THE 10 BEST Hidden Gem Activities in Milan
Best Milan Hidden Gem Attractions
- Traveler favoritesThings to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.
- Traveler rankingHighest rated attractions on Tripadvisor, based on traveler reviews.
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73 places sorted by traveler favorites
Recommended Hidden Gems (343)
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History Museums • Churches & Cathedrals
Centro Storico
Libraries • Art Museums
Centro Storico
Admission tickets from $18.41
Speciality Museums
Centro Storico
Art Museums
Centro Storico
Admission tickets from $20.08
Points of Interest & Landmarks
Porta Monforte
Historic Sites • Churches & Cathedrals
Centro Storico
Speciality Museums • Architectural Buildings
Zona Buenos Aires
Historic Sites • Religious Sites
Zone 5
Observatories & Planetariums
Centro Storico
Architectural Buildings • Gardens
San Vittore
Speciality Museums
Tortona
Admission tickets from $22.31
Architectural Buildings • Churches & Cathedrals
Centro Storico
Religious Sites
Centro Storico
Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
Centro Storico
What travelers are saying
- Janet C17 contributionsThe frescos in the church from the 16th century were quite something. Especially liked the one depicting Noah's Ark.Written September 18, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Joseph MEast Sandwich, MA2,172 contributionsEveryone buried here has a grand monument to themselves. It is a great stroll to see the monuments as art, a park, and monuments to people by their families (or their own ego). Even the walls of cremated remains have photos and some flair to them.
Bring water -- it was incredibly hot the day we went.Written September 16, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - SteviefullKidderminster, UK1,642 contributionsWe came here as part of our walking tour, passing through the impressive columned courtyard into the eye catching decor inside, with paintings and furniture in excellent condition.
The most intriguing part of the Basilica in my view is the crypt where there are the dressed remains of Saints Ambrose, Gervasus and Protasus which are visible to the public.
A few reasons to visit here so well worth spending an hour here if you have the time.Written September 18, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Gregory WMankato, MN3,352 contributionsVilla Necchi Campiglio is a classic home in the heart of Milan. It is reflects a period of yesteryear with period furnishing, lighting, etc. The gardens are splendid and the restaurant on the property is a pleasant respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.Written July 26, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- ADRIAN KTel Aviv, Israel3 contributionsThis centrally located museum contains an outstanding collection of Leonardo da Vinci drawings, the cartoon preparation for Raphael drawing, School of Athens, bringing together technological innovation to allow viewer to deconstruct the characters, one Caravaggio, one Jan Brueghel, and one da Vinci portrait well worth seeing.Written March 16, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- traveladdict3500Hasselt, Belgium782 contributionsAlthough this little church is so near piazza del Duomo, very little people visit it. That makes it a peacefull, lovely place to be. You enter the church through an iron gate and across a small courtyard. The optical illusion above the altar is a nice surprise.Written April 16, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Elélé8 contributionsNice place to visit. Cheap (as -25 years old in Avril 2023 we payed 3€ each). A quiet place with few people, and lot of paintings to see. There also is a cloakroom for people like us who had a lot of luggages. It displays paintings and explanation about the history of Milan.Written April 30, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Jorge SantisFort Lauderdale, FL3 contributionsThe museum is not large in size but houses a handful of major canvases. Among the major works there is a beautiful Rafael portrait.Written December 27, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- croninpjMelbourne, Australia2 contributionsAn extraordinary opportunity to view how an affluent family lived. The house is not obvious but if found, it opens onto a world from another era. The two brothers who initially lived in the house before the family expanded had a passion for art, a devotion to religion and a penchant for Latin quotes that are easily translatable today. It is beautifully kept and the lay out is in keeping with the way the families lived. A wonderful child's bedroom furniture shows the world is still using the same concepts today.Written July 29, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- manuela gSant Lluis, Spain23 contributionsI did it in 2004 and then I discovered a parallel world made of mental images. Images that live in our own brains that have not difference with the images processed by our own eyes. You'll discover how an impairment could become a resource. Trust me, you'll be disappointed. And you'll give a great help to visual impairment community!Written February 12, 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- he_man_oBellevue, WA56 contributionsbeautiful little ossuary worth a quick stop in. they take a donation at the entrance. not as moody as the Hallstatt or Sedlec ossuaries but still worth a 15 minute stop.Written September 19, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- 𝓝𝓪𝓽𝔂 ® 👑Moscow, Russia114,208 contributionsThe museum was opened in 2003 and is located in a nice house built at the beginning of the 20th century. There is a good collection of contemporary art, mostly paintings and sculptures.Written August 22, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Alessandro FMilan, Italy26,169 contributionsAncient abbey with annexed Cistercian monastery still in use, in the seats of the choir next to the main altar, I could see an old monk sleeping or in prayer with his eyes closed .... he looked like a statue.
Beautiful church which represents one of the first examples of Gothic architecture in Italy. It was consecrated way back in 1221.
Immediately noteworthy as soon as you arrive in the vicinity of the Abbey is the beautiful tower, called Ciribiciaccola.
The nolar tower rises starting from the tiburium, to a height of 9 meters, with two octagonal sections, the first 4.14 meters and the second 12.19, to then become conical for 11.97 metres. From here to the end of the cross, placed on a globe, the height of 56.26 meters is reached.
Each of the zones is in turn divided into two parts which are characterized by the abundance of hanging arches of various shapes, with worked frames and accompanied by white conical pinnacles which delimit the zones. The mullioned, three and four-mullioned windows are made of Candoglia marble (the same as that of the Milan Cathedral), while the single-lancet windows are in terracotta.
The exact date of construction is not known, but it has been dated 1329-1340 and attributed to Francesco Pecorari of Cremona due to the similarity of this work with the other better known ones: the Torrazzo of Cremona and the bell tower of San Gottardo in Milan.
Even the tower was remodeled over the years like the rest of the abbey, and only in 1905 were the eighteenth-century additions removed.
The nolar tower houses the oldest bell mounted in the Ambrosian system, cast by master Glaudio da San Martino in 1453 [15] and still today operated manually by the Cistercian monks, via a rope that hangs in the middle of the intersection between the transept and the nave center of the church. The bell rings to summon the chapter of monks for the liturgy of the hours and during the sanctus of the conventual masses. In honor of San Bernardo di Chiaravalle, the bell is called Bernarda
A plaque in the cloister mentions: «In the year of grace 1135 on 22.1, this monastery was built by the blessed Bernardo, abbot of Chiaravalle: in 1221 this Church was consecrated by Signor Enrico Archbishop of Milan, on 2 May, in honor of S. Maria di Clairvaux."
Over the centuries the church grew, especially the monastery, which saw the birth of two cloisters and several cells for the monks.
In the fifteenth century thanks to the powerful Sforza Visconti family, with artists such as Bramante and Amadeo they built the Chapter and the Great Cloister.
During the Renaissance many painters wanted to leave their traces on these walls, frescoing various works of art. In that period Bernardino Luini also tried his hand,
In the early seventeenth century the Fiammenghini executed other important frescoes.
In 1861, to make room for the railway, the cloister of Bramante was destroyed......
Access to the complex is through a sixteenth-century tower, built at the behest of Louis XII of France, next to which stands the oratory dedicated to San Bernardo where you can admire the fresco of Christ before Pilate, once attributed to Flemish Hieronymus Bosch and today assigned to the Swiss Hans Witz, who was court painter in the years of Galeazzo Maria Sforza.
The square in front of the church gradually widens as one approaches it, while it is narrow immediately after the entrance. Note, on the left, a small church dedicated to San Bernardo, dating back to 1412 and later adapted to an apothecary following the construction in 1762 of another church, also dedicated to the saint, on the opposite side attached to the old guesthouse.
The facade of the church is the one prior to the seventeenth-century renovation, in fact restored in 1926 to bring to light the original project. In the current structure and in particular in the two side entrances, the signs of the renovation and some architectural elements that are not well integrated with the rest of the structure can still be seen. The seventeenth-century entrance narthex is still preserved. It replaces the thirteenth-century original, of which the side walls are preserved.
It has the traditional hut shape, with the frame supported by small terracotta arches; the white stone of the seventeenth-century facade still remains, clearly out of tune with the rest of the project. The three arches are aligned with the entrances.
After passing the thirteenth-century door, you immediately notice the Latin cross plan, arranged on three naves with a cross vault, supported by small terracotta pillars on the sides, and with a flat apse. The main body is made up of four bays, while a smaller fifth forms the presbytery. The arms of the transept are formed by two rectangular bays, while the crossing is deformed by the dome of the tower. Once you reach the fourth span, you can see the rectangular pillars connected to a wall that supports the choir.
The choir is a wonderful example of wooden art
He enters itWritten December 4, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - jordanellie41Bolton, UK1,017 contributionsThis church/monastery is outside of the city centre and requires a bus journey of around 15 minutes. Unfortunately the monastery part of the building was not open but the journey was worthwhile as the exterior of the church had wonderful domes, steeples and pillars which were charming. The inside is breathtaking with murals all over the walls and ceiling along with a magnificent alter.Written September 24, 2018This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Corrado RVedano al Lambro, Italy1,041 contributionsThis is a probably little known juwel in Milan center, close to Porta Venezia.
It is a wonderful planetarium featuring one of the 4 most sophisticated Karl Zeiss projectors that create a fantastic sky dome.
It was gifted by the Hoepli family and it it over 70 years old.
Just at the dome horizon there is a fantastic representation of MIlan buildings, creating a wonderful skyline view when lighted.Written February 8, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
