Have you booked your dream vacation to Milan, and you've consequently found yourself trawling the web for photos because time is getting in the way? Or are you unconvinced, and looking for arm-twisting reasons to take the plunge and book it? Either way, the following collection of snaps intend to wet all appetites. Take it from me, though - Milan wouldn't dare disappoint its guests.
The Sforzesco Castle
Inside the walls of a huge Medieval-Renaissance fortress.
Castle ruins outside of walls of the Sforzesco Castle standing the test of time.
Modern Milan blending with history
The streets of Milan encircling the castle, a perfect example of Italy's roots rubbing shoulders with modern day living.
The Fontana di Piazza Castello
Emerging from the site of the castle we find this awesome fountain, oozing with sophistication and elegance in a city flooded with visitors.
The Expo Gate Structures
Both bizarre and wonderfully compelling in their aesthetic, these tent-shaped structures are operated by Expo Gate, serving as a hub to meet-and-greet, and to learn and share ideas. The structures were designed to be lightweight with minimal impact on the environment.
The Needle, Thread and Knot
The Ago, Filo e Nodo - or the Needle, Thread and Knot, together must be one of the best examples of creative public displays of art in existence. Located in the Piazzale Luigi Cadorna, the first example is modeled around a needle within a thread, with its buddy designed to be a knot, as their collective name suggests.
Parco Sempione
An escape to nature in Parco Sempione - one of Milan's many harmonious parks.
Typical Milano sights on the high street
Everyday shops, cafes and restaurants have been constructed within Milan's beautiful buildings steeped in history.
Duomo di Milano
The truly magnificent spectacle that is the Duomo di Milano, or simply the Milan Cathedral. It stands as one of the largest cathedrals in the world, and took centuries to complete.
The Face of the Duomo di Milano
If the sides of the Milan cathedral weren't impressive enough, seeing the face of it should raise some eyebrows, as it dwarfs flocks of tourists.
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
The Piazza del Duomo is the place to be for lovers of graceful and yet enormous, quint-essentially Italian structures. Neighbouring the cathedral is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II - a converted shopping centre oozing architectural brilliance inside and out.
Palazzo della Banca Commerciale Italiana
If checking off as much vintage Italian architecture is your objective on a Milan trip, then the Palazzo della Banca Commerciale Italiana and its wonderful buildings should certainly make the list.
Unmistakable urban Milano life
You may just see an ordinary street, but I see an excellent example of Milano energy and everyday hustle-and-bustle, enveloped by awesome Italian architecture as far as the eye can see, all while soaking in a typical Italiano summer. Shops, cafes, scooters, beaming sunshine and waves of tourists and residents alike. This is what urban Italy is all about.
The San Siro Stadium
I may not be the biggest soccer fan, but the Italians take it very seriously, and the simply gigantic San Siro Stadium is a testament to that. Even travelers not persuaded by the sport can appreciate the magnitude of this awesome structure. Standing at over 400 feet and with a capacity of 86,000, I felt so incredibly insignificant, small and oddly powerless standing in awe beneath it.
