Places/Italy

Lombardy

Milan

A working northern capital of fashion, finance and a cathedral that took centuries, not a softer Florence.

Milan is not the Italy of the postcard hill town, and it is tired of being apologised for. The centre is walkable, the food is serious, and the cathedral square is the orientation, not the whole city.

Use it as a base for two or three nights, or as the correct way to change trains. Do not use it as a blur between Venice and Paris.

See

• The Duomo, early

  The façade from the square, then the roof if the queue is honest. The interior is darker and better than the postcards suggest.

• The Galleria, once

  Walk through. Do not eat under the dome unless you enjoy paying rent on a mosaic.

• Brera

  The picture gallery if you want one museum, and the streets around it for lunch. This is the civilised Milan.

• The Navigli in the evening

  Canals, aperitivo, and a neighbourhood that is not the fashion week fantasy. Go for one drink and a proper dinner, not a crawl.