Close Menu
  • City trips
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Mauritius
      • Morocco
      • Namibia
    • Asia
      • China
      • India
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Maldives
      • Oman
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
    • Australia
      • New South Wales
      • New Zealand
      • Queensland
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Bulgary
      • Croatia
      • Cyprus
      • Czech Republic
      • England
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Italy
      • Lithuania
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
        • Azores
      • Russia
      • Spain
        • Ibiza
        • Lanzarote
        • Mallorca
      • Switzerland
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Mexico
  • Hotel tipps
  • Swiss hiking
Recent Posts
  • Istrian Gourmet Experiences: 3 Stellar Restaurants + Our Wishlist for Next Time
  • What to Do Around Trieste: From Fairy-Tale Castles to Spectacular Caves, and Slovenia’s Capital
  • What to Do in Trieste: Explore Italy’s Coffee Capital One Cup at a Time
  • Madeira, the Island of Flowers: 19 Tips for Activities and Attractions.
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS
  • Home
  • About us
  • Media kit
  • Contact
  • Privacy policy
travelmemo
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
  • Home
  • Commendable hotels
  • Golf
  • Restaurants
  • Hiking
  • City Trips
travelmemo
You are at:Home»Italy»EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan!
Italy

EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan!

Letizia LorenzettiBy Letizia LorenzettiJuly 19, 201505 Mins Read
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 1 | travel memo
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

Don’t forget Milan? That’s right, seriously. It just seemed impossible to me to spend a whole day only focusing on EXPO 2015 and absorbing impressions on the EXPO grounds. That’s why we treated ourselves to a daily portion of Milan. Here are three bites of the city that I found fascinating.

UniCredit, Republica, Milan

The first day, right after our arrival on the lookout for a restaurant lunch, we strolled down the Via Vittor Pisani that starts at the main train station. At Republica the following the street vista opened up before us:

My mother called out “good lord,” shocked by such a brutal architecture. We all had a good laugh about it. That we’d keep coming across these buildings later on again and again and that they would actually help us orient ourselves is something we did not anticipate at that moment.

Piazza del Duomo – Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Something that I find is a must-do is to stand in the square in front of the Milan Cathedral.

IMG_2508_duomo_milano_konzert_radio_italia

The square was full of people; the stage for a big concert took up nearly all of it. I absolutely wanted to stroll through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II — not necessarily to be awed window shopping the luxury stores but rather to look at the dome and at the crazy floor pattern. I got an eyeful of what I had imagined.

EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 2 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 3 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 4 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 5 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 6 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 7 | travel memo

At the end of the passage my father discovered a Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit which we spontaneously included in our itinerary. Incidentally a similar exhibit will soon travel to Switzerland. From the Piazza della Scala across the Via Santa Margherita with a gelato stop at GROM we sauntered back to the Cathedral and there disappeared again into the underground metro. We caught a train for our next target, the Navigli and a prospective lunch.

I went astray once more in confusing the Porta Venezia with Porta Ticino. But as compensation, we discovered a terrific vegan restaurant. RADICETONDA made it onto Marie Claire’s list of the”10 vegan restaurants that you need to put on your bucket list.“ Ha! We found it without trying or even knowing about it.

Porta Garibaldi and Chinatown

In the run up for this trip, a friend had commended a radio broadcast by Bayern 2 to me. That’s how I found out about Milan’s Chinatown. It promised to be fairly exotic, so we went there by metro direction Porta Garibaldi. A quick orientation and then we simply followed the Asians who led us perfectly right into its center. If you don’t have anyone you can follow, you can also get to the heart of Milan’s Chinatown on Tram No. 14. It is a narrow street filled with small shops. You’ll see kitsch cheek by jowl with antique handicrafts in their windows. A vibrant, Asian city district.

EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 8 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 9 | travel memo

On the way back we wound up on the Piazza XXV Aprile. Serendipitously, the Corso Como that starts there took us directly back to the imposing building that had prompted my mother’s “good lord” on the first day.

UniCredit Piazza Gae Aulenti Milano

This enormous developing area is called Porta Nuova. The hanging gardens, modern architecture and the mega project under development surprised, astonished, and fascinated us very much. It is a parcel of monumental, modern architecture and not at all classical Italian.

EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 10 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 11 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 12 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 13 | travel memo

The Navigli

My hairdresser was the source for this secret tip. He recommended it for the place to have dinner, to stroll and just to be. The Navigli, or Canals, once upon a time were Milan’s transport arteries. Today this area is booming and there’s lots of action here, especially evenings.

IMG_2863_navigli_milano

On Saturday morning we took the metro to Porta Genova. I had to smile when I discovered a discreet handbill with “NAVIGLI” on it at one of the exits that presumably was designed to show tourists the way. We reached the canal on Via Casale and that’s where we discovered the flea market that wound along its bank. We strolled by the stands and hardly noticed how the time passed. A bit hungry by noon time, we happened on the MERCATO METROPOLITANO. My father steered us unerringly to the grounds. We enjoyed ourselves hugely here. We were enthralled by the animated goings on in this big market hall. Here we encountered sustainability, innovation, and vitality.

mercato metropolitano Milano

EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 14 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 15 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 16 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 17 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 18 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 19 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 20 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 21 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 22 | travel memo

But instead we had lunch in the garden of IL MONTALCINO. I prepared the Insalata di carciofi freschi con parmigiano stagionato from the recipe at home but regrettably neglected to photograph it.

EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 23 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 24 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 25 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 26 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 27 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 28 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 29 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 30 | travel memo
EXPO 2015 MILAN – Let’s not forget about Milan! 31 | travel memo

More culinary tips

Manuela Tulli of Railtour recommends Mamma Rosa. I would very much have liked to try the cuisine at Trattoria Madonnina, would have liked to visit the Pavé Bakery and in Giulio Pane e Ojo no doubt they would have fed us well. Too bad we were out of time, but there’s always next time. Gelato by GROM we did try twice and were delighted

City Trip Expo 2015
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Previous ArticleEXPO 2015 MILAN – Gems that dazzle
Next Article Longing for Sylt – Wicker beach chairs by the sea
Letizia Lorenzetti
  • Website
  • Facebook

Letizia Lorenzetti travels to the most prestigous places on Earth on a daily basis as she is a graphics artist freelancing for a Swiss tour operator. But when time is up she loves to take to cities she doesn't know yet. Besides of their history she is fascinated by their modern contrast and everyday life. Letizia likes to loose time in museums and is awed as much in front of architecture as well as nature.

Related Posts

What to Do Around Trieste: From Fairy-Tale Castles to Spectacular Caves, and Slovenia’s Capital

May 24, 2025

What to Do in Trieste: Explore Italy’s Coffee Capital One Cup at a Time

May 21, 2025

Sardinian Shores Unveiled: An Unforgettable Self-Guided Boat Journey Along the Rugged East Coast

December 2, 2023
Add A Comment
Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Travel along to inspiring destinations
Welcome to our travel blog! Katja & Walter are passionate about one-of-a-kind travel experiences.



We aim at inspiring you to travel, too, and see your own world with new eyes. Check out more about us here!

Travel blog on one-of-a-kind travel experiences.

About us
About us

Katja and Walter are passionate travel bloggers that care about design and boutique hotels and the personalised experience they offer. Their travelogues cater to discerning couples interested in a stylish atmosphere and romantic hideaways.

Walter & Katja founded the travel blog back in 2010.

Read more about us here!

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube RSS
Our latest travelogues

Istrian Gourmet Experiences: 3 Stellar Restaurants + Our Wishlist for Next Time

What to Do Around Trieste: From Fairy-Tale Castles to Spectacular Caves, and Slovenia’s Capital

What to Do in Trieste: Explore Italy’s Coffee Capital One Cup at a Time

Madeira, the Island of Flowers: 19 Tips for Activities and Attractions.

Hiking in Madeira: discover the breathtaking beauty of the Island of Flowers

Sardinian Shores Unveiled: An Unforgettable Self-Guided Boat Journey Along the Rugged East Coast

Southern Sardinia Uncovered: From Cagliari’s Charms and Chia’s Flamingos to the Beaches of Costa Rei

Sardinia’s Eastern Shores: Discovering Orosei and the Hidden Beaches from Cala Liberotto to Cala Goloritzé

Our travel topics
Alps (54) Animals (15) Architecture (38) Beach (33) Boutique Hotel (73) City Trip (39) Contributions (30) Country House (17) Culture (26) Design (69) Dinner (23) Experience (38) Flight (9) Golf (18) Gourmet (35) Hiking (21) Itinerary (9) Lake (16) Landscape (74) Lodge (24) Luxury (63) Masseria (9) Mr and Mrs Smith (15) Museum (9) Nature (102) Puglia (13) Relais & Châteaux (16) Relax (13) Rental Car (26) Resort (31) Restaurant (42) Road Trip (9) Rural (23) Safari (21) Shopping (9) Singapore (9) Spa-Wellness (47) Summer (8) Swiss Deluxe Hotels (16) Sydney (11) Tour (28) Wilderness Safaris (8) Winter (22) Zermatt (12) Zurich (13)
Join us in inspiring destinations!

Welcome to our travel blog!

Katja & Walter are passionate about one-of-a-kind travel experiences.

We aim at inspiring you to travel, too, and see your own world with new eyes. Check out more about us here!

© travelmemo.com by Walter Schaerer & Katja Birrer
  • Home
  • About us
  • Media kit
  • Contact
  • Privacy policy
© 2010 - 2025 Travelmemo, Zurich, Switzerland
  • Home
  • About us
  • Media kit
  • Contact
  • Privacy policy

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.