Milan knows how to be not only luxurious, but also generous. For several years now, there has been an agreement between several museums in Milan to open doors for certain people on certain days and hours (more details here). But in Milan there are many attractions, where you can get for free at almost any time of the day, or sometimes nights.
We will tell in this article about where to go so that your walk in Milan will not cost you a cent and at the same time leave a lot of pleasant impressions.
Helpful advice: You can see the most important thing in the historical center of Milan without overpaying for excursions by installing our audio guide in the city center for the iPhone. It works even without the Internet and contains a ready-made walking audio tour from 60 points in the historical center.
By installing an audio guide on your iPhone, you can listen to the first 5 points of the tour for free, but to open access to the entire route, you will need to purchase the full version. It costs only 5 Euros, which is much cheaper than even the cheapest group tours, but will let you know much more about Milan. You can download the application on this page.
Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie
The church of Santa Maria delle Grazie is considered one of the main attractions of Milan. Perhaps, one of the most legendary works of art is stored in her refectory - The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci.
It is worth mentioning right away that entrance to the refectory itself is paid, and tickets should be booked in advance. No wonder the Last Supper is considered almost the most inaccessible attraction in all of Italy (in more detail about where and how to purchase tickets, BlogoItaliano wrote in this article).
The church has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1980.
But at least you can see the church of the 15th century itself, which was the first in Italy to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980.
Curious fact: in 1943 the refectory of the church of Santa Maria delle Grazia was bombed and destroyed, but the fresco of Leonardo miraculously survived.
- Address: Via Giuseppe Antonio Sassi, 3
- Working hours: Mon-Sat from 10:00 to 12:55, from 15:00 to 17:55; Sun from 15:30 to 17:55
Statue "Horse" by Leonardo da Vinci
If you still fail to get to the Last Supper, and you want to see Leonardo da Vinci’s creations at all costs, then there is a way out.
You can get to the San Siro Hippodrome and admire the largest bronze horse statue in the world, created using the clay model of Leonardo at the end of the 15th century.
Milan - the largest bronze horse statue in the world
Address: Piazzale Angelo Moratti snc
Opening hours: on event-free days, daily from 09:45 to 18:30; on event days two hours before the event and within one hour after the event
Museum Studio Francesco Messina
This is not the only house museum in Milan, but perhaps one of the most famous. Strictly speaking, this is not a house at all - the artist’s workshop is located in the building of an old church.
It is noteworthy that the building was almost sent for demolition, but the artist managed to get permission to restore it and equip his workshop there.
The artist’s workshop was housed in an old church building
Today, the museum houses over 80 sculptures by Messina, as well as watercolors and pastels.
- Address: Via S. Sisto, 4a
- Opening hours: Tue-Sun from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Astronomical Museum and Botanical Garden at Brera Palace
In such an unusual combination, you can have fun and enrich your knowledge in the very center of Milan without paying a dime for it. Both museums are part of the Brera Palace complex, erected on the ruins of a monastery in the 17th century.
A century and a half later, a botanical garden was laid out at the palace. The most important exhibit here is the ginkgo biloba tree, whose age allows us to consider it one of the oldest in Europe.
In the palace itself you will find a collection of tools and instruments, thanks to which astronomers of the 18th-19th centuries made their great discoveries.
The Astronomical Museum and Observatory are inside the Palazzo Brera
The Podgali spectrograph of 1865, the Gauss magnetometer of 1835 and other instruments came to the museum directly from the Milan Observatory.
Address: Via Brera, 28
Working hours:
- Botanical Garden: Mon-Sat from 10:00 to 18:00 (April-October), from 9:30 to 16:30 (November-March) except holidays; Sun - only as part of an excursion or event
- Astronomical Museum: Mon-Fri from 9:00 to 16:30
Sforza Castle
The majestic Sforza Castle is one of Milan's most recognizable sights. It dates back to the XIV century, when the influential Visconti family decided to build a suburban residence for themselves. On the second tier of the Filaret’s tower, in memory of the Visconti family, the ancient Sun of Justice clock has been preserved.
The subsequent owners of the castle made many innovations and significantly transformed the appearance of the fortress. For example, da Vinci himself worked on the design of the hall della Aste.
You can walk around the territory of the old castle absolutely free
Sforza Castle did not escape the fate of being turned into military barracks. Only in the middle of the XIX century the castle was reckoned among the monuments and began to restore it.
Today, several museum expositions are located in the castle premises. But the entrance to the exhibition is paid, but you can walk around the castle for free.
- Address: Piazza castello
- Working hours: Mon-Sun from 07:00 to 19:30
Morando Palace with an exhibition Costume-Fashion-Image
It is difficult to imagine the capital of fashion without an appropriate thematic museum. There really is such a museum in Milan, but, which is especially nice, anyone can get here.
Do not be surprised that on the first floor of the Morando Palace you will not find a single costume. Here you will get acquainted with painting, sculpture and interior items that are more than 200 years old.
But the history of world fashion will appear before you in all its glory on the second floor of the palace.
The perspective offered by the creators of the exposition is largely predictable: how the textile industry developed, visitors will recognize through the prism of Italian fashion and the influence that other cultures had on it.
- Address: Via Sant'Andrea, 6
- Working hours: Tue-Sun from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Gallery of Victor Emanuel II
Perhaps the most beautiful shopping center in the world can be safely considered the most expensive. But no one will forbid you to walk through the gallery under the roof of glass and steel and enjoy, if not shopping, then at least shop windows.
And the guests and residents of the city are very fond of luring luck, turning on one heel in the image of a bull in the very center of the gallery, where two main streets intersect.
You can visit the famous gallery even at night
By the way, the Victor Emanuel II Gallery is one of the first European passages. And she is open to visit even at night.
- Address: Piazza del duomo
- Working hours: round the clock
Piazza Città di Lombardy
Another building made of steel and glass covers a huge area of several thousand square meters. The largest covered area in Europe is surrounded by several tall buildings, one of which reaches a height of 161.3 meters.
Citta di Lombardy - the largest covered square in Europe
By the way, not so long ago, the entrance to the last, 39th floor of the tower became available to the general public. You can climb to a dizzying height and view Milan from a bird's flight every Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. And it is absolutely free.
- Address: Piazza Città di Lombardia, 1
- Opening hours: the area itself: around the clock; Tower - Sun: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
City parks
After a long walk around the city, it is always nice to hide from the bustle of the city in the shade of trees or sit by the pond. In Milan, you have at your disposal several parks with free entrance.
Sempione Park is famous for its numerous sculptures and fountains, and in the central park Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli you can find three small lakes at once.
But we would recommend paying attention to the Park of the Gardens of Guastalla (Giardini della Guastalla). It is not yet so popular with tourists and therefore seems especially cozy. The main decoration of the Guastall Gardens is a baroque pond bordered by a white granite fence.
Sempione Park is famous for its numerous sculptures and fountains.
Sempione Park
- Address: Piazza Sempione
- Opening hours: daily from 06:30 to 21:00
Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli
- Address: Bastioni di Porta Venezia
- Opening hours: daily from 06:30 to 20:00
Giardini della guastalla
- Address: Via Francesco Sforza
- Opening hours: daily from 07:00 to 21:00
The monumental cemetery of Milan
Of course, many will find that the cemetery is not the best place to walk, but the monumental cemetery of Milan is not just beautiful - it is very beautiful. This is also evidenced by the fact that it is mentioned in the ten most beautiful cemeteries in the world.
Here you can see a bronze version of The Last Supper or a miniature copy of a Greek ancient temple.
The monumental cemetery of Milan in the ten most beautiful cemeteries in the world
Many famous writers and musicians, including Giuseppe Verdi and Alessandro Manzoni, were buried in the central pavilion of the cemetery, called the House of Sorrow. And on the Jewish side you can find the grave of father Albert Einstein.
- Address: Piazzale Cimitero Monumentale
- Opening hours: Tue-Sun from 08:00 to 18:00
Useful articles about Milan
- What to see in Milan on your own in 1 day
- Prices in Milan or how much money to bring with you to Milan
- 5 Ways to Buy Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper Tickets
Photos by: blogoitaliano.com, Luca Volpi, Revol Web, G. dallorto.
