Let me preface this by saying that I didn’t spend a lot of time in Milan, so I don’t have a lot of room to critique, but, it was probably my least favorite stop on my trip.
Prior to this trip, Rome was the largest city I’d visited in Italy, and it just had a totally different feel than Milan. Milan felt overcrowded, kind of dirty, cold, and pretentious. Even the people were less than friendly, something I’d never experienced in Italy. (I ordered some food–in Italian–and the woman who was waiting on me acted like she didn’t understand what I was saying and got very rude.)
It’s obvious that there’s a lot of wealth in Milan. I could hardly walk a block without seeing high-end and couture shops, Ferraris, and other indicators of over-indulgence. But there were also a lot of destitute people–the kind that aren’t afraid of getting in your face to beg for things, or to invade your space and touch your person. Having my iPhone stolen in Paris last summer in a similar situation, this put me on edge and I was ready to get away from it as quickly as possible.
The only two things I did really like were the Duomo (it’s a must-see) and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. I thought both were really gorgeous and alone, were worth the visit. Though, let’s be honest, seeing both makes for a pretty quick day in Milan.
Milan seems to work for a lot of people. The friend I went with really loves it, but it just wasn’t for me. I’m sure I’ll go back and check it out again sometime, but I don’t have high hopes, and honestly, I’d rather spend my time in other areas of Italy that I love more.
I have to admit that I’ve never had a great desire to travel to Milan. I’d love to go to the Lakes region, so I guess it would make sense to combine it with stop in Milan. The architecture in your pictures does look awesome, though.
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Yeah, I think in that case, it’d definitely be worth a stop. You could spend a day in Milan and probably feel like you’ve seen enough (I did, anyway!). And you’re right–the architecture is really beautiful.
I skipped Milan to return to Venice because I heard that you either love it or you hate it and I wasn’t wanting to be disappointed during my trip.
I experienced a similar experience in Rome and I was really uncomfortable with the pushy flower sellers, suspicious unofficial taxis and gypsies that are proven shysters. I much preferred the smaller towns of the Veneto.
Murissa
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It’s funny that you had that feeling in Rome and I actually loved Rome! But you’re right–there were a lot of pushy people there as well, but I guess for some reason I just didn’t mind it quite as much!
I haven’t been to Venice yet, but I think that’s a city I’ll certainly adore.
I don’t think you would’ve liked it more if you’d stayed longer — at least we didn’t. I usually recommend that people don’t stay more than a day. Going to see The Last Supper is kind of cool, though.
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Good call–I think one day is fine, which is ridiculous, because I feel like I could spend months exploring the rest of Italy!