Milan, the fashion capital par excellence and financial hub of the country, is also a city rich in history and culture that attracts tourists from all over the world.
Among the things to do there are the artistic beauties of the city: Milan boasts a large number of Museums and Monumental Churches. But what are the things to do on a rainy day? Here is a guide to what to do in Milan when it rains.
What to do in Milan when it rains: activities and things to see indoors
1. Visit the Duomo
2. Visit a museum of your choice
3. The Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery
4. Dine in the ATMosfera tram restaurant
5. Visit the" Dialogue in the dark
6. Visit to the Castello Sforzesco
7. A tour of the Central Market
8. Reading in a literary café
9. Indoor climbing
10. Visiting San Siro
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1. Visit the Duomo
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If you go to Milan, you cannot fail to visit the Gothic cathedral, the undisputed symbol of the city and the fourth largest church in the world. Already the façade is a masterpiece with its 136 tall spires and the Madonnina, set high up and surrounded by 2000 white marble statues.
A visit to the interior is no less spectacular with its great colonnade (52 columns representing the weeks of the year) the presbytery and side altars, the crypt and the baptistery. It contains immense art treasures that tell its story. There are guided tours on two routes: 'The Mysteries of the Duomo' and 'From the Springs to the Peaks of the Duomo' to discover all its most secret corners.
2. Visit a museum of your choice
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Milan is full of museums and on a rainy day, visiting one can be a good way to spend an afternoon. There are museums for all tastes, art, science and more.
You can choose between the Museo del 900, which preserves the most important testimonies of 20th century art and from the windows on the top floor of the building allows a spectacular view of the Duomo. Or the Museum of Natural History, which houses collections of insects, invertebrates, dinosaur skeletons and many more.
The Pinacoteca di Brera is one of the most famous and houses paintings by numerous artists, mainly from the Renaissance period. The Prada Foundation and the Museum of Italian Design, on the other hand, are perfect for admirers of contemporary artists. But there are also the Archaeological Museum, the Rondanini Pietà Museum, the Museum of Culture and the Museum of Science and Technology, a true tribute to the genius of Leonardo da Vinci.
(Photo: © KrimKate/Shutterstock)
3. The Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery
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Known as the 'Salotto cittadino' (city living room), the gallery is the city's shopping kingdom, an atmospheric place in the heart of Milan where you can spend a whole day browsing through haute couture boutiques and designer shops with their luxurious shop windows. Also not to be disdained is a pleasant stroll admiring its architecture, paintings and sculptures. If you are tired, you can stop at one of the many famous cafés and restaurants in Milan that surround it.
4. Dine in the ATMosfera tram restaurant
A dinner, strictly to be booked, inside one of the two trams just a few steps away from the Castello Sforzesco, if it is raining, can become a really suggestive and pleasant moment. The small restaurants please everyone's taste with their three menus: one meat, one fish and one vegetarian.
5. Visit the 'Dialogue in the dark
A unique experience organised by the Dialogue in the Dark staff inside the Institute for the Blind on Via Vivaio.
The visit consists of taking a walk in the dark and having an aperitif or dinner in the darkness to free and enhance the senses other than sight. It is also possible to attend a theatre performance in the dark.
6. Visit to the Castello Sforzesco
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Commissioned by the Visconti family to defend the city, this imposing building over the centuries was the scene of the Renaissance splendours of the Sforza family and after the Second World War was used as a barracks.
Today it houses the Civic Museums in its halls, housing masterpieces of art, ceramics and musical instruments. There is also a section dedicated to prehistory, Egyptian culture and a rich picture gallery. Of particular interest are the Secret Paths, which can be visited with guided tours.
7. A tour of the Central Market
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Opened in September 2021, it is an eclectic place of gastronomy, culture and art. Voices, sounds and smells make it a space to be experienced even for a whole day.
Here you will find fine craft shops, the flower arrangements of Potafiori, the warm and crunchy bread of Longoni, the sfogliatella of Sabato Sessa, cocktail bars and pastry shops, restaurants and rotisseries. You can sit and listen to good music and read or take away to eat at home.
8. Reading in a literary café
Spending a rainy afternoon in a literary café is possible in Milan. Scattered around the city there are many in which readers often find cultural events to attend. To name a few, the Colibrì, which has an extensive bookshop set in a relaxing and warm atmosphere, amidst the scent of sweets and steaming coffee. The Librosteria, where you can find books that cannot be found elsewhere, second-hand. Here you can read a good book while enjoying organic food and cocktails. The historic Mondo Offeso bookshop in the heart of Brera, on the other hand, organises many events to attend or the Libragioni where reading is instead accompanied by tasty glasses of wine.
9. Indoor climbing
It is not a very common sport, but climbing (indoor on rainy days) can be suitable for experienced climbers, but also for less skilled ones.
In fact, there are many different possible routes. Scattered around the city are many indoor climbing centres where you can rent harnesses to use and, if you wish, also be supported by instructors.
10. Visit San Siro
Even empty, the San Siro Stadium knows how to arouse surprises and emotions. With the organised Stadium Tour, a guide accompanies visitors to the San Siro Museum in which the shirts of the most important champions who have played for Milan teams are stored. They visit the changing rooms of Inter and AC Milan, then pass through the mixed zone and walk through the tunnel leading to the entrance to the pitch at the end of which the stadium appears in all its grandeur. This tour gives fans, above all, the thrill of discovering the behind-the-scenes secrets of the stadium and treading in the footsteps of great champions.
Italy
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