Milan: Overrated Tourist Destination

I bet many of you are planning  to visit Milan  and wondering what this city  has to offer. In this blog, I would like to share with you  some of  my experiences and insights about this famous place.

As you may know, Milan  is best known for its cosmopolitan and sophisticated lifestyle and  has been dubbed as the Fashion Capital of Italy. Due to  media hype, the city  has gained its popularity and  has been glamorized in many years, especially with its yearly  international event : Milan Fashion Week, thus making it an overrated city in my opinion.

Long before I got the opportunity to travel  to the fashion capital, I had been greatly influenced  by what  I always  read, and heard about this city. Many documentary and mainstream films I´ve seen in the past  featuring Milan were  contributing factors in shaping my ``desire´´ to visit the place. In fact, it was a filipino film, entitled ``Milan´´ that  really  kicked up my interest. The  excitment kept growing after  settling down in  a nearby city in Europe, since I  knew  I was only few steps closer towards fulfilling my desire. Then in March 2011, I finally found  myself exploring the city of Lombardy --  The fashion capital   unfolded right before my eyes!

One of the main  tourists attractions in Milan that I got to visit  is the Duomo,  which is the fourth largest cathedral in the world and the largest in Italy.  Unknown to many, it took  almost 6 centuries to complete  and contains more than 3,500 statues  and   52 enormous columns inside. This masterpiece is  indeed  breathtaking and  an ideal  place if you wish  to get a bird´s eye view of the city center..

Another popular place is The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II Arcade , which is the oldest shopping center in Italy, dating back to 1867 and  a popular hangout to unwind, for both  tourists and locals  alike. To be honest, it was a bit disappointing as it was not something  I had expected. It  was just an   ordinary  arcade filled with expensive  restaurants and shops. And much to my chagrin, I didn´t find anything special about the place.. In short, it was flat and boring, to say the least. The only thing that made my day during my visit to the arcade was the bull mosaic on the ground. Legend holds that stepping on the bull's testicles brings good luck and  I was one of the tourists who lined up to give it a try:))

Other famous places are  the Theatre Museum at La Scala , a world-famous opera house and the 15th-century Sforzesco Castle's Museum of Historic Art.  The Gallery of Modern Art is also a major attraction and the Pinacoteca di Brera exhibits collections of medieval and Renaissance art, including the work of Napoleon.

The crux of the question : Does Milan  offer other important  attractions apart from  what has been mentioned  above?  Unfortunately, I couldn´t think of anything else that I find  significantly interesting. Nothing else is of artistic importance, so to speak. However, I would like to reiterate  that the place coud be a perfect getaway  for anyone  loaded with money and who love designer brands  as well , since Milan offers   a plethora of international high end designer shops. One important shopping district in Milan is Quadrilattero della Moda, where many well-known fashion designers have their high-end boutiques and stores from Italian designers to all the world famous brands.You name it and the place  has it.....from  Italian brands such as Bvlagri, Gucci, Prada, Fendi,  and Versace down to  international labels, such as Jimmy Choo, Michael Kors , Chanel , and LV

Overall, Milan lacks the artistic elements. In fact, many tourists who have been to this city  think that it  is the least beautiful compared to other Italian cities. The city is filled with run down old - looking buildings , which detract from its overall beauty and not to mention, it  doesn´t offer so many activities and places of attraction for anyone to come back , except for shopping . But, I have to give Milan a credit though, for its great and palettable cuisine and ``aperetivo´´, a happy hour   in Milan, where you can enjoy   an `` eat-all-you-can´´ dinner once you buy a drink for  only 8 to 10 euros. But,  in general,  I think Milan is just overrated and   media -hyped .It is not  what it is cracked up to be. In other words, , you never know  what  the place is really like until you experience it....