• Location & population

The second largest Italian city Milan is located in northwest Italy in the Lombardy region,about 30 miles south of the Alps. It is very near the Lake district, including Lake Como and Maggiore. The city itself has a population of 1,35 million, with an extensive and continuous surrounding conurbations to 4 million. Milan is very close to several other cities and attractions such as Venice and Florence, great skiing and the seashore villages of Liguria and Cinque Terre. Each are just a few short hours (or less) away, which makes Milan a great place to live or tour.

•  Fashion & shopping

Armani, Versace, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and many others took off on Milan’s runways. All these biggest players in fashion world have set up their headquarters and shops in Milan, making the city the fashion capital of the world. Milan is also the world capital of furniture and homewares and a hub for risk-taking contemporary art.

Fashion lovers find easily top quality clothing, footwear, and accessories e.g. in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, via Monte Napoleone (near the Duomo), via Dante (between the Duomo and Castle) or in the area around via della Spiga called the Quadrilatero d'Oro. Many chain stores are in Corso Buenos Aires. Markets are held around the canals.

•  Football (calcio)

Fashion and finance aside, Milan’s other religion is, of course, calcio (football). The city is home to both AC Milan and Inter, two of Italy´s  top teams, and passionate crowds pack San Siro stadium on Sunday in season.

•  Nightlife & festivals

Milan is a great city for nightlife with many popular nightclubs, cinemas, and cultural events, including opera, ballet, concerts, and theater. The main theater and concert season starts in October but there are performances in summer, too.

One of the most famous events - Festival of Sant´Ambrogio take place in Milan every year on December 7th. The city celebrates its saint - Saint Ambrose (Sant’Ambrogio). This day, the day of Saint Ambrose, there is the fair called “O bei! O bei!” The festival overlaps the opening of the opera season at the Teatro alla Scala.

The Carnival Ambrosiano is another event with a typical costume. There are also festivals like the Corteo dei Re Magi on January 6th, Tredesin de mars on March 13th or the Fair of Flowers.

Attractions which you shouldn´t miss in Milan

• Milan Cathedral (Duomo) - the breathtaking, one of the world´s largest Gothic cathedrals
• The Last Supper (L´Ultima Cena) - the famous painting of Leonardo da Vinci  you can see in the Convent of Santa Maria della Grazie.
• Castello Sforzesco -  12 mini-museums and art collections in the Milan´s castle
• La Scala Theatre - one of the most famous opera houses in the world
• Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II - historic shopping mall including luxury Prada, Gucci and Louis Vuitton boutiques and many others

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