Navigli

The Navigli district is one of the most visited in Milan. It's cosmopolitan, bohemian and lively, especially in the evenings when the cafés on the canals are full of the young, fashionable people enjoying happy hour.

Between Porta Genova and Porta Ticinese either explore the area on foot or take a trip on one of the tourist boats that navigate the Naviglio Grande and the Naviglio Pavese. For a particularly lovely walk we recommend the Darsena which was restored for Expo 2015, where there are lots of bars and cafés and a small covered market.

There are lots of lively little restaurants, pubs and authors' cafés, ethnic stalls and casual chic boutiques. You only need to walk up a side road to leave the noise of the city behind you and rediscover a corner of Milan from time gone by.

Not far from Naviglio Grande is Via Argelati, a little Amsterdam, unmissable by moonlight. One of the quaintest parts is Vicolo dei Lavandai, tucked away in a side street off the Naviglio Grande. In the side streets you'll often see characteristic tenement blocks with their flower-filled balconies all around, facing onto a courtyard.

For a boat trip, head for the Alzaia on the Naviglio Grande. And what about Ripa di Porta Ticinese? Particularly stunning at sunset, it has been listed as one of the prettiest streets in Europe by the New York Times.