The plan for today was to make a day trip to Milan and add Italy to my travel map. I had started thinking about this two weeks before but the train tickets from Zurich to Milan were already quite expensive. So I decided to go by bus. I booked my onward journey on FlixBus for €19,00 and I found a good price of £22.10 on loco2.com for the return by train. My journey would take me over the Gotthard Pass by road and return via the Gotthard Tunnel by rail. The Gotthard Base Tunnel was still under construction and only opened in 2016 so I didn’t get to experience that.
I took the tram to Zurich Hbf and then walked to the Sihlquai Car Park to board my bus at 7:00 AM. The ride was comfortable and as the day got brighter, it was nice to see the surroundings we drove through. We made a quick rest stop on the way and then proceeded towards Milan.
I bought the 24-hour travel card and hopped on the M1 metro from Lampugnano to Duomo. I had been looking forward to seeing the Milan Cathedral ever since I started reading about Milan. The second-largest cathedral in the world, it is a white marble masterpiece in late Gothic style. And seeing Duomo di Milano in person, it was magnifico. There is artwork on the doors of the Cathedral and it has exquisite and intricate work in marble everywhere. Piazza del Duomo, or Cathedral Square, is the main city square of Milan and the Monument to King Victor Emmanuel II is here.
My next stop was the Sforzesco Castle and I took M1 metro again from Duomo to Cadorna FN. Right outside the metro station I saw the Needle, Thread and Knot public-art installation in Piazzale Cadorna. It is a tribute to Milan’s influence in the fashion industry and the three thread colours (red, green, yellow) represent the lines of the Milan Metro and the needle pulling thread through fabric is a metaphor for a train going through a tunnel.
Sforzesco Castle is one of the largest citadels in Europe. It has nice water fountains in front and houses several museums. The central courtyard is open to the public and is free to visit. I strolled through the interiors and saw the Statue of Saint John of Nepomuk and the Ducal Court.
Sempione Park, right behind the castle, is like a huge landscaped garden. It is an urban park in the centre of Milan with large green spaces where tourists and locals come to rest and relax when it is sunny. I crossed the Bridge of the Little Mermaids, which is the first bridge built in Italy made of metal and went onwards to see the neoclassical Arch of Peace at the north end of the park. The gate is located at the center of a wide round square known as Piazza Sempione / Simplon Square.
I walked back to take the M2 metro from Lanza to P.TA Genova FS and stepped out to see Milan Docks in the bohemian part of town where the Navigli Pavese and Navigli Grande canals meet. The canals were constructed to transport goods, mainly marble, to construct Milan’s cathedral, the Duomo.
A quick ride on the M2 metro from P.TA Genova FS to S. Ambrogio brought me to Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio, one of the most ancient churches in Milan built in the Romanesque style. It has two red brick bell towers and a huge atrium nearly as large as the entire church.
I took the M2 and M1 metros back from S. Ambrogio to Duomo and walked to the Piazza Della Scala to see the Monument of Leonardo da Vinci by Pietro Magni and the Palazzo Marino which is now the Milan City Hall and the Banca Commerciale Italiana.
I passed through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a shopping mall in a splendid 19th century palace with a stunning mosaic floor and wonderful glass roof and cupola. It houses some of the most luxurious boutiques and many upscale restaurants in Milan.
It was a great way to end the day sitting and watching the busy Piazza Duomo as the evening light soaked the white marble of Milan Cathedral.
I took the M 3 metro from Duomo to Centrale FS to catch my train EuroCity 22 from Milano Centrale to Zurich Hbf. I had the corner window seat in the last row in the last compartment.
My neighbour was a guy from Switzerland who had been trekking in Italy for a week and was heading back home. He told me that some passengers would be “randomly” screened and asked to show their passport (and visa), he joked that I was likely to be one of them. It was dark outside by the time we left so there wasn’t much to see. I dozed off after a while and we must have passed through the Gotthard Tunnel then. After I woke up my neighbour told me that I had missed the inspection and they didn’t want to check my documents so I hadn’t been disturbed during my nap. The train pulled into Zurich Hbf on time. I bid my neighbor farewell and took the tram back to the hotel after a great day in Italy.
🚍 FlixBus
🚆 loco2.com
🚇 Lampugnano to Duomo
🚇 Duomo to Cadorna FN
🚇 Lanza to P.TA Genova FS
🚇 P.TA Genova FS to S. Ambrogio
🚇 S. Ambrogio to Duomo
🚇 Duomo to Centrale FS