Weekend in Milan & Lake Como

Milan can be considered both a finance and fashion hub of Italy – on one side you’ve got large corporations and startup fintechs, and on the other you’ve got the global luxury brands (many of which are Italian so it felt like we should pop our heads in). And just one hour away, we found our new favourite European destination – Lake Como. People rave about the lake and surrounding areas and we went with the highest expectations. It didn’t disappoint at all – no wonder George Clooney has his summer villa there! So here are our top recommendations:

Day 1: Milan

First you need to grab yourself a traditional cup of Italian coffee and there is no place better than Starbucks! Yes, I’m not joking, there is a huge flagship store in Milan and it’s worth checking it out! It’s located in the grand historic post-office, with legit security guards outside. Once you enter there are so many different sections to explore including a tasting area, a bar, stone-oven and other quirky coffee related things!

Once you’re fuelled up, head over to Milan’s greatest attractions the cathedral! You can go inside or climb up, but the views from the outside are spectacular.

For lunch we headed to the famous mozzerlla bar Obica on the rooftop of La Rinascente roof top mall. Sit outside for another amazing cathedral view (and order the Burrata!)

Time for a bit of post-lunch window shopping. You can walk down the cobbled streets or check out the high end Galleria.

We didn’t end up buying anything apart from a Gellato from Cioccolati Italiani.

During the afternoon, we headed to The Navigli neighborhood, where you can walk along the canal, do some market shopping, and enjoy a traditional pre-dinner aperitif. There are many options for this but we headed to Fonderie Milanese. Be warned restaurants don’t open until 9ish, but restaurants start serving drinks and buffet-style snacks at 7ish.

Day 2: Lake Como (our new favourite place ever!)

Just a short train ride from Milan, you can cover the main parts of Lake Como in one day (unless you’re looking for the relaxing/sit by the pool/read a kindle vibe). We knew we wanted to explore the two recommended areas: Bellagio and Varenna. We spent the day taking the ferry to these places, eating, drinking, soaking in the vibes! Unfortunately it coincided with the Crikcet World Cup final, so sometimes there was a little bit of distraction, but you can literally spend the entire day staring at the views!! Next time we plan on spending a week here!!