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.
Church in Milan
The Duomo di Milano is the largest Gothic cathedral in Italy and the third largest church in the world, covered in 3,400 statues and 135 spires. Free to enter the nave. The rooftop terraces (paid, by stairs or elevator) offer views over the city to the Alps on clear days. The cathedral took nearly 600 years to complete. Budget travelers enter the nave for free, admire the stained glass and the scale, and decide whether the rooftop justifies the ticket.
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Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
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.
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.
The Cimitero Monumentale is Milan's monumental cemetery, an open-air museum of sculpture, architecture, and design. Free.
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.
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.
La Scala (Teatro alla Scala) is the most famous opera house in the world. The exterior on Piazza della Scala is free to see.
Working out what Milan costs?
The whole of Milan