From the Duomo to Brera
A self-guided walk in Milan.
1h15. 1.0 miles. From Duomo di Milano to Orto Botanico di Brera.
Walk Milan's showpiece spine, from the cathedral and the Galleria to La Scala, then slip into Brera's lanes for the city's finest old master collection.
The local move
Do the Duomo roof first thing, then take your coffee standing at the Marchesi counter inside the Galleria like the Milanese do.
Best time to go
Weekday morning, before the tour groups reach the Duomo square
When to avoid it
Saturday afternoons, when the Galleria and Via Dante are at their busiest
The stops
Duomo di Milano
Start under the marble forest of spires that took almost six centuries to finish.
Tip: Book the rooftop terraces ahead; the view across the spires is the reason to go up.
Pasticceria Marchesi 1824 Galleria
Inside the glass-roofed Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, an upstairs café looks straight down the arcade.
Tip: Ask for a table by the window over the Galleria.
Gallerie d'Italia Milano
Palazzi on Piazza della Scala now hold a bank's collection of nineteenth-century Italian painting.
Tip: The Romantic and Lombard rooms are the highlight; allow forty-five minutes.
Teatro alla Scala
The opera house looks modest outside; the theatre museum lets you peer into the horseshoe auditorium.
Tip: On rehearsal days the museum boxes may close; check before planning around them.
Via Brera
Cobbled Via Brera leads into the old artists' quarter, all galleries, bookshops and courtyards.
Tip: Duck into side streets like Via Fiori Chiari for the quieter Brera.
Pinacoteca di Brera
Mantegna, Raphael, Piero della Francesca and Caravaggio hang in a former Jesuit college.
Tip: Start with Mantegna's Dead Christ, then work outward.
Orto Botanico di Brera
Finish in a small eighteenth-century botanical garden hidden behind the Pinacoteca.
Tip: Entry is free; opening hours are short in winter.
About these walks
Explore our self-guided routes by city, with useful stops and practical notes from Chic Trip. Explore the destinations we plan.
