Whether buying or just looking, shopping is a real pleasure in Milan. As well as the window displays of the leading national and international fashion designers you can find small shops throughout the city. Shops are generally smart and stylish, expecially in the city centre, as good design is highly regarded in Italy and Milan is one of the most affluent cities.
The clothes shops of Milan are known all over the world because of their associations with famous Italian fashion designers, whose outlets are all within the area between Via Manzoni, Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga and Via Sant'Andrea, the so-called quadrilatero della moda. This city centre fashion district is stormed by Italians and foreigners alike in search of the latest fashion items.
However, Milan is not just about expensively priced goods and the true secret of pleasurable shopping can lay in discovering the less well-known shops which offer good prices and high standards of quality.
Milan is the acknowledged capital of interior and industrial design and a paradise for enthusiast, who can spend their free time browsing in the numerous shops and showrooms throughout the city. Every spring the Salone del Mobile, the famous Milan furniture fair attracts all the top designers and trade buyers.
The lovers of antiques will love the Brera and Navigli quarters, where regular outdoor antique markets are held even if Milan has numerous antique shops and workshops.
Milan has some good specialist outdoor markets. The Mercato dell'Antiquariato, held on the last Sunday of the month at the Naviglio Grande, is an extensive antique market with more than four hundred exhibitors offering antique objects and bric-a-brac. Every Saturday at the Darsena on Viale D'Annunzio there is the Fiera di Senigallia, where you can find almost anything, from clothing to records and ethnic handcrafts. Don't miss the Mercato del Sabato on Viale Papiniano, which offers great designer-label bargains, clothes, shoes and bags.
Gourmets will appreciate the well-stocked Milanese delicatessens and food shops. |