Emerging for the first time from Milan’s central railway station, it is not difficult to why it represented a symbol of fascist power for Benito Mussolini and his party. The imposing architecture of the concrete behemoth is in stark contrast to some of the beauty that can be seen on the peninsula, but the industrial city is very different to any other.
That said, there is no reason not to make a trip to Lombardy’s capital, especially seeing as one of its other concrete structures is one of the world’s most highly-sought after places to watch football. The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza – more commonly known as San Siro – has not only hosted European Cup finals in 1965, 1970, 2001 and 2016, but is home to Italian giants Milan and Inter.
Going to watch either side play there is a unique experience and an absolute must, even if the city itself does not provide as much natural beauty as others in Italy. Budget airlines fly to nearby airports Linate, Malpensa and Bergamo, providing freedom of choice in searching for low fares. All three provide easy connections to the aforementioned central railway station, which connects to the subway system.
From here the new metro line M5 will take you to its final destination of San Siro. It may be a bit of a squeeze, but it has led to the stadium becoming easily accessible from anywhere in the city. Also boasting a clever system at full-time, a turnstile counts down from 500, only allowing enough people to fill each tram into the station.
This means football supporters can stay pretty much anywhere within the central area in order to gain access to the stadium. With both clubs now owned by Chinese companies, buying tickets for foreign supporters is also now easier. This can be done both online in advance or from several ticket points for either club located around the city. As with any Serie A game, it is imperative to take your passport on matchday, otherwise you will not be admitted to the stadium with just a ticket.
Hostelworld.com is a good place to seek out reasonably priced accommodation within the city, and the cathedral in the centre is a must-see during your trip. If you do anything at all, you must pay the small fee to go to the rooftop of the cathedral, taking in views of the city and the Madonnina from which the Milan derby takes its name.
Also worth taking in is Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous Last Supper painting, on display in Santa Maria delle Grazie. Booking ahead online is advisable, as in order to keep the painting at the room temperature, a maximum of 25 people can enter every 15 minutes.
Milan-supporting food writer Gino De Blasio of the-mouthful.com also has some top recommendations of where to go to eat and drink in the fashion capital. “You can't go wrong with Brera zone,” he says. “Everyone is beautiful, the bars are great, the price isn't bad and you get served, what more do you want? El Beverin, Fashion Cafe and Bar Brera have what you need from Aperitivo to cocktails and even a coffee.
“Alternatively, Navigili zone is the place to go for drinks, food and the Italian tradition of aperitivo where a drink and all you can eat is €7 or less... its ace!
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“Princi is the example that every quick food place should be. In the centre near the duomo it serves amazing food from pizza to pasta, lasagna to roast chicken. The cakes are amazing and it's so cheap!
“Sunday Brunch is the specialty at Cocotte. In winter time the food is warm, plentiful and someone passes by with a vat of pasta and sauce... amazing! It's semi serve yourself and be served. A must do for those cold Winter Milan games.”
So there you have it. Milan may be different to other Italian cities, but there is beauty to be found everywhere. Especially in its football.
