In June 2020, I decided to travel to Milan in Italy
immediately after the country had reopened its borders.
In this video I want to show you what travel in
Italy is like now and share my top 17 things
to do in Milan during the new normal.
(upbeat bass thumping music)
An incredibly beautiful day today,
and I can't wait to head out
and discover the sights of Milan now.
(bouncy music)
I first stopped by at the tourist office
and asked which sights were already open for visitors again.
The woman at the tourist information said
I was the first foreign tourist that has come
to the tourist information since the crisis started,
and they also told me that the masks
are compulsory even out in the open.
So you have to wear a mask no matter where you go.
This is the ticket office for the Duomo.
So usually it would be like thousands of people standing
in line here, but because of the new normal
it's completely empty.
The Duomo is the first sight on my top 17 list.
It's the symbol of Milan
and one of the most magnificent cathedrals I've ever seen.
It's construction was begun in 1387
and took almost 600 years to complete.
The Duomo is most famous for its spectacular exterior
of white marble but the inside is just as beautiful
with enormous stained glass windows
and precious artwork from the floor
all the way to the ceiling.
(lively music)
After visiting the inside of the cathedral
I took the stairs up to the roof terraces.
Oh, my goodness, I'm literally standing
on the roof of the cathedral right now.
(chuckling)
This is crazy.
This is the best place to admire the elaborate spires
of the cathedral and their forest of flying buttresses.
In the center of the roof rises a spire
with the golden Madonnina which used
to be the highest point in the city.
The roof of the Duomo offers incredible views
of the Piazza del Duomo and the city of Milan.
After my visit to the Duomo
I decided to take a break at the famous Camparino Bar.
This bar is a true Milanese institution
and has been open since 1867.
And it's prestigious main drink is the Campari Seltz
which is this here right here.
Campari is a bitter sweet cocktail that is produced in Milan
and let's try it.
It's delicious, really bitter, but absolutely tasty.
At the Camparino bar
I tried one of the most famous dishes from Milan.
This is the Risotto alla Milanese.
Which is basically rice infused with Parmesan cheese
and saffron.
Oh, wow, this is so much better than I expected.
It's really delicious, kind of, like buttery,
can taste the cheese.
It's amazing.
After lunch I went for a quick stroll around
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
This elegant shopping arcade was built in the 19th century
and celebrates the unification of Italy.
It houses many luxury boutiques like Prada,
Versace or Louis Vuitton and connects the Piazza del Duomo
to the world famous opera house, La Scala.
During normal times,
this is an extremely bustling shopping street,
but as you can see behind me, not during these times.
It is still magnificent though.
What a beautiful building.
(upbeat music)
Guys, if you're in Milan I highly recommend
taking these E-scooters, 'cause if you need to leave,
they're allowed to go 25 KM an hour,
which is a really nice speed already.
The E-scooter apps I found most helpful in Milan were called
Bit and Dott.
I'll link them and all the other things
that I mention in this video in the description below.
(bouncy instrumental music)
So now I'm standing in front of the Castello Sforzesco.
The fortress where the mighty family
that ruled Renaissance Milan, and this is their castle.
It's one of the biggest citadels in Europe.
(bouncy instrumental music)
The Castello Sforzesco was built in the 15th century
by Francesco Sforza, the duke of Milan.
It was later modernized by Napoleon
during the French occupation of Italy.
Today, the castle shelters seven museums
which showcase fragments of Milan's cultural
and civic history.
So one interesting fact about this castle is
that the defenses were actually built
by Leonardo da Vinci himself
and the last statue that Michelangelo ever made is here
in this castle too, but unfortunately
because of the new normal the museum is currently closed.
And I finally got my first ice cream in Italy.
This is tiramisu, pistachio,
and berries,
and it's delicious.
So good.
After visiting the Castello Sforzesco
I continued to the Parco Sempione
which is right next to the castle.
The Parco Sempione was originally a preferred hunting ground
of the Sforza dukes.
During the 19th century it was converted
into a vast public park with winding paths
and ornamental ponds.
Today it's the most popular city park of Milan
and people of all ages come to this green space to relax.
Next, I walked over to the popular bar area
around the Arco della Pace.
(energetic rock music)
As you can clearly see, the restaurants are open here
in Milan, but it's socially distanced eating so to speak
as the tables are really far apart,
but that's really the main difference
to what it was like before I imagine.
All right, so this is something very typically Milanese,
this is the aperitivo which means you pay once
and you can eat as much as you want,
usually there's a big buffet,
but because of the new normal no more buffets.
So you just get the food at the table and, of course,
the Aperol spritz, or spritz Aperol as they say in Italian.
It's delicious.
Probably one of my favorite drinks in the world.
(upbeat music)
All right, so that place is called Cream Lounge,
and it was really nice.
So if you wanna have a nice aperitivo in Milano,
definitely check out that place.
(upbeat music)
It's the most relaxing moment of the day.
(sighing loudly)
So good morning, breakfast just arrived,
and it was brought to my room
because breakfast buffets obviously aren't allowed here.
Italian breakfast is usually really light
with coffee and something sweet.
Like pastries or a yogurt.
My favorite coffee choice is the cappuccino
with delicious frothy milk on top.
(lighthearted lively music)
Let's go discover Milan some more.
All right, so I safely made it more
or less fast to the Museo del Novecento.
This is really important,
if you want to visit museums at the moment in Milano,
you have to register online first.
So I registered yesterday and reserved a spot.
Fairly easy, but you need to know that, register first
and you'll get in much faster.
So they checked my temperature as usual,
I disinfected my hands, and now I'm inside the museum.
The Museo del Novecento is organized in chronological order
and showcases art from the 20th century
with a particular focus on Italian
and especially Milanese homegrown talent.
It's a great place to get a better understanding
of Italy's recent history.
The views of the Duomo on the third floor are breathtaking.
(lively upbeat music)
After the museum I went for a quick lunch break to one
of the typically Italian bars close to the Duomo.
I got a simple pizza al taglio
which means pizza by the slice and a certain Mexican beer.
Here's something that might be important for you to know
if you're traveling to Milan, as far as I know,
they don't sell tickets for the tramways inside the trams.
So you need to buy them at the little stands
where they also sell newspapers,
and that's how I just got mine,
and now I'm gonna take the tramway
to go to the Cimitero Monumentale.
(bouncy music)
I found the tram was a great way to get around Milan.
You can use it extremely well with Google Maps.
(bass thumping music)
Now here in front of the Cimitero Monumentale,
the Monumental Cemetery,
and I mean, just by looking at it from the outside,
it truly seems to be huge.
So this is a cemetery that was built in the 19th century
and is mostly used for the rich and famous of Milan.
The cemetery includes a so-called famedio,
a hall of fame for some of the city's most honored citizens
including Alessandro Manzoni,
one of the most important writers
during the Italian unification.
Close to the main entrance there is a steel
and marble memorial to Milan's WWII concentration camp dead.
Many of the tombs in the cemetery
are impressive works of art.
(gentle music)
So since we are in a cemetery,
I would like to take a brief moment to remember
why I'm doing this trip and to remember all the people
who died because of this crisis.
So, yeah, maybe you want to join me for a quick moment
to remember all the people who have suffered.
(somber music)
Thank you.
(upbeat music)
So we are close to the central station now
and that's where we're gonna meet our new Italian friend.
I was really debating a bit with myself
if I should meet someone here but she said, it's okay, so.
Well, I'm gonna trust the locals,
and, yeah, excited to see her.
Well, that's a pretty impressive central station,
I would say.
Style looks a bit fascist though.
(bouncy music)
All right, so it worked and I'm here now with.
- [Francesca] Francesca!
(speaking in foreign language)
- [Max] Now, we're gonna try to find the Navigli district,
and go for a drink there,
and maybe also some of the other sights on the list.
(upbeat music)
Milan has some very cool street art
and you often stumble upon it when you least expect it.
We saw some really interesting pieces when we walked around
in the neighborhood around Porta Ticinese.
(bass thumping music)
So now we're in front of the Porta Ticines,
which is an old city gate of Milan,
but now let's go to Navigli,
'cause that's really what we came here for.
It's also Francesca's first time here.
- I'm super excited! - And she's so,
so excited like all the time 'cause of all the things,
it's freedom after chaos.
It's great.
(speaking in foreign language)
(laughing)
It's beautiful, beautiful.
The Navigli area especially around
the Naviglio Grande canal is my favorite area
for going out in Milan.
It has dozens of bars and is perfect for an aperitivo
or simply drinks.
The setting along the canal is extremely picturesque.
(bass thumping music)
All right.
So we are now-- - Hi!
- Here having aperitivo again, and we got some bruschetta
which is Italian bread with different toppings.
What kind of bruschetta did you get?
(speaking in foreign language)
- And I got like aubergine with prosciutto crudo
which is Italian ham, and it's so delicious.
(bass thumping music)
And I'm back.
Wow, that was a pretty productive day,
like all the sights that we saw today.
It was pretty amazing and, of course,
the aperitivo was really nice.
It almost felt like being back in the normal life,
but then we would get up from the table
and everything's different again,
and you realize that everyone's wearing masks,
but, yeah, it was a great night in Milan,
and then tomorrow we'll continue on to Venice.
So I'll talk to you again in the morning.
(bass thumping music)
So I just checked out and now we're going to Gattullo
which is a truly legendary bakery
or pasticceria as they say in Italian.
Let's see if it's really as great as everyone says.
(lively music)
The Gattullo Bakery and Cafe was opened in 1961
and is still run by the same family.
It's famous for its delicious and varied pastries
and the perfect spot for breakfast in Milan.
And this my friends is what
I call a perfect Italian breakfast.
All these delicious treats and a cappuccino
with frothy milk and coffee.
Oh, it looks so beautiful.
This is incredible.
My taste buds are having a party right now.
Oh, wow, this chocolate-filled pastry,
it's incredibly good.
(upbeat bass music)
I'm now standing in front of the Basilica di San Lorenzo,
and as you can easily see
by the row of columns in front of it,
this is a really old church.
It dates back to the fourth century.
The Basilica di San Lorenzo is an early Christian church
and dates back to the days of the Roman Empire.
At its center is a circular structure
with three adjoining octagonal chapels.
I was very impressed by the quiet energy of this place.
So those are my recommendations for Milan,
what are yours?
If you're from there, if you've been there before,
please make sure to leave your tips
and advice in the comment box below this video.
If you like this video, please give it a thumbs up,
and subscribe to Max Nomad
for new channel videos published every day.
I'm Max Nomad and I will talk to you again soon.