One of the jewels of Milan is the majestic white-marble Duomo, or cathedral. The façade, finished in the early 19th century by order of Napoleon, is breathtaking, and tours are organized to allow a walk on the roof where no less than 135 pinnacles and scores of marble statues adorn the cathedral.

Walk through the Galleria, one of the first covered shopping malls, to the La Scala, the most famous opera house in the world. Here you can take a tour and see the gilded splendor of one of the world’s great theaters. If you are in Milan for an evening, check into seeing an opera here. The season lasts most of the winter.

The Sforzas castle, built in the mid-1300s, and the park that surrounds it are both fun to explore. The Bera Palace houses an art collection with works by most of the Italian Renaissance masters. Perhaps the jewel of Milan’s art treasures is the fresco of The Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci, in the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazia.

If you have additional time, a visit to the Leonardo da Vinci Museum, filled with models of Leonardo’s great and prophetic inventions, is fascinating.

If you are planning on flying out of Malpensa Airport near Milan and want to spend the night nearby, look into spending the night on the shores of Lago Maggiore where the beauty is fabulous and the prices are about half those of downtown Milan.