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The dynamic business and design capital of Italy presents the perfect urban antidote to the languid atmosphere of the lakes. On this day excursion, explore the Duomo, indulge in designer shopping and stroll by night in the arty Brera quarter or lively Navigli.

DISTANCE: Minimum 3km (2 miles) on foot

TIME: A full day

START: Piazza del Duomo

END: Brera quarter

POINTS TO NOTE: From Como, Stresa, Bergamo or Varese, a direct train journey takes about an hour. From the Stazione Centrale, Milan’s main rail station, catch the metro to the Duomo (cathedral). Consider booking a night at the opera (www.teatroallascala.org). A viewing of The Last Supper should also be booked well in advance .

The lure of Milan for most visitors is the chance to indulge in designer shopping in Italy’s fashion citadel. Further temptation comes in the form of culture on an international scale, from the Duomo to opera at La Scala to Leonardo’s The Last Supper. The historic city centre is easily manageable for visitors, and the distances between the cathedral and the designer shopping district are walkable.

The Duomo

Piazza del Duomo is dominated by Europe’s largest Gothic cathedral, the Duomo 1 [map] (www.duomomilano.it; charge). The capacity is around 40,000 people, and the façade is adorned by 3,000 statues, 135 spires and 96 gargoyles. This unfinished masterpiece was begun in 1386, and seamlessly blends Gothic, Baroque, Neoclassical and neo-Gothic styles. French-style flying buttresses and soaring pinnacles contrast with the excessive width preferred by native builders. Do not miss going up to the terrazzi (roof terraces), either by lift or (slightly cheaper) by clambering up 158 steps. For access to both, go to the back of the Duomo. Apart from fine views of the city and, on very clear days, as far as the Matterhorn, you can admire the gilded figure of the sacred Madonnina, the city’s protector, soaring over Gothic spires.

Just off the square, La Rinascente (Via Santa Radegonda 3), the city’s most upmarket department store, makes a possible first port of call for shopping. Its panoramic rooftop restaurant, Le Terrazze, overlooks the spires of the cathedral. If food shopping is on the agenda, then head for Peck (Via Spadari 9), a gastronomic temple west of the cathedral.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Connecting Piazza del Duomo with La Scala opera house is the Galleria Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II 2 [map], a splendidly arcaded shopping gallery and rendezvous known as il salotto di Milano (Milan’s front parlour).

Among the restaurant/bars here, Savini (www.savinimilano.it) has been welcoming stars from La Scala since 1867, a fine place for afternoon tea or an aperitivo if you don’t feel like the full formal dining experience. Among the Galleria’s best bars is the Art Nouveau Zucca in Galleria (www.camparino.com) at no. 78 (the Duomo end). It is a classic spot for an aperitivo – especially a Campari, as Davide Campari, the inventor of the drink, was born here on the first floor. Those with a sweet tooth should not miss Marchesi1824 , a branch of one of the city’s historic pasticcerie.

La Scala

The Galleria leads to Piazza della Scala, home to La Scala 3 [map], Italy’s most celebrated opera house, which reopened at the end of 2004 after a lengthy, and controversial, refurbishment. A visit to the Museo Teatrale alla Scala (www.teatroallascala.org; charge), which traces the history of opera and theatre in the city, allows you to peep into the fabulously opulent interior.

The Last Supper

Somewhat out on a limb geographically, Milan’s single most famous sight is Leonardo da Vinci’s exquisite painting of The Last Supper, known to the Italians as Il Cenacolo. It ‘hangs’ on the refectory wall of the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (Piazza Santa Maria delle Grazie 2; booking in advance obligatory, follow links from the official website www.cenacolovinciano.org). Book well ahead to guarantee a viewing slot. To protect the fresco, only thirty visitors are allowed in at any one time, and the visit is limited to fifteen minutes.

You won’t have time for many museums on a day trip to Milan, but this one is a real gem – and not too big. You will pass it en route from La Scala to the fashion shopping district. The Museo Poldi Pezzoli (Via Manzoni 12; www.museopoldipezzoli.it; charge) contains an exquisite collection of Renaissance paintings, antiques and curios that belonged to Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli, who owned the palace in the 19th century. On his death, he stipulated that the building and its contents should be accessible to the public.

Quadrilatero d’Oro

From Piazza della Scala, head northeast along Via Manzoni 4 [map] towards the world-famous shopping quarter. If it’s time for lunch and you want to follow in the footsteps of Verdi, Donizetti and Toscanini, divert to the Antico Ristorante Boeucc, see 1 [map], by taking the first turn on the right, leading to Piazza Belgioioso. Another Milanese institution is Bice, see 2 [map], further on, in the heart of the fashion district.

The so-called Quadrilatero d’Oro 5 [map] (Golden Quadrangle) is defined by Via Manzoni, Via Monte Napoleone, Via della Spiga and Via Sant’Andrea, home to all the big fashion designers. At the intersection of Via Monte Napoleone and Via Sant’Andrea, call in at the Pasticceria Cova, see 3 [map], one of the few family-run shops that have survived the ever-increasing rents in the quarter.

After a reviving coffee, cross over Via Manzoni for Via Monte di Pietà and take the second street on the right for Via Brera.

The Brera

Formerly the city’s artisan district, this is a chic, picturesque area, with art galleries and alternative bars still providing a colourful hint of the bohemian.

Food and drink

1 [map] Antico Ristorante Boeucc

Piazza Belgioioso 2, www.boeucc.it

The oldest restaurant in Milan, offering classic Milanese cuisine within a fabulous late-17th-century palazzo. Dishes such as saffron-flavoured risotto alla milanese and chateaubriand with béarnaise sauce are served with practised formality. €€€€

2 [map] Bice

Via Borgospesso 12, www.bicemilano.it

This is a classic spot for both Milanese risotto and celebrity spotting in a bustling atmosphere. If you don’t fancy risotto, there are plenty of interesting and innovative options ranging from artichoke salad with parmesan or crab with oil and
lemon to chestnut gnocchi with pesto. €€€€

3 [map] Pasticceria Cova

Via Monte Napoleone 8, www.pasticceriacova.com

An elegant, historic pasticceria/caffè, ideal for a coffee-and-cake break while you are shopping in the Quadrilatero d’Oro. Specialities are Sachertorte (chocolate cake) and panettone (the light Milanese Christmas cake, nowadays eaten at any time of year). The cappuccino is heavenly too, and it is also a lovely place to come for a spritz or
prosecco and nibbles at aperitivo hour. €

The quarter is home to Milan’s showcase museum, the Pinacoteca di Brera 6 [map] (www.pinacotecabrera.org; charge), with one of the finest collections of Italian masterpieces. The collection spans some six centuries and includes works by Mantegna, Giovanni Bellini, Tintoretto, Veronese and Caravaggio.

If you decide to spend the evening in Milan, you’ll find an array of options to suit any preference. The liveliest streets in the centre are in the Brera – Via Brera and Via Fiori Chiari, both of which are popular for an evening stroll. Via Fiori Chiari fills with fortune tellers and illegal street traders selling fake designer goods as night falls. Alternatively, sample the nightlife of the trendy Navigli canal quarter, southwest of the centre (Porta Genova metro).

If you are enamoured by the fashion district, then slink into the bar at the Four Seasons Hotel (Via Gesù 6/8). Set in a frescoed former monastery, this is a glamorous place for an early evening aperitivo.