Milan, Italy

It has been suggested that the Milan metropolitan area is part of the so-called Blue Banana, the area of Europe with the highest population and industrial density.

Where is it?
Is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital ofLombardy. The city is well known for several international events and fairs, including Milan Fashion Week and the Milan Furniture Fair, the largest of its kind in the world. Milan is home to two of the world's major football teams, A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano.

When to visit.
Milan doesnt really have any high or low seasons. Major international events such as fashion weeks flood the town and drive prices sky-high.. The Italians do tend to take off on holiday themselves in August so quite a few hotels and restaurants shut and the city can be stiflingly hot. The best weather is probably in April/May and September.

What to do. Where to eat.

In Milan, the fashion crowd love to dine della and at Bice powerlunches occur among the buzz of a traditional Milanese trattoria. 10 Corso Como, the famous fashion concept store, also houses a restaurant as chic and eclectic as the gallery-cum-shop-cumfashion destination.

A few doors away is Alla Cucina delle Langhe. Dont let the homely dcor fool you you might spot the likes of Tom Ford chowing down on osso bucco

Where to stay.
The chic Armani Hotel echoes the designers aesthetic tasteful neutrals, understated elegance and a sense of (prohibitive) luxury. Perch on a cream leather seat at the Bamboo Bar for some topnotch people-watching. From 500 (armanihotels.com) Housed in a 19th-century neoclassical railway station, the rooms at Maison Moschino are as playful as youd expect from this fun loving fashion house. Think bedposts made from trees and origami clouds hanging from your ceiling. From 221 (maisonmoschino.com) In Milan, the fashion crowd love to dine della nonna grandmas cooking and at Bice power-lunches occur among the buzz of a traditional Milanese trattoria (bicemilano.it) 10 Corso Como, the famous fashion concept store, also houses a restaurant as chic and eclectic as the gallery-cum-shop-cumfashion destination (10corsocomo.com/milano) A few doors away is Alla Cucina delle Langhe. Dont let the homely dcor fool you you might spot the likes of Tom Ford chowing down on osso bucco (trattoriaalle langhe.com)

How to travel.
Milan has an excellent integrated transport system with a metro, an excellent network of trams and buses, and plenty of taxis. A fairly large chunk of the historic centre is a pedestrian zone, so you need to fan out to the sides to pick up transport, but there is always a taxi rank or metro station within easy walking distance. Prices are extremely cheap. The City Sightseeing Tour is also an excellent way to get around the tourist hotspots.