Sightseeing in Milan and the Choice of Italian Accommodation

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There are several types of hotels to choose from in Milan. From the larger fancy well established luxurious hotels to small boutique and budget hotels. Book well in advance, like any other holiday, if you don’t want to be disappointed as in busy periods most of the hotels are in demand due to the frequent national and international events taking place in the city, especially when the Milan fashion week is going on.

However, Milan is not only about fashion and about shopping; there are plenty of sights you do not want to miss if you are seeking culture and history. The weather in Milan is good throughout the year, so you can visit it at any time. Even if you are not sure in which city of Italy you would like to go to than be assured that the accommodation in Italy has a wide range of choice.

Nevertheless, if your choice has fallen on the beautiful city of Milan, here is a little overview of what to do, what to see and where to shop!

The famous opera house, La Scala, open since 1778, has an interesting museum next door where you can view Verdi’s death mask. The famous architect Mengoni designed Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and is now a shopping avenue where you can browse its stylish cafes, restaurants and boutique shops. Santa Maria delle Grazie is a famous church and convent with Leonardo da Vinci's mural of the Last Supper. A sight you definitely do not want to miss. If you like to visit churches and cathedrals the Milan is the place to be with Duomo being the biggest cathedral in Milan and found in Central Square.

Of course, Shopping is Milan is paradise. Versace, Cartier and Prada, are just some of the names you will find in the upscale area of Quadrilatero d'Oro. If these are beyond your budget try Corso Buenos Aires with its high street prices or, for a unique and individual choice with a selection of second hand and handmade clothes shops, take a trip to Corso di Porta Ticinese.

The Polytechnic and the Accedemia di Brera are colleges of fashion and have educated designers who are now world famous household names. Many creative fashion designers have exhibited their designs in this glamorous city, some of them causing outrage and transforming the face of fashion with their own individual style. Giorgio Armani is one of those designers. Born in Piacenza and is the king of Italian fashion. His career started in Milan working as a buyer, before starting up the label Giorgio Armani in 1975. Miuccia Prada took control of the family company in 1978, which focused on bags and leather accessories. Her bags became fashionable and in high demand. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were born in the province of Palermo and Milan respectively and have to be the most famous couple in the Italian fashion world. They had their unveiling in Milan in 1985. Gianfranco Ferré was born in Milan in 1944 and gained a degree in architecture from the Milan Polytechnic. Versace was born in Reggio Calabria, moving to Milan in the 1970s to work in the fashion world. The Versace label came a few years later and since Gianni’s death in 1997 his brother and sister, Santo and Donatella, have successfully run the company.

Your choice of accommodation in Milan will depend on your budget. If money is no problemo then the fashion streets of Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga and Corso Emmanuele II all have smart, plush and expensive Italian hotels. To be near to the attractions and shopping areas head to Centro Storico, a historical part of the city. Amendola Fiera is a district fashionable with business visitors and tourists as hotels here are less expensive but within easy reach of the city centre. Isola and Brera have the majority of typical Milano hotels, with prosperous Brera the closest to the galleries and sophisticated boutiques. With a canal running through it, Navigli-Ticinese is a lively part of the city with jazz clubs and restaurants lining the canal banks and the site of a weekly Saturday street market.

Make sure you come to Milan with your Italian for beginners and credit cards and you will not go home disappointed!