Jan 3

Jan 3 Weekend in Milan

When people speak of Milan, it’s usually about fashion, the Duomo di Milano, and the Last Supper. Since I’m no fashionista, I went for the Christmas market and to tour the duomo. While the Christmas market was good - yes, just good, the duomo was everything pictures portray it to be. It is the second largest church in Europe at 11,700 square meters (or 125,937 sq ft). In addition to Milan, we hit up another well known destination while in the vicinity and I’m so glad we did.

Where Did You Stay?

We stayed at Hyatt Centric Milan Centrale which is a four minute walk from Milano Centrale train station. While I love to explore, I also love to rest. When my feet are hurting, I’m relieved of the growth on my back (backpack), and the room is relatively quiet - I want a comfortable bed, a clean bathroom, and minimal amenities. Hyatt Centric Milan has a lot to offer and for us it was affordable but not at first glance. I am a Hyatt advocate (not sponsored in any way). I had enough World of Hyatt points to get a room half off for one night stay in Milan. The other factors I considered when booking this hotel was how close it is to the train station because we would be coming in and going out at least twice, probably more. Also, I was two nights away from obtaining the next tier within the World of Hyatt membership. The weekend stay would get me to the Discoverist level and I’d have more benefits like late checkout, room upgrade, free bottled water, extra points for stays, etc.

Now, I’ll tell you about the amenities of the hotel. On the rooftop terrace, you’ll find a stunning 360 degree city view and comfy couches. We were there the weekend after Christmas, it was cold, and no one was on the terrace but myself. On the bottom floor, you’ll sink into a Roman bath with a starry sky above, relax in the Turkish bath, or sweat it out in the sauna. The spa and wellness area offers tea, juice, water, and dried fruit to sustain you. It was truly the best amenity I’ve ever had. Note: During the holidays, the spa was free. Usually, it will cost €15 to enter. Sometimes, and I do mean sometimes, seeking out the best hotel amenities makes the weekend even more healing and memorable. Especially when they’re FREE.

What Did You Do?

We left Vicenza around 0900 on a Friday morning headed to Milan via train. Train tickets cost €31,90 roundtrip/per person. Using the World of Hyatt app I requested an early check-in while on the train. When we arrived around 12:30pm, we were able to check-in and drop our bags. With a lighter load, we headed to lunch, then to the piazza del duomo.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

We strolled through the oldest shopping mall and major landmark of Milan. The gallery opened in 1877. It’s inside the large arch to the right of the duomo. It’s also the place where people go to grind their heel on a certain spot of the mosaic bull in the mall - the ritual of the bull. Whether you’re there for the bull, Prada, Versace, Louis, you will not miss the grand architecture of the galleria. Just look up, down, and around.

Duomo Christmas Market

The atmosphere was festive with the extra large tree in front of the duomo, buildings, streets and porticos were lit, and the well decorated market huts. We had a dandy time eating cinnamon and pizza rolls while slowly cruising by the huts to see what they were selling. This market was much like the others I’ve been to with a few specialty shops. Some stuff made in Italy and some made in China. For me, I just love feeling the cool air, drinking a hot drink, eating a hot meal, listening to Christmas music, and adoring the many twinkling lights.

Window Gawking

I didn’t realize this was an activity, but now it is - for Team Ropati anyway. In Milan, there are all sorts of things to look at and be amazed by in the windows. For example, I thought one store had baked goods setup in the window - it was clothes! Okay, just look at the pictures to get an idea. Make this an activity when you go to Milan.

After walking from about 13:00 until maybe 20:30, we desperately needed the Roman and Turkish bath. It felt amazing and it was a great way to end our first day in Milan.

Tip: If you need a restroom, go to any metro station and pay the €1 instead of buying drink or food you don’t need.

Duomo di Milano

Saturday, we bought tickets online for the terrace and the cathedral visit. Part of the terrace was undergoing renovations but there was still a lot to see. It took nearly six centuries to build, so if detail is your thing, you’ll enjoy the duomo. Not to mention you can see across the city in all directions. Inside the church is massive and the stained glass windows are stunning. You’ll certainly want to add this stop to your list.

Milan Instagram Highlight Reel

Naviglio Grande Canal

I expected more Christmas markets at the canal, but that was not the case. It turned out to be a peaceful walk by the water. I did find little treasures along the way.

Lake Como

Since we were in Milan, I thought it would be a fantastic opportunity to take the 45 minute train ride to Como to see the Christmas market and light show. We had never been, so why not? It was the best Christmas town I’ve visited yet. I’ve gone to Bolzano, Vicenza, Milan, and Vienna. The light show was magical. The town is a short walk from the train station and right on the water, so we got to see the lake and hill town before the sun went down. No doubt about it - we will return next year. It was spectacular! Check out the video below (it’s borrowed).

Rest, Shop, Lunch, & Depart

Sunday morning, I stayed in bed until noon while husband revisited the spa. We both wanted to do a tidbit of shopping before we left Milan. We returned to the piazza del duomo area again, completed our shopping, had sushi for a second time, then headed back to grab our bags and catch the train.