Brera District
Brera is Milan's most charming neighborhood, a compact area of cobblestone streets, art galleries, independent boutiques, and the Pinacoteca di Brera (one of Italy's finest art galleries, paid). Free to walk.
Concert hall in Milan
La Scala Opera House
La Scala (Teatro alla Scala) is the most famous opera house in the world. The exterior on Piazza della Scala is free to see. The museum (paid, modest) displays costumes, set designs, and portraits of the greatest opera singers. Performance tickets range from expensive (orchestra) to affordable (gallery seats from around 15-30 euros if booked early). Budget travelers visit the museum, photograph the exterior, and check for affordable gallery tickets. Attending an opera at La Scala for the price of a restaurant meal is one of the great cultural bargains in Europe.
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More in Milan
Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
Castello Sforzesco
Castello Sforzesco is a 15th-century fortress in the center of Milan, built by the Sforza dynasty and housing several museums including Michelangelo's last unfinished sculpture (Rondanini Pieta). The castle courtyard and grounds are free.
Cimitero Monumentale
The Cimitero Monumentale is Milan's monumental cemetery, an open-air museum of sculpture, architecture, and design. Free.
Cimitero Monumentale Entrance Hall
The Famedio (Hall of Fame) is the entrance building of the Cimitero Monumentale, a marble and mosaic memorial hall containing the tombs of Milan's most illustrious citizens including Alessandro Manzoni (author of The Betrothed, the most important novel in Italian literature). Free.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a 19th-century glass-roofed shopping arcade connecting the Duomo to La Scala, the most elegant covered passage in Italy. Free to walk through.
The Last Supper
Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper is painted on the wall of the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Entry is paid and must be booked months in advance (timed entry for groups of 25, 15 minutes per visit).
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