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By: Eleonora Bertuzzi Photos provided by: Bertel Tour Operator
A city of commerce and trade since the time of Ancient Rome, and still known throughout the world as the Italian business and conference capital, Milan offers everything from art to finance and from industry to agriculture. This role has also led to the development of its trade-fair centre, which has recently added a large exhibition area at the outskirts of the city. The new fair centre is designed as a venue for major national and international events.
Part of its business is undoubtedly linked to style, because in Italy, Milan is also synonymous with fashion, sophisticated elegance, sought-after designs and avant-garde solutions. Not only in clothing, shoes and fashion accessories like jewellery and cosmetics, but also in articles for the home such as furnishing accessories, toys for children, etc..... A wealth of specialised fairs enlivens the city with the presence of manufacturers and buyers from all over the world. You don't even have to wait for a particular date. Throughout the year, in any season, you can enjoy a trip to Milan with shopping as your main focus.
The illusion that the best of Milan is contained only in the areas of Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga, universally known as "Fashion Square," is just that - an illusion. For although it is here that the most famous boutiques are concentrated, with international designer labels that set men and women of all ages dreaming, there is still so much more to explore in Milan. Brera, Magenta, Corso Como, the canal area and the areas all the way to Corso Vercelli, near the verdant oasis of Sempione Park, offer a wealth of secret, off-the-usual-beaten-track locations that will delight shoppers and sight-seers alike.
You can also choose to be assisted on these trips by a personal shopping assistant, the city's latest fashion "accessory". Whatever the season, guides appear thick and fast with advice on how to get to the various outlets specialising in every type of merchandise, which continue to open both in the city and in the immediately outlying areas. Don't forget also, that visitors who are not citizens of the European Union have the additional advantage of a tax refund. You will receive a refund of the value added tax (VAT) you have paid if you have purchased more than 180 Euros worth of goods at a time, in a single store. There is of course a procedure to follow at customs, but the important thing is to get the shop assistant to give you the special receipt for the purpose, which you should always keep along with your purchases.
On Saturday afternoons, the shopping streets, from the most elegant to the most commercial, are crowded with people and it is pleasant to walk around the city while doing your shopping. You can also pamper yourself a little, by booking a session at a health centre. The most sought-after and luxurious of these have combined Middle-Eastern methods and echo, both in the d....cor and in the treatments, the relaxing experiences of the ancient hammams. Other centres offer Far-Eastern treatments, the Balinese style of massage, or a relaxing waterbed massage for which it is not even necessary to get undressed and will have you feeling refreshed in a matter of minutes. For the more sporty types, there is always the gym alternative, however. Although on the one hand gyms are becoming more technologically oriented, with the latest-generation machines that have revolutionised the concept of fitness, they are on the other hand now focusing more on the ambiance, which has become increasingly elegant and welcoming, providing members with a real club atmosphere. After a workout you can enjoy a healthy snack or try a fruit or vegetable cocktail, or listen to music or watch a film or satellite TV on the latest home theatre system, maybe pedalling on a stationary bike at the same time. We have not yet mentioned the open-air facilities. With the arrival of fine weather dozens of swimming pools at exclusive clubs open wide their doors. And then there are tennis courts, exclusive golf courses, as well as the city's fabulous initiative: where out of nothing, sandy beaches have been created in the shade of Castello Sforzesco.
An excellent way of spending an afternoon, especially if you're travelling with children, might be a visit to the Planetarium, one of the most famous in Europe. Take a walk in one of the city's large parks; or how about a visit to some famous theme parks built in Milan's environs, just a few dozen kilometres away. Entertainment is guaranteed for adults and children alike, with themed attractions based on the world's best-known fairy tales and thrilling water rides.
So, by day you can stroll past the shop windows and the elegant Art-Nouveau buildings in the historic centre and see the monuments that cannot be ignored. Visit one of the city's famous icons, the Castello Sforzesco or the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci: the Last Supper.
In the evenings you can devote your attentions to the pleasures of the table. There is plenty to choose from in the way of restaurants: traditional, with the most typical dishes (from saffron risotto to osso bucco to the famous cutlet), or ethnic dishes, (from spicy Indian to Lebanese and from Tex-Mex to Japanese). There are also others with welcoming outdoor seating where you can enjoy an alfresco snack or a cold drink on balmy summer evenings. And, for a touch of extravagance, you can cool the summer heat in a place made entirely of pure, transparent ice, fresh from the cold lands of northern Europe.
For further information on Milan please contact: Eleonora Bertuzzi Travel Consultant BERTEL SLR - Piazza C. Mirabello, 1 20121 MILANO - ITALY Tel: +39 02.655.25.98 / 02.655.28.70 Fax: +39 02.655.47.07 Email: eleonora.bertuzzi@tin.it |
fter the successes of the 1980s
and a certain decline in the 1990s, with the beginning of
the third millennium Milan has recaptured its role in the
Italian and international panorama and rediscovered its "Joie de
Vivre."
