Cheap Car Hire Milan

A City With so Much Appeal

Though Rome is obviously the capital, many Milanese consider their city the actual beating heart of Italy. From fashion design to the media, from culture to sports, Milan is a centre of Italian lifestyle and society and well aware of its appeal. Cruise around in your rented car and explore all that Milan has to offer.

Grand avenues, opulent squares, and pristine facades reflect the sophisticated yet playful attitude of the locals and guarantee a full memory card in your camera.

Enchating Religious Sites

The first stop on a tour of Milan is usually the cathedral, called Duomo, the second in size only to the one in Rome. 40,000 worshippers can gather in the five aisles of the 600 year-old building, and art historians and ordinary tourists are equally enchanted by the gothic masonry, the artful windows, and the mosaic floors. For a different perspective go up the Terrazzi viewing platform which can be accessed via a set of stairs or a lift.

Another major church in town is Santa Maria della Grazie, a 15th century convent which guards one of the world’s greatest cultural treasures: Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper. UNESCO has awarded the church the title World Heritage Site, and rightly so.

Should the Last Supper have tickled your art taste buds, go to the Pincoteca di Brera, housing one of Italy’s most outstanding art collections. Another great museum is Museo Bagetti Valsecchi, exhibiting mostly Renaissance art.

Exploring the main architectural sights of Milan does not involve the stressful hustle it does in other big cities, as they are all within walking distance in a 1.8 mile (3 km) radius around the Duomo. One of the sights to be explored is the Castello Sforzesco, a large city castle built in 1450 which has had various purposes, the current one being a museum. The Museo D’arte Antica is most famous for an unfinished Michelangelo sculpture, and the archeological museum, also on the castle premises, gives a comprehensive introduction to the city’s early roots. The castle includes an English garden, a quiet recreational space for those who find art tiring.

Another stop on your tour of the Old Town should be San Lorenzo Maggiore Basilica, founded in the 4th century. A short stroll from here you will find San Ambrogio, a Romanesque church straight from the art history textbooks.

Shopping is Just as Important... Right?

Though Milan is heavy on culture there is of course another authentic Milanese activity to partake in: shopping. Famous for impeccable style the Milanese have a favourite shopping mall, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. As if the posh boutiques and expensive labels didn’t offer enough to look at the building is also heavily decorated with frescoes, stucco, mosaics, and marble. In the Galleria you can find that perfect Versace dress to wear to the Otello performance at the Scala Opera House.

Should Verdi not be your cup of tea you can opt for some more grounded entertainment: the San Siro stadium hosts football games of both AC and Inter Milan.

Drive Through the Countryside

Travelling to Milan is generally easy and flights – including budget – are readily available. Though a snowy winter obviously has its own special charm the best times to travel are spring and fall, summer in the city being quite hot, though the escape to the Lombardy countryside is quick and easy with a rental car.