Ciao, MILANO!

Fashion capital, dog haven, birthplace of Campari... A week-long getaway in the dead of winter revealed that there is much more to Milan than first meets the eye.

- Liesl Robertson

I knew disturbingly little about Milan prior to this trip.

Let’s see. Fashion capital. A famous football team? (Just don’t ask me to name an actual player.) And... La Scala opera house. That's pretty much it. My only other point of reference is Edna Mode in The Incredibles saying the line ‘Milan, dahling, Milan’ when asked about a recent headline-making runway show.

A bit of research revealed that yes, it is a shopping haven. If you have the euros to spend on designer brands. And there are, of course, great cocktails and food to be had. (Duh, it's Italy.) But it also has some hidden gems in terms of art, incredibly picturesque spaces, and loads of culture to soak up - preferably with a Negroni in hand.

Because I went in the dead of winter (February), Milan was quiet and atmospheric. Wrapped up against the cold, you can discover the city on foot, unencumbered by the summertime crowds. And if you are on a time limit like I was, here's what you have to see.

DUOMO DI MILANO

This Gothic landmark is in the centre of the city - if you walk around long enough, you'll inevitably end up here. And it really is a sight to behold, towering over the central Piazza Duomo. Or, as Mark Twain enthused: 'What a wonder it is! So grand, so solemn, so vast! And yet so delicate, so airy, so graceful!