A day in the heartbeat of glamour, Milano

By Txell Borràs, University of Bocconi, Milan, Italy

Most of us grew up captivated by the glittering allure of teen dramas such as Gossip Girl or Sex and the City. These shows didn’t just entertain us; they ignited a desire deep within to feel like the main character in a buzzing city, with vibrant nightlife, the endless string of events, glamour and fashion. If there’s one city where this dream comes vividly to life, it’s Milan.

Life in Milan on a weekend feels like an absolute movie.

Morning: The Perfect Start

You wake up around 9am, have your Mediterranean breakfast at home and get ready to go for a coffee in the city centre with your friends. Bear in mind, there are no sweatpants and crocs in Milan (they have not discovered comfort yet). Everyday outfit has to slay, because once you leave your apartment you enter a proper fashion show. You put on your MUST WEAR sunglasses, and you are ready to go.

Once you reach the city centre you will find as many cafes as you can dream of, all of them with outside tables to enjoy your espresso macchiato with a biscottini. You will not see a single Starbucks coffee with ice, milk, and a tone of syrup, that would definitely be a dealbreaker between you and Italy. You can then enjoy the views of a morning in Milan, straddle around il Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuelle and feel like Carrie Bradshaw in one of her events; it is pure glamour and luxury.

Afternoon: Pasta, Pizza & Art

For a true Milanese experience, walk from il Duomo to the truest Italian, romantic, and cozy neighbourhood in Milan: Brera. There you will find many small, warm, local restaurants with unbelievably good food. Sit in the terrace with your friends and enjoy a good cup of wine with a pasta such as risotto alla milanesa or a homemade pizza.  

Then, with a full stomach, go to any of the amazing museums that Milan has to offer; Milan is the capital of fashion and art, so spending the afternoon in a museum is a must. There is the Novecento Museum, the Pinacoteca di Brera and so many others, but if you are a fashion lover, I certainly recommend visiting the Giorgio Armani Museum. You will find a five-story building that goes from an exposition of several photographs from different campaigns on the ground floor, to three floors full of clothing from different seasons from 1970s to 2020s, to the final floor with a digital gallery with every design sketch, the final product, and pictures of celebrities who worn them.

Evening: Socializing & Nightlife

After your visit at the museum, at around 5 or 6pm, starts the best moment of the day: the aperitivo. Surely you have seen endless videos of people in Italy, sitting at a terrace at Navigli (the “Venice” of Milan due to its canals), sipping their Aperol Spritz and looking fabulous. It’s your turn now! The best part of it all is that not only do you get to enjoy your drink but it comes with a full platter of cheeses and charcuterie. Relax, gossip, and enjoy your food!

Finally, Milan always has something going on to end the perfect day, from fashion shows, premieres, concerts at il Duomo or at Parco Sempione, or simply glamorous clubs with a buzzing ambiance. For a more low-key relaxed evening, you can always have dinner with your friends around Porta Romana or, one of my favourite plans, just use the excuse of being in Italy to go to your friends house and cook some homemade pizza!