Before my trip to Milan, I got a lot of mixed signals from fellow travelers.

They loved Southern Italy, but they were not impressed with Milan. I heard it lacked the charm that most Italian cities have. The charm that makes you never want to leave.

We were only in Milan for 3 days, a little detour on our way home from Greece and a good excuse to prolong vacation.

I went in with an open mind and truly enjoyed every second in this city. I love fast paced metropolitan cities but I was pleasantly surprised to find so much Italian charm in the fashion capital and financial hub of Italy.

Parks

Milan has great parks to explore to get a break from all the hustle and bustle. We spent quite a bit of time in Parco Sempione. The park is around 95 acres and has a ton to do from the Arco della Pace and Castello Sforzesco.

Sapphire & Elm Travel co-owner, Carly in Parco Sempione, Milan, Italy

Culture

Milan is home to the stunning Duomo di Milano church located in central Milan. Milan is also home to the museum that houses Leonardo da Vinci's the Last Supper.

Brera District

The Brera district was one of my favorite parts of the city. The historic center is an art hub and had some of my favorite shops and store fronts. This was the Italian Charm I was searching for from galleries, to fruit stands to florists. Pop into Frida's flower shop to admire their spread. Their arrangements are so stunning even Vogue gave them a shout out.

Eat

Since Milan is so far north, Milanese cuisine differs from the food in other parts of Italy. It has more of a European flare and meat, not fish, is the star in most dished. The food is to die for, and so are the cafes!

Last but not least, Shop

No trip to Milan is complete without doing a little shopping. For us, it was a lot of shopping. Start in the gorgeous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and then get lost in the streets of endless stores.