence of a city lies not just in its landmarks, but in the stories and details that breathe life into its streets.

Thank you so much for such wonderful feedback. I actually followed my heart and wanted to have a true experience of Milan City. Most of the people go to general tourist spots that are recommended, I just wanted to break it because I was seeing a lot of cities during that trip. I prefer to explore the true culture and architecture of the city rather than just seeing one famous tourist spot. I am glad you liked this post and took the time to read it. Appreciate it...

Have a nice weekend...

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Thank you so much @pinmapple and LUT...

Interesting photo graphs

Thank you so much...

You did a great job capturing the city, I got so engrossed as I read on, seeing the various pictures. Thanks for sharing these delights with us.

Thank you so much, I am happy to give you a virtual tour of Milan. As I said, it was the best decision to explore this city by walking...

Thank you, I'll be expecting it.

Hello @priyanarc
I appreciated you share this experience with us
It is great when we have opportunity at least once in life to visit Milan

Yes, now I suggest almost everybody visit Switzerland and Italy once in a lifetime. The experience is unique and memorable. As I said, it's not necessary to shop high brand fashion designs because you can gather a lot of knowledge just by exploring the city...

Yes, shopping is not goal when travel. Better to explore around especially the culture and the architecture around classical building there

Exactly...

Milan is a very beautiful city, looking at every picture you provide, I really want to go there

It's a historical big city with so much information and there is really some good spots for tourists to explore...

Amazing photos! The details of these architectures are amazing to see! I agree, people usually ignore these, not a lot of appreciation especially when there's something else to see, so I'm happy you shared these with us. I think I'd also be doing the same thing as you. The city bus will get you anywhere right away, a comfortable ride but you don't usually see these things, so different from walking around and just be lost in the city - although I think you're not lost. 😊

not a lot of appreciation especially when there's something else to see

Yes, that's the point. Most tourists generally go to tourist spots and that's why sightseeing buses are available always. Our group members also saw more locations than me but the main fact was, they saw a glimpse of each and every location, but they didn't explore it. 1 hour or 45-minute tour actually doesn't give time to explore. Next time, if you have time, try this process; you definitely won't regret your decision...

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for reading my post...

I've been super close to exploring Milan during my trip to Venice two years ago as we could take a quick train ride towards it, but failed terribly in scheduling right our stay and had no time left for Milan as well. Your post is a good reminder that I should book a whole trip dedicated to Milan one day, lol.

Ah, that's actually unfortunate but totally understandable, it's not easy to manage time and schedule for a city suddenly and I know that for sure. Italy has so much to offer so people often avoid exploring Milan unless they want to buy something from Milan 🤣. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (shopping mall) was overcrowded and I couldn't even walk properly 🤣. Some were there to save themselves from the sun and some were on their shopping spree...🤣 I will share that experience soon...

Yes, you should keep the Milan trip on the bucket list...

Greetings, as always it is a pleasure to read your publications, they are good images.
Seeing from another perspective that is not the most common, the one we are shown of the city, enriches the description.

May you have a peaceful week,

I thought to share my unique experience when I was in Milan before sharing the specific history and tourist locations in Milan. What I love about Milan is the atmosphere, culture, fashion, and history even though it's a crowded and busy metropolitan city. I am glad you enjoyed the post and appreciate your constant support, my friend...

Have a nice week...

Good post. Congrats. The Milan city is amazing

Thank you...

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