Coffee and fashion. Two things Milan has in abundance. I had the chance to explore the culture of the famous north Italian city for myself whilst on holiday with my Girlfriend.
We arrived in Milan by train, immediately stepping into one of the cities most iconic buildings, the central station. With it's large domed roof and intricate stone carvings, it was a great introduction to the famously flamboyant Milan.
We had arrived in the city early and hadn't received our daily dose of caffeine, so went in search of a coffee shop. I had read on Fredrik Risvik's blog that a cafe called "Orsonero" served good coffee, so we set off to find it. Public transport in Milan is great, which made it an easy task to travel around. To our misfortune, we found the coffee shop closed due to the summer holidays (a reoccurring theme in this post).
Disheartened, we carried on to the district of Brera, an area famous for independent boutiques and well designed shops (a place we ended up spending a lot of time). Unfortunately, lots of these shops were closed, with signs reading "closed for the summer vacation, see you on September 1st". However, many of the larger, chain shops remained open.
Over the next few days we continued to peruse the streets of Brera, sampling the local restaurants and admiring the many green spaces the city has to offer.
Unfortunately, Milan is not a cheap city and eating out does cost a lot, but budget options are available (if you don't mind eating out of the main tourist areas).
Milan is a hub of contemporary design, housed in a classical city. It's mix of cobbled allies and contemporary culture are a photographers dream. The wide range of great architecture and friendly people have made Milan one of my favourite cities.
Recommended
-Coffee shops :
Moleskin cafe - great coffee, chilled vibe, good looking food
-Shops:
Acne studios - well designed clothes, well designed space
Aesop - great products, amazing customer service
-Bars/alcohol :
10 Corso Como
-green space:
Sempione Park
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