A civilised morning flight with British Airways, departing at 10.30 am from Heathrow got us to Linate at around 1.15 pm local time. Our friendly Kirker transfer driver whisked us off from airport arrivals to the Hotel De La Ville, an elegant, traditionally furnished hotel ideally located just a couple of minutes walk from both the Duomo and La Scala.
To begin our trip, we met up with an old friend of mine, who now works in Milan, and hearing his glowing reports of the city we were about to explore, to whet the appetite for the days to come. After strolling though the streets around the Duomo and Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II, we had an hour or two to relax in the hotel before having a delightful meal at Don Lisandro, a Kirker recommended restaurant situated in an old chapel on the elegant Via Manzoni.
The next morning, we had a timed entrance ticket to Milan’s iconic Duomo cathedral. We had access to the wonderful ornate terraces, which also provided excellent views across the city. The interior, and sheer scale of this enormous cathedral was utterly astonishing, as were the ornate stained glass windows. Our ticket also gave us access to the early Christian ruins and burial crypts underneath the medieval Cathedral.
We then began to visit, one by one, the different properties that Kirker works with in Milan; each was impressive in their own right. From the deluxe five-star properties to the more simply-furnished four stars, it was wonderful to see the comprehensive selection of excellent hotels Kirker offers for Milan.
That evening, we were fortunate enough to secure some tickets to a concert at La Scala. While unfortunately no opera was scheduled during our visit, the English Baroque concert was fantastic; opera or no opera, do not miss the chance to visit La Scala for an evening. The grandeur and elegance of this iconic opera house is worth a visit alone, and the best decision a discerning traveller can make is to secure a seat, whether for an opera or concert. Keep in mind, though, that you should probably eat before an evening concert - we were lucky to find somewhere still serving good pizza at 10.30 pm!
The next morning, we enjoyed a lovely couple of hours at the Brera Gallery, tickets to which are included on a complimentary basis for any Kirker holiday to Milan. Situated in an elegant courtyard in the fashionable Brera district, this gallery features pieces by the likes of Caravaggio, Raphael, Hayez and Bellini. It is the perfect size to stroll through at a leisurely pace for a couple of hours. Adjacent to the hotel the local area had a small Market along with some lovely narrow streets where we enjoyed a coffee in a local bar before continuing to explore. The Castello Sforzesco built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, the Duke of Milan, on the remnants of a 14th-century fortification. Later renovated in the 16th and 17th centuries, it used to be one of the largest citadels in Europe.
We really had wonderful weather during our visit, so we were able to walk and to get to know the city. After a very successful visit, we were collected by our Kirker driver who drove us the 20 minutes to Linate Airport (very efficient) and we tried the direct Linate to London City with ITA Airways – once again the flight was extremely comfortable and on time.
