Milano Design Week 2022 is starting and the city is full of creative ferment. For seven days Milano will be the place to be to get inspired, find new ideas, interact with creatives and artists of the design industry. During the Salone del Mobile.Milano and Fuorisalone, Milano comes alive with installations, exhibits, parties and events in showrooms, courtyards, old factories, night venues in all the neighborhoods of the city.

The week devoted to industrial design is also an excellent opportunity to rediscover tourist attractions and city rituals. For this, we have collected 100 things to do in Milano during the Milano Design Week. Can you do’em all?

Milano Design Week 2022: locations and events

#1-#10 You already have the 10 Best Things to be done during this year’s Design Week, from the spectacular installations in the courtyards of the State University of Milano to the garden floating in the Darsena designed by the Boeri architecture studio. Once you’ve done’em all, it’s time to enjoy other Fuorisalone events.

So, let's get started with #11, the number of great Italian directors who have made 11 auteur films to be screened at the Scatola Magica (Magic Box) on display at Palazzo Reale (M1 Duomo): a monumental site-specific film installation awaits you in Sala delle Cariatidi.

 

#12: what’s the relationship between objective time and subjective time? Explore it with Stark at the Milano Civic Aquarium (M2 Lanza), in one of the most interesting installations in the Brera Design District. And then go to Palazzo Turati (M1 Cordusio) for #13, to see how Dutch designers have transformed one of the most monumental courtyards in Milano.

 

Rossana Orlandi occupies #14 with the question: is the metaverse really waste-free? The answer lies in the NFT and Meta works of international artists and designers shown the collective exhibit called Meta-Waste.

 

Design spaces and transform them with light: go to the Stelline Foundation in Via Magenta (M1/M2 Cadorna FN), to immerse yourself in the Steven Scott Odyssey exhibition. The exhibition is joined by the world premiere screening of Scott's monumental art film Triptych. And that's #15.

 

#16: If you really need a break, stop for an espresso in the coffee shop of the Brera Art Museum, it doesn’t get any classier than this.

 

#17: Walk around Brera and in Via Fiori Oscuri 3 you’ll find what happens when craftsmanship meets street art in "Blow: Bradley Theodore Meets Murano".

 

Then, to see a large-scale mural painting, look out for Truly Design Crew’s temporary public art intervention at Opificio 31, in the Tortona Design District. It is part of the Tortona Rocks project: meet the other creative dwellers between Via Bugatti, Via Tortona, Via Savona and Via Bergognone.

Now you can tick off #18 and move on to #19, #20 and #21 on the list, because in the European Time Zone these are party hours in Milano. On 8 June, the Design Pride will take place in 5Vie and every evening there is We Will Design Music at BASE, the public coworking and creativity space in Via Bergognone 34, and at the former Necchi Factory of Baranzate which hosts the Zavantem Ateliers: expecet, events, parties and DJ sets when the sun goes down.

Milano, City of Design

OK, you’re surviving the Milano Design Week and that's no small feat. But you will soon discover that the roads of design are endless in Milano. #22: put on a pair of comfortable shoes and find out why, every day of the year, Milano is the capital of design.

 

#23: Start by visiting the ADI Museum, which, in addition to the exhibits “Podium 16”, “Olivetti’s Compasso d'Oro”, and “Marco Zanuso and Alessandro Mendini: Design and Architecture”, features a rich program of installations and cultural events for the Design Week. Then it is the turn of the Milano Triennale Museum, #24, a temple for art, design and architecture in Parco Sempione. Also check out the Franco Albini Foundation (#25) and the Achille Castiglioni Studio Museum (#26).

 

In Milano, also public squares have the imprinting of design. Some have redone their look to be more pedestrian-friendly, as well as contemporary, colorful and fun. Like Piazzale Archinto (#27), the heart the Isola District and its alternative subcultures, or Piazza Olivetti (#28), green and technological, which lies at the heart of Symbiosis, the new business district in the Scalo Romana area next to the Prada Foundation.

#29: play wireless phone or the metal harp in Piazza Compasso D'Oro. If you prefer ping pong and a drkin, you have to go to Piazza Arcobaleno in Nolo - and it's #30.

Milano Attractions

For #31 go and visit the arch-symbol of Milano, the Duomo: go up on the terraces to have one of the most beautiful views of the city at sunset. Then go down to the square and look at the facade: can you spot the Statue of Liberty among the sculptures above the front door? If so, skip #32 and go straight to #33.

 

Milano also has its superstitious rituals: go to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and find the image of the bull on the floor. Tradition has it that if you place the right heel on its testicles and spin around three times, you’ll have personal luck and fortune.

 

Fill up with beauty at #34, #35 and #36: until June 26 at Palazzo Reale you can visit the exhibit “Joaquin Sorolla, Painter of Light”, and next to it there is Museo del Novecento, with its rich collection of modern and contemporary art. And finally enter the miniature "Sistine Chapel" of Milano: the Church of San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore in Corso Magenta 15.

 

The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, in the refectory of the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie is nearby (book the entrance in advance). But other immortal artworks in the city are Michelangelo's Pietà Rondanini at Castello Sforzesco and Il Bacio by Hayez and Mantegna’s Dead Christ at the Brera Pinacothèque. And this makes for #37, #38, #39.

 

Move to #40: take a photo of the giant mushrooms in Carsten Holler's Upside Down Mushroom Room and discover the other wonders of the Fondazione Prada for the visual arts (M3 Brenta). While you're at it, stop for a snack or a drink at Bar Luce, designed by visionary film director Wes Anderson (#41).

 

#42: Discover another industrial plant transformed into a “culture factory”, visit the Pirelli HangarBicocca contemporary art space (M5 Ponale and feel small in front of Kiefer's Seven Heavenly Palaces.

 

#43: Explore the potential of digital art at MEET, the city’s center for Internet culture, in the Porta Venezia rainbow neighborhood, epicenter of Milano’s Pride Month (M1 P.ta Venezia).

Live Milano like a local

With a brunch in one of the Brera cafés and an aperitivo on the Navigli canals, #44 and #45 are the basics to make you feel like a real Milanese.

 

Then, let's raise the level. #46: the Milanese like to go downtown to buy a book, to read perhaps on a tram or on a bench in the greenery of one of the many parks and gardens of the city. Discover a bounty of bookstores and libraries: Milano is also the capital of Italian publishing.

 

#47: In Milano people are always running. And not just to go to work. Wake up and start the day with some jogging in Parco Sempione.

 

#48: Milano is inclusive and welcoming, tolerant and cosmopolitan. Embrace the spirit of the LGBTQ city by touring Porta Venezia, the neighborhood where diversity and inclusion are celebrated in bars and clubs during the month ending with Italy’s biggest Pride Parade (Milano Pride, July 2).

 

#49: Milano is becoming increasingly green and attentive to environmental sustainability. The born-and-bred Milanese like to cycle around: take advantage of the many bike sharing services.

 

Pedal to #50, you are halfway there. The Milanese are proud of the new architecture that adds to the city’s skyline: take a tour from Porta Nuova to CityLife to see Milano’s new skyscrapers.

Unusual, secret and curious places in Milano

There is a secret Milano. It is located behind the gates of noble palaces and in the most secluded streets downtown. Like the Brera Botanical Garden, an evocative secret garden behind the Pinacoteca, where you can find the Feeling the Energy installation.

 

#52. Have you seen the wildly bright TOILETPAPER STREET in Via Balzaretti and it wasn't enough for you? Take a tour of Ortica to see OR.ME Project: 20 mural works mixing social history and urban art by the Orticanoodles collective. 

 

#53. Speaking of colors, have you ever been to Via Lincoln? Some have nicknamed it "the Milanese Burano".

If the answer is yes, then go to #54 and get lost in the streets of the Quadrilatero del Silenzio, near Palestro: you have noticed that behind the hedges that hide the facade of Villa Invernizzi, in Via Cappuccini 7, lives a small colony of pink flamingos?

 

Continue straight towards Via Serbelloni. At number 10, there is huge ear sticking out of the wall (#55), then the art deco swimming pool of Villa Necchi, one of the most beautiful museum houses in the city (#56). Photograph everything and post in on social media (with the #yesmilano hashtag, obviously) and look for #57: you have surely heard of Bosco Verticale, the famous green skyscraper, but perhaps you have not yet seen the vertical garden in Via Mozart. It is Villa Zanoletti, entirely covered with ivy and other climbing plants.

 

Speaking of surprises, #58: in Via Malpighi 3, look up and admire the beautiful women painted on the facade of Casa Galimberti, the most beautiful example of Art Nouveau architecture in Milano.

 

#59: Did you know that the barbarians lived 500 meters from the Duomo? To be precise, there are eight giant brutes standing out on the facade of Palazzo Leoni-Calchi, Via Omenoni 3.

 

#60: Walk towards Via Larga, and armed with courage, enter the church of San Bernardino alle Ossa, whose crypt is one of the most macabre things you’ll ever see.

 

#61: If the devil wears Prada, he also has a residence in Milano. In fact, wait at the door of Palazzo Acerbi, in Corso Porta Romana 3 (M3 Missori), and see if he comes out. While you wait, have fun looking at the cannonball embedded in the facade.

Other demonic presences are at #62: outside the Basilica of St. Ambrose (M2 Sant’Ambrogio), a severed stone column has two clearly visible holes. It’s Lucifer's horns that got stuck there when the Saint spurned him.

What to do in Milano after sunset

When the monuments light up and the sun goes down, the skyscrapers sparkle in the dark and the lights of the clubs and buildings are reflected on the waters of the Navigli canals, Milano takes a whole new charm.

 

#63: Dress elegantly and book a ticket for a concert at La Scala, the most famous opera theater of the world.

 

#64: Get off at the M1 Cairoli metro stop and take a photo of the Castello Sforzesco: in the evening it has a whole different charm.

 

#65: Have you ever seen Milano shine from above? When evening falls, climb to the top of the Branca Tower, in Parco Sempione, and enjoy the show.

 

#66: Admire the changing looks of the new Milano at night in Piazza Gae Aulenti, facing Garibaldi train station: the Unicredit Tower, Italy's tallest skyscraper, and the Unicredit Pavilion, an auditorium that hosts concerts, events and exhibitions are at the heart of the new and glittering Porta Nuova District.

 

#67: Visit a museum. There are several open until late once a week in Milano, especially during the summer. Like the MUDEC, the Museum of the world’s cultures, in the Tortona Design District, designed by British architect David Chipperfield.

 

#68: Go dancing at Balera dell’Ortica, Via Giovanni Antonio Amadeo 78, a ballroom that is a throwback to the last century and the Milanese economic miracle.

Milano nightlife

Work hard, party hard: this is Milano’s philosophy. So immerse yourself in Milano's nightlife, choosing what's right for you. Go to Brera for an international atmosphere (#69).

 

If you are a young fashionista, then choose the venues along Corso Sempione (#70) or the discos of Corso Como (#71). To listen to excellent jazz, move to the Isola district, after Bosco Verticale (#72), while heading south you reach Porta Romana to spend the evening in the company of other musical genres: rock, ambient, 80's style. And we are at #73.

 

For #74, just a tip: it's late, see you tomorrow morning for the right awakening in the park.

Milano and its green parks

Milano has turned into a green city. Parks, secret gardens, botanical gardens offer a relaxing break and the opportunity to spend a day outdoors doing sports.

 

Start the day with a sun salutation and a yoga session at BAM - the Library of the Trees, a contemporary garden by the Porta Nuova skyscrapers (#75). For #76, organize a picnic in Parco Sempione, that green lung between the Arco della Pace and the Castello Sforzesco. While you're there, here's a treasure hunt: find the Little Mermaid bridge and find out why it’s popular with lovers. 

 

In the shadow of the CityLife skyscrapers, walk across ArtLine, an open-air park filled with contemporary art sculpture and installations (#77).

 

#78: join the runners and cyclists puffing along the slopes of Monte Stella, the hill surrounded by a park near the San Siro stadium. Even short-track runners and triathlon athletes train there!

 

You definitely deserve to sit back and relax now. With the #79 we make you sit on the longest bench in the world. It is located by the pond of Parco del Portello, a new urban development in northwestern ​​Milano (M5 Portello).

Milano and the outdoors

Milano is a beautiful city to live in the outdoors. #80 and #81: Explore the Navigli by boat and by bicycle: you will see another Milano.

#82: There is no seaside in Milano, but you can always go to the Idroscalo beach for surfing and wakeboarding. Or, you can take a dip in artsy swimming pools of the 1930s (#83), such as the 100-meter municipal swimming pool in Via Ponzio or Bagni Misteriosi, the baths with pool managed by the Franco Parenti Theater, where you can stop in the evening for an atmospheric aperitif.

Eat and drink in Milano

One thing is sure: those who love food and cuisine cannot but love Milano. Taste the city with us!

Who said panettone can only be eaten at Christmas? #84, go to the pastry shops in Milano and try a slice of the typical dessert cake of the city.

 

Do not deprive yourself of the delectable pleasure of tasting the city dish, Risotto alla Milanese, made yellow by saffron (#85). 

 

Aperitivo after 6pm is something of a civic duty (#86 on your list). Impossible not to give in to one the most pleasant of city rituals. Where to go? The city center has great cocktail bars, and so do Isola and Corso Garibaldi, but if you want to do things right, order a Negroni Sbagliato at Bar Basso, where the cocktail was invented (and we are at #87).

 

For dinner, indulge and splurge: book a table in a ritzy starred restaurant (#88). Or eat ethnic food in the streets where restaurants and take-aways concentrate in the city (#89, #90, #91 on the list): Cantonese and Shanghainese cuisine in Via Paolo Sarpi, Milano's Chinatown, Eritrean restaurants in Porta Venezia and Peruvian eateries in NoLo, Arab and Turkish cuisine in Via Imbonati, and more!

 

#92: Like the Boqueria in Barcelona or the Mercado da Ribeira in Lisbon, Milano has a number of covered public market, where you can shop for food and eat a good meal on the premises.

 

#93: Perhaps you will be surprised to know that in Milano you can also dine at a farmhouse

 

It’s #94, and maybe you’re a little disoriented: search for your favorite area/cuisine and book a restaurant on the portal.

Shopping in Milano

Milano is a city with style. Find the one that suits you best by walking around the shops in the one of the world’s fashion capitals: to find out what's trending now on the catwalks, explore the Fashion Quadrangle in Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, Via del Gesù, for classic as well as eccentric fashion creations, #95. Note: in the side streets of the Quadrilatero, there are fashion outlets and emerging stylists’ stores that offer affordable prices. And while you're there, visit some of the most beautiful courtyards and house museums of Milano (#96).

 

With point #97 we take you to the heart of Fuorisalone the Tortona Design District (M2 Porta Genova), with many shops with a vintage allure, where you can find unique 100% Made in Italy fashion & design creations.

 

#98: if you go for the alternative urban style the the 90s look, there is casual fashion shopping in Via Torino and the second-hand garments sold in Corso Porta Ticinese and Viale Papiniano (M2 Sant’Agostino).

 

A little secret, #99: the Milanese like to find unique fashion items in vintage shops and street markets (second hand is fashionable and also sustainable). In Milano you will find several ones: from the flea markets in Porta Genova and Bovisa stations at the two opposite ends of the city, to the Sunday antiques market along the Naviglio Grande and the hipsters’ East Market in Via Mecenate, go hunting for rarities and curiosities. 

 

#100: Just rest; you've earned it.