Experienced Tourists they say that there is nothing more beautiful and at the same time more disgusting than Milan. Many do not like the world capital of fashion at first glance, however, at the second glance, they fall in love completely and irrevocably. Look closely, and you will never be able to stop loving her. Such an ambiguous impression is caused, among other things, by the districts of Milan, rich in the center and poor on the outskirts. Where is the best place to settle in order to fall in love with the city sooner?

From a historical and cultural heritage, as well as the concentration of boutiques per 1 square meter, the most interesting, of course, is the historical center. One glance at the map of Milan is enough and it becomes clear that you will live within walking distance from the main attractions, and life around will boil until the morning. In general, as it should be the center big city. Of the shortcomings - the traditional high cost of hotels. The average price for a room in a 3* hotel will be more than 100 euros. In the case of Milan, another minus is added - the almost complete absence of grocery stores and small household offices: dry cleaners, laundries, shoe repair.

In addition to the center, there are other prestigious areas. Housing prices there are about the same, but they are quieter and more peaceful, and the center is easily reached on foot. One of these areas is Corso Venezia, it is based on: gardens, parks, expensive shops and old noble mansions. To get to this area, you need to go from the center a little to the right on the map.

Useful links for organizing your trip to Milan

Use the search for cheap air tickets from aviasales.ru. To do this, you can use the search form directly on our website:

In order to find a place to stay in a suitable area of ​​Milan, use the convenient search for cheap hotels.

Another prestigious and noble area is Magenta. It is partly part of the historical center and here is one of the main attractions of Milan - the Church of St. Mary delle Grazie, where the "Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci is kept. In the second half, life stops in the evening, the streets are empty, and if you want a relaxing holiday near the city center, then Magenta will become perfect place. On the map of Milan, this area is located a little west of the central one.

Another elite area is located around the Vercelli quarter, which is popular among shoppers. A little further there is a park around which the elite Sempione district of the same name was formed. In this part of the city is the famous Arch of Peace and the Sforza Castle.

Duomo in central area Milan

A pleasant, but more economical option would be to choose a hotel in the Isola area. It is located just behind the central station and seems to be separated from the rest of the city by the old railway. Once it was an industrial area, now everything is changing and many modern museums, showrooms and bars have appeared here. The atmosphere is very creative and unusual.

Another colorful area is the Ticinese District. They say that the spirit of real old Italy reigns here. It is preserved by a huge number of old shops, craft workshops and taverns. Closer to the night, the face of the area changes and the doors of modern bars and clubs swing open. Of the attractions: old churches and an arch in honor of Napoleon's victory in the battle of Marengo.

View of the city from the roof cathedral Milan

Colorful and creative - the district of Brera (Brera). No wonder it is called Milan's Montmartre (see section). The atmosphere is created by numerous shops and shops, cafes and bars. The Pinacoteca Brera gallery is also located here.

There are many economy class hotels in the areas of Vittoria, Citta Studi and Loreto.

You can live very cheaply, for example, in the Corvetto area, although this is an industrial zone of Milan. Areas where it is better not to choose a hotel include Corso Buenos Aires. This is a booming low-cost shopping area, but there are a lot of migrants living here. Accordingly, being here at night is not at all safe. The same goes for the area around Via Padova. Numerous migrants from Africa and Morocco inspire fear even among the locals. Also, because of the neighbors, it is better to beware of the areas around the quarters: Quarto Oggiaro, Barona, Baggio. You should not walk late at night and in the area of ​​​​the central station.

When at passport control I handed my documents to a swarthy Italian border guard, he broke into a smile and said, to my amazement, in Russian: “Thank you!”. At that moment, I realized that I was already in love with Italy and Italians up to my ears.

And even the fact that later my luggage was delayed for 40 minutes did not diminish this love. But it made my friend, who met me at the airport, pretty worried. “You know, I was already scared that you didn’t fly in!” - he said after stormy Italian cries of delight. “You see, I have nine more meetings and five presentations today,” he muttered guiltily as we got into the car, “do you mind if we drive straight to the office now?” Not bad for a start ... And who says that all Italians are idlers? Although, maybe the wrong Italians live in Milan.

When we finally got home at ten o'clock in the evening, I felt that I could barely stand on my feet. But a shower, strong coffee and the excitement of a traveler restored my vigor, and when my friend asked with hope in his eyes: “You must be tired and don’t want to go anywhere anymore? ..”, I firmly objected: “No! Let's go for a walk". I had to go for a walk.

First meeting

It is impossible to park a car in the city center in the evening, so we took the subway. In general, parking for Milanese is the No. 2 problem after taxes. Therefore, there are practically no large cars here. Everyone prefers to buy a coupe, and the hit of the season is generally a Ford Ka. Many people prefer the subway because of problems with cars. Moreover, unlike many European cities, the Milan metro is quite clean, safe and very convenient. Therefore, respectable businessmen and other representatives of the wealthy strata of society do not disdain to travel here. But, at the same time, there are enough beggars asking for alms. True, they do it with such a demanding look, as if they are collecting taxes, not alms.

We got off at Duomo station. Before climbing out of the underpass, Davide (that's my friend's name) suddenly stopped me:

Wait. Come on, close your eyes.

What? How will I get up the stairs? I'm not an acrobat.

Nothing, I'll help you. Well, come on, close it.

His eyes were suspiciously slyly smiling, but I still covered my eyes with my hand so as not to peep. “So, one more step, one more ... That's it, open it!” He said contentedly and I opened my eyes. Right in front of me, against the background of the night sky, towered the huge handsome Duomo - the main cathedral of Milan. Hundreds of its thin gothic spiers, brightly illuminated from different sides, soared straight into the black heights. Above them hovered a glowing golden angel. "Mamma mia!" - all I could say when I closed my mouth gaping in surprise.

The square around the Duomo (Piazza Duomo) was quiet and not crowded. In front of the cathedral, sleepy doves and loving couples cooed peacefully on the steps (some of whom were already well over sixty, but this did not stop them from behaving like teenagers). We walked around the Duomo and turned into the Gallery, named after the Italian king Vittorio Emmanuele II. Due to the late hour, all the shops here were closed for a long time, so the creations of famous fashion designers and jewelers had to be seen through the bars in the windows. Only the bars were open and McDonalds, brazenly squeezed right in the middle of all this beauty.

From the center of the Gallery came organ music. Indeed, coming closer, we saw the stage and several rows of chairs that serve as a kind of auditorium. Only on the stage there was not an organ, but a harp and a flute masterfully imitating it. They performed Bach. The only pity is that because of the concert I did not see the famous bull that is depicted on the floor in the very center of the Gallery. If you stand on it and make a wish, it will surely come true. “Well, nothing, another time,” I thought, “fortunately, I have plenty of time here.” But, apparently, I was not destined to stand on this steer, because every time I walked through the Gallery in a hurry, it completely flew out of my head.

We passed the Gallery and went to Piazza San Babila, from where the "zone of fashionable boutiques" begins. But under the cover of night, she was completely unimpressive. In the middle of the square stood big fountain. I automatically reached into my purse for coins to throw in there, but Davide stopped me:

No no need. This is not a Roman Trevi.

But how ... And if I want to come back here?

To return to Milan, it is enough just to want very much.

Life style

To begin with, I’ll make a reservation: Milan (and Lombardy as a whole) is very different from the central and southern Italy. Its inhabitants are not as swarthy and impulsive as typical Italians. For example, Davide - a Sicilian by origin - although he has been living in Milan for 11 years, he could not get used to the accent, manners and character local residents. Paying homage to the eternal antagonism of north and south, my friend calls the Milanese "stingers ready to cut their throats for money." However, in my opinion, this trait of human character is international.

And so I plunged into the fast cycle of everyday Milanese life, which boils here with the sunrise. The morning usually starts with a cup of Cappuccino or Latte Macchiato (the same, but a lot of milk) and Briosce (in our opinion - a croissant) in one of the small bars, of which there are thousands at every step. Behind the bar is always the owner himself, as a rule, a southerner (they have no equal in terms of making coffee). That was exactly what Chino was like - the owner of the bar opposite my friend's house - a Neapolitan of about 50 years old with a royal posture and a simple but dignified look. All 11 years that my friend has been living in Milan, every morning he goes to drink coffee only to Chino, who met us every time as if he had not seen him for a hundred years: “Hey! Chao, Davide! How are you? Everything is fine? Great! You as usual, right? And what about the Signorina?

The attitude to coffee here is terribly reverent, as well as to food in general. And this does not mean that Italians eat a lot. On the contrary, the appetites here are much smaller than those of the Russians. Although, perhaps, this is again the difference between Milan. For all the time that I was here, I did not see a single fat Italian. The ones I saw leaving McDonald's turned out to be American tourists. By the way, another ardent fans of this American catering are Milanese models who, secretly from their trainers and makeup artists, go there to treacherously gobble up their favorite Big Mac. A spectacle, I must say, worthy of pity and compassion.

Everyone rushes to work in the morning. Some eat up the famous briosce on the go. Business card Milan - an abundance of businessmen. Moreover, as the most busy and always in a hurry category of citizens, they ride scooters, not cars. So there are no problems with traffic jams or parking. Although it's quite amusing to watch these sharply dressed in steel-colored suits, business class representatives race through the narrow cobbled streets like teenagers. Surprisingly, despite the general rush, I did not notice the nervous fuss that usually reigns among us. Probably because the Italians, even with very hard work, know how to use any free minute to chat, laugh and enjoy life. It was this quality that I always envied them.

Milan and the Milanese

The historic center of Milan turned out to be much smaller than I imagined. Two days are enough to get around it up and down (with visits to museums, castles and churches). When visiting the Duomo, don't forget to also go up to the gallery from above - the panorama from there is amazing, especially on a clear day. True, the roof of the cathedral is very sloping and rather slippery, so it is advisable to have the skills of a beginner climber so as not to crawl there on all fours, which, in fact, most tourists did.

On the contrary, the famous La Scala did not live up to my expectations at all, which, both outside and inside, looks very modest compared to St. Petersburg luxury. By the way, I did not notice that the Milanese were generally avid theater-goers. La Scala is visited mostly by foreigners.

Walking the streets of Milan, I was struck by the abundance of amazingly beautiful, elegant women (regardless of age). Their discriminating taste, love for jewelry (in moderation, of course) and royal posture immediately dispelled the popular myth about noisy rustic Italian women who, at the age of 25, already fade and turn into fat matrons - kitchen slaves. By the way, men, we must give them their due, in the ability to take care of themselves and dress beautifully are in no way inferior to women. Tight trousers, tight-fitting T-shirts, elegant shoes, earrings in the ears - everything is thought out to the smallest detail to emphasize the dignity of an already attractive appearance. Everything is individual, without repetition, except for the hairstyle - rather short-cut hair, "set" up with the help of a gel, which every time a whole bottle is poured on the head, no less. It looks like gel production in Italy is the most profitable business. It will never fall in demand. But in no other European country you will not see so many brunettes with the same hairstyles at the same time. It's like they've all just been to the same hairdresser.

Two more weaknesses of Italians are sunglasses, with which they do not part even in the subway (although nothing is visible - I tried it myself), and cell phones, whose melodic overflows constantly delight the ear. They talk for an hour and about everything: what they are eating now (if in a cafe), what they are passing (if in transport), etc.

When it comes to shopping, Via Vittorio Emmanuele II and Via Buenos Aires are ideal places in this sense. I was lucky in terms of purchases, because. I got just in the sales period, usually starting on July 10 and lasting about three weeks. At this time, the city is covered by a total "shopping mania". People (especially the female half) literally occupy stores and sweep away everything that is there. After these trips, in the evening on the street, I recognized on the girls passing by what I saw in the shop windows during the day ...

When my acquaintances who have been to Milan speak of it without much enthusiasm, with ratings like “gray”, “monotonous”, “a city where you can only work”, etc., I understand that none of them really saw him. To find out what Milan really is, 3-5 days is not enough. You need to live here for at least three weeks. Only then does this city begin to reveal its other sides, invisible at first glance. And you do not notice how you fall into dependence on his beauty. Seeing the ancient buildings of Milan, wandering along its narrow cobbled streets becomes a vital need, and without a daily dose of this “drug”, the mood deteriorates and the world around fades.

“Milan is paradise!”: a Muscovite about a new life in Italy

Polina moved from Moscow to Milan to open her own business and start new life. Today the girl talked about how Italy and the Italians accepted her and why she is not going to return home

My parents built BAM, so from childhood I changed cities at an incredible speed: I was born in Kyiv, two months later we moved to Chita, then to Surgut, but stopped in Moscow. In the capital, I graduated from the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia with a degree in Humanitarian and Social Management. Then she worked for several years in international companies in the field of logistics.

The story of my move is simple: my husband was offered a job in Italy, and the whole family followed him. No one was particularly prepared and did not learn the language. In just three months, they decided all the cases in Russia and drove off to Milan.

Language difficulties

I spoke excellent English, but this did not make communication easier. Although English is considered an international language, this does not apply to Italy. Except for the emigrants, who were in the same predicament, no one else knew English here. At the same time, I was struck by how diligently the Italians listened to our first language steps. They received us kindly and did not try to fence themselves off. Although at that time it seemed to me that for them we are people from a third world country.

At first, we tried to join the Russian community. However, later it was noticed that the Russians kept themselves wary and apart from each other, which cannot be said about the citizens of Moldova or Ukraine.

My husband worked all the time, and I began to communicate with Italian mothers. Then I got a job, and I got colleagues - so we completely immersed ourselves in the Italian environment.

Now I communicate with the locals in Italian. Two years ago I passed the state exam in the language, which showed that my level is equal to mastery. I had good base English, and it helped me a lot in learning a second language. In addition, I am not a shy person: I often spoke to strangers. We took the kids to all the kids' parties and went to parenting events just to talk to someone in Italian.

Our children communicate in two languages. But at home we are forbidden to speak Italian, otherwise they will quickly forget Russian.

Photo: instagram.com/velopolina

Milan is heaven

I am delighted with Milan. We have traveled a lot in Italy, but we have not seen anything better. Rome is noisy and dirty with crowds of tourists. Milan is simpler, visitors crowd only in the center, and there are almost none in the sleeping areas. Despite the large population, Milan does not seem so chaotic after Moscow. And in general, after the Russian capital, this is a paradise.

Tourists believe that, apart from shopping, there is nothing to do here. In their view further central square nowhere to go. Sometimes it hurts me, because this is a city with a thousand-year history and many attractions. After my stories, people are delighted. It turns out that you can spend a week quite brightly here, without even thinking about the shops.

We settled in a residential area and at first did not even realize that we live in the elite part of Milan - we took such luxury for granted. But I cannot say that there are some abandoned areas here. The whole city is very clean and green: I would give public services a solid five.

Everything suits me here: from infrastructure to weather conditions. For the first two years, I walked in euphoria at the sight of the sun and wondered why the Milanese always complain about dullness. I just couldn't believe that there could be so much sun at all. For 7 years, I have assimilated so much that I gradually accept the position of the locals and sometimes lament about the weather.

Winter lasts for two months, but by Russian standards, it's more like spring. And summer plus 35 is already perceived as the norm, not hot at all.

Emotional Italians

It is often said that Europeans live in their own shell and do not let anyone into their personal space. The Milanese seem to me quite open people. They are probably more progressive than Italians from small towns because they work for international companies and travel a lot.

It still surprises me that they are not at all shy about discussing intimate matters or health issues in companies. This is not accepted in the Russian mentality, so I try not to support such conversations. Such restraint only makes them laugh.

The Italians are easy to contact. The same question can be asked here once a week. It seems that they ask out of politeness or to support the conversation. If the Russians are not interested, they won't even ask.

In a conversation, Italians actively gesticulate, over time you begin to unconsciously repeat the same movements. Each gesture has its own explanation, and sometimes even if you don’t hear a person well, you understand what they are talking about by gesticulation. My three-year-old daughter is already adopting this manner of communication.

Sometimes from the outside it looks like people are quarreling. But despite all the emotionality, the Italians cannot be called aggressive. In Russia, I became scared when someone sorted things out in a raised voice. Here I am not afraid of it at all. Italians can shout all over the street, wave their arms, but after 10 minutes they calm down and continue a peaceful dialogue. All their aggression ends with conversations, not fights.

Photo: instagram.com/velopolina

Russian experiments

For all seven years here, I only once felt aggression against me: on the playground, an elderly woman heard Russian speech and proudly left with a disgruntled face. It didn't bother me at all, because it's just an exception. Here, all foreigners are treated calmly. Among the Italians we have many friends, we often have dinner with them or go somewhere for the weekend.

Italian friends often ask about Russia. The most common questions are about the weather and about Putin. Here the president of Russia is respected, bad reviews I have not heard. But in general, Italians are apolitical: they try not to talk about this topic at all, because they don’t understand it.

When asked about Russian cuisine, they are surprised that we know about the existence of pasta. Once we were preparing a Russian dinner for our friends. I carefully planned the menu to show the whole flavor of our national cuisine: sandwiches with caviar, Russian salad, dumplings with sour cream. They didn't like anything except Olivier. Caviar, in their opinion, is salty, and there is too much meat in dumplings - ravioli is better. I no longer dared to offer a herring under a fur coat, they would definitely not understand this.

The two biggest passions of Italians are cooking and style. Italians are very pedantic when it comes to food. Restaurants are only open for two hours at lunchtime and a few hours in the evening. No Italian will go to a restaurant unless it is lunch or dinner time. There are subtleties that tourists need to know about: coffee at the table will often be more expensive than at the bar, and the restaurant will include coperta on the bill - a fee for napkins, bread, butter on the table. Those are the rules.

Irresponsible drivers

In Milan, everything is divided into zones, on which the cost of apartments depends. Two-room apartment in good area will cost 1000 euros per month. But this is far from the final price. The cost of the concierge, cleaning the entrance, the adjacent territory is added to the rent - 150-200 euros. Housing and communal services are also quite expensive: electricity - 20-30 euros, gas - 150-200 euros. Because of high cost gas temperature in houses does not exceed 18-19 degrees. Fortunately, such prices are only in winter.

The car is also expensive. Practical Italians have small and low-power cars, otherwise they will have to pay a huge tax on transport. Insurance is expensive anyway. It is calculated by class: the less driving experience, the lower the class. A driver with many years of driving experience from another country in Italy is considered a beginner, and for him OSAGO insurance costs 1300 euros per year, after 7 years - 600 euros.

Italians drive very irresponsibly and often get into minor accidents. Even if they hit someone else's car, they will simply leave the scene. Many people prefer a scooter due to traffic jams, parking problems and paid entry into the city center. It’s easier to get on a scooter or an electric car than to give five euros a day.

Photo: instagram.com/velopolina

"Remember me? I already learned Italian

I managed to get a job in an international company only after a year and a half. But first I had to go through a whole quest. With combat readiness and complete self-confidence, already on the second day of my stay in Italy, I sent a resume to a company where there was an interesting position. The interview began in Italian, which I did not know, which shocked me. They had to communicate with me in English, although they knew it very poorly. Then I was told that I had a good experience, but without the language, nowhere.

A year and a half later, I again sent them a resume with the signature: “Remember me? I already learned Italian.” After two more interviews, I was offered a trainee position. Babysitting for children was paid more than my salary, but I wanted to try. They signed a contract with me for six months and four months later I was promoted to an ordinary employee.

After working for a year and a half, I quit and opened my own business - a small bike rental. I began to gather groups for bike rides around the city. Traveled with people interesting places where tourists rarely visit. The company quickly gained momentum, and now I conduct tours in both English and Russian.

The husband had a fixed term contract for a limited time. There was no way to continue it. I had to choose: either to return to Russia, or to seek new job. We thought: we will always have time to return, we will try to stay. It is not easy to get a position in the banking sector right away. For almost a year, my husband was looking for a job and finally found it.

Photo: instagram.com/velopolina

Sky-high taxes

After starting my own business, I know almost everything about taxes. Italy has a progressive tax: the more you earn, the more you pay. The minimum tax rate for start-up entrepreneurs is 3,900 euros per year. This amount goes to the pension fund, and you have to pay in any case. No one cares whether you have earned so much or not. It is also necessary to pay a percentage of income: the initial rate is 15 percent, you go beyond the limits of 30 thousand euros per year - 24 percent, more than 50 thousand euros - about 35 percent, more than 70 thousand euros - 44 percent.

The taxes are huge, but at least I know what they're doing: clean roads, good lighting, trimmed bushes. Perhaps I reason this way, because so far I pay only 15 percent.

State health insurance, no extra charge. It is provided by the pension fund. If an appointment with a private doctor costs 120-150 euros, then with state insurance you pay only 15-20 euros. But even this money and the cost of prescribed drugs is deductible from your tax base. In Italy, the medical system is quite convenient: you are not attached to any of the clinics. The family doctor writes out a referral, after which you can choose absolutely any clinic and make an appointment.

I gave birth to my third child here. Although I am a citizen of another country, I was provided with an individual room free of charge.

The moment is gone

Relatives easily accepted our move, because they thought it was only a year and a half. They were sure that we would return after the expiration of the contract. But even after our final decision to stay here, they supported us forever. After all, we did not go to the ends of the world - we are separated by only three hours by plane and 150 euros for a ticket.

My husband often flies to Russia on business trips, and in five years I have been there only a few times. More often it doesn't work. In winter, in such weather, I don’t want to go, and in summer there is too much work, so we host relatives. We are not going to return, as the moment has already been lost. In Russia, everything would have to start again from scratch.

If you are not a motorist and intend to travel by public transport, the best solution would be to settle near the metro. It works from 5.40 to 00.30 and is least likely to strike. In addition, you will not waste extra time waiting for transport and tiresome trips to the city center.

Be careful, some stations go outside of Milan (this is marked with a red line on the map) and the ticket price will be higher than usual.

Where to stay in Milan?

At the end stations, there are traditionally sleeping areas, not all of them are friendly and equipped with infrastructure. We recommend staying closer to historical center cities.

Area De Angeli

Take a closer look at the zone (De Angeli) metro Wagner, De Andeli, Gambara). This cute area near the center is filled with many cafes, shops and workshops. There are taxi stops and tram 16 that will take you to the Duomo, Navigli or San Siro. For more information on housing in the area, please follow the link below.

Sant'Agostino metro station

Located between Sant "Ambrogio, where the Catholic University is located, and Porta Genova - a cluster of bars and cafes, a noisy area for an evening aperitif. Any of these places, as well as Colonne di San Lorenzo are within walking distance. However, like the city center! This area has restaurants, supermarkets and plenty of public transport. Find a hotel near this metro station.

Porta Romana metro station

Twenty minutes from Cathedral Square on foot through the beautiful center and we are in front of the arch - Porta Romana . Nearby, in the old tram depot, thermal baths were equipped - fans of relaxation and spa will definitely like it! You will be pleased with cafes and bars with generous tables for aperitifs, many nail salons, squares and transport accessibility. Follow this link to find all accommodation options near Porta Romana.

Loreto metro station

Loreto metro station stands at the beginning of the shopping street Corso Buenos Aires . Such an arrangement will allow you not to miss a single store, always find where to have a bite and a cup of coffee. If you get carried away with shop windows, you may not notice how you approach the arches Porta Venezia , the park and the Museum of Natural History, and further to the Duomo is within easy reach. On the other side of Loreto is the student district with historic building Politecnico di Milano. Choose a hotel near Loreto metro station.

Sempione

It is better to avoid proximity to the park Sempione . The opportunity to take a walk near the hotel in a free moment really sounds great, but, unfortunately, Sempione Park attracts not only athletes, but also visiting illegal immigrants engaged in robbery and drug trafficking. It is better to admire the park during the day, and after dusk go around it. It is better not to enter into a dialogue with immigrants.

centrale

The area in front of the central station is teeming with immigrants, they live there, spend the night, rob, distribute and use drugs. Despite the presence of prestigious hotels, restaurants, taxis and carabinieri nearby, walking near Centrale can often be an unpleasant experience. We recommend admiring the grandiose building of the station during the day, but not close, or stick to the shops of the station, try to go down to the metro as soon as possible or make the necessary transfer. Transfers to the airport depart from Centrale, if you decide to use them, just in case, be vigilant, watch your luggage.

If you are going to travel around Milan by car, then do not be afraid to settle in the suburbs. After all, the city center will still be close, the distances are short, and the price-quality ratio is noticeably better. The only exception will be fashion and design weeks, when all hotels are booked and prices are inflated.

We wish you a great stay in Milan!

The whole of Milan can be divided into eight tourist areas, each of which has a specific atmosphere, and its pros and cons for tourists.

Today I will tell you about the area of ​​the Central Station (Stazione Centrale e Corso Buenos Aires) - the most convenient area in Milan, according to most of my clients. And that's why.

Central Station is already a landmark of Milan in itself - this huge building has a rather strange architecture: a mixture of Liberty, Art Deco and fascist architecture.

Yes, yes, it was on the orders of Benito Mussolini that in the early 30s of the twentieth century, changes were made to the original design of the building to give the Central Station of Milan more monumentality, which in turn was supposed to personify the power and might of the fascist regime. Over time, many symbols of fascism were removed, but some have survived to this day. Today it is not only the second largest Train Station Italy (the first Roma Termine in Rome), from which you can go anywhere in Italy by high-speed train

as well as make one-day excursions to nearby cities of Milan, but also a huge shopping mall with more than 100 shops and fashion boutiques, 30 cafes and restaurants (including RossoPomodoro, which I already wrote about), as well as a small supermarket.

So if you have time to spare while waiting for a train or bus, Milan's Stazione Centrale/Central Station will definitely not get bored!

And here are all the advantages of staying tourists in the Central Station area:

• A large number of inexpensive cafes, bars and restaurants for every taste and every cuisine. By the way, for those who miss soups in Milan, I can recommend the "soup" cafe "La Zupperia" at via Fara 33, not far from the Central Station. There are always 3-4 different soups on the menu (which for Italy a rarity) at a price of 4-4.5€ per serving. Open for lunch only.
• And most importantly, there is a huge number of inexpensive, but very comfortable hotels, the best of which, according to my clients, I will give here:

Hotel Bagliori's very friendly staff, strategic position between Central Station and corso Buenos Aires, and charming interior garden make it one of the most comfortable hotels in Milan.

Nearby is another good and inexpensive hotel: Hotel Due Giardini, free Wi-Fi and hearty breakfast; well, a convenient location, and an internal garden, of course!

Hotel Salerno - very friendly staff, rooms are clean and comfortable (I visited personally)

The Best Hotel - convenient location, calm green Zone and a wonderful inner garden where, if the weather permits, you can have breakfast (breakfast, again, tasty and hearty).

And this is a list of hotels that are literally a two-minute walk from the Central Station, on Napo Torriani and Boscovich streets.

By the way, there is a Penny Market Express supermarket on Boscovich Street, where you can have a quick bite at very reasonable prices.

Have a good trip!