Milan is renowned as the fashion capital of the world. As the headquarters of such fashion greats as Armani, Dolce and Gabbana, Prada and Valentino it is not hard to see why. Shopaholics should head for the amazing Via Montenapoleone, the centre of this most fashionable retail city where designer names such as Gucci, Chanel, Fendi and Dior are just some of the exclusive stores and luxury boutiques here. The world’s oldest shopping mall is reputedly the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in the nearby Piazza Duomo with its covered arching glass roof.
Milan is Italy's main industrial, financial, fashion, design and business capital, and not surprisingly it has the 4th greatest GDP in Europe. This trail-blazing city is preparing to host the Universal Expo in 2015.
The city seems preoccupied with fashion, interior design, architecture and of course food. Up-market boutiques are interspersed with elegant tea rooms and gourmet food shops. Even window shopping is a delight with opulent displays of their wares. For a reprieve, visit the lovely Four Seasons Hotel in the very heart of Montenapoleone. This former convent with its lovely cloistered gardens is still an oasis of calm tranquility in this bustling city and is a great place to enjoy coffee or lunch.
Once you have exhausted your retail needs, Milan has plenty of other places of interest to fill the remaining hours of daylight. The Milan Cathedral is the 4th largest Cathedral in the world and is noted for the golden Madonna statue on top of the spire. Many artists came to work in Milan during the 14th and 15th centuries and have left a rich legacy of murals, frescoes, statues and artwork in all the public buildings. The Teatro alla Scala is one of the world’s most famous opera houses, showing Milan is also a leading city of culture. More modern architecture to see is the Pirelli Tower, built between 1955-59; the Velasca Tower, built in 1958 and the more recent new Exhibition Centre.
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