Milan is known the world over as one of the temples of high fashion, with the hallowed streets Montenapoleone and Spiga in the Quadrilatero d’Oro, the most popular places of wallet-stripping worship. Here D&G, Prada, Gucci, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Armani, Ralph Lauren, Versace, and Cavalli all jostle for Milan’s minted fashionistas. The area around Porta Nuova (at the top of Corso Como) is also starting to become a luxury-shopping district. More reasonable shopping areas include Via Torino and Corso Buenos Aires, where midrange international brands proliferate; if you’re clever you can also pick up a designer bargain at outlet store Il Salvagente (Via Fratelli Bronzetti 16; tel. 02/7611-0328).

Fashion is one Milanese obsession, food is another, and the centro storico has many superb delis from which to purchase the purest of olive oils and the finest cheeses. Peck (Via Spadari 9; tel. 02/802-3161) is still the number-one gourmet spot, although competition is keen from the Eataly megastore in Piazza XXV Aprile (www.eataly.it) for all Italian comestibles. The top floor of the La Rinascente department store in Piazza del Duomo is another haven for foodies, with its Obika mozzarella bar and fine selection of packaged Italian goods (as an added bonus, you get a close-up view of the Duomo). Opened in 2015, the Mercato del Duomo (www.ilmercatodelduomo.it; tel. 02/8633-1924) in Piazza del Duomo aims to be a “gourmet cathedral” directly across from the actual cathedral. It has a food market (a good place to grab focaccia or a quick lunch on the run) and various coffee bars, wine bars, aperitif spots, and a high-end restaurant.

English-language books are sold at Feltrinelli Librerie (corner of Piazza del Duomo and Via Ugo Foscolo 1/3), Mondadori Megastore (Piazza del Duomo 1), and Rizzoli (inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II). English-language newspapers can be found on most major newsstands around the centro storico.

Milano Markets

Everybody loves a bargain, and there’s no better place to find one than at the colorful, chaotic Viale Papiniano market (Metro: Sant’Agostino). Its sprawl of stalls are open Tuesday and Saturday; some flog designer seconds, others leather basics. Saturdays herald flea markets along Alzaia Naviglio Grande (Metro: Porta Genova) at Fiera di Sinigaglia (Metro: Porta Genova), Sundays at San Donato Metro stop. The biggest of them all is the multi-ethnic Christmas extravaganza Oh Bej! Oh Bej! (roughly, Oh so nice! Oh so nice!), whose stalls subsume the centro storico around Sant’Ambrogio and Parco Sempione and sell everything from leather bags to handcrafted jewelry. Milan’s main food market is undercover at Piazza Wagner at the metro stop of the same name, open every morning except Sunday.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.