Planning Your Trip to Milan in April

milan

If you are planning what to do in Milan in April, this article is for you! It’s during the month of April that the city of Milano is taken over by design with Milan Design Week! A week in a place where design and amazing food meet. The mecca for Italian fashion has much to offer along with a traditional aperitivo at sunset.

There is a bit of everything: art, history, architecture, as well as extraordinary fashion and culinary scenes. Read on to find all the most fabulous events and exhibitions happening in April, the best places for a shopping spree in Milan’s greatest neighborhoods, and some of our favorite places to eat fabulous meals. We have also included some of our favorite places (including some new ones!) to take a rest after long days counting steps in the most stylish Italian city.

Weather will be approaching Spring temperatures, but be ready to endure some rain and wind, so be sure to pack your most fabulous mid-season looks. Happy traveling!


Lh Design Lovers Guide to Milan in April


What to See

If you’ve visited before you already know the must-sees in Milan, but here are tons of fabulous, of-the-now, special exhibitions, and design shows ready for you to discover.

For Fashion Lovers

At Fondazione Prada, you can find their permanent collections and installations to visit. Our favorites are Dan Flavin’s “Chiesa Rossa,” which translates to Red Church, and the collaborative project “Atlas,” which counts works from many skilled artists, such as Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, and Carla Accardi, to name a few.

Fondazione Prada (Photo by Bas Princen)
Fondazione Prada | Photo by Bas Princen

If you love Armani and haven’t been, be sure to visit the Armani/Silos. Dedicated to the famous Italian fashion designer, Giorgio Armani himself set up the Armani/Silos as a way to chronicle his work from his own perspective.

While the Palazzo Morando Attendolo Bolognini also fits in our next section for design lovers, it also houses a beautiful civic collection of costumes and fashion. Set in an 18th-century apartment, a space typical of a Milanese noble house, Palazzo Morando also shows a collection of antique furniture.

For Design Lovers

For design, you simply cannot miss this year’s Salone del Mobile, from the 16th to the 21st of April 2024, where the best suppliers for all things interior design, from textile to wallpaper, showcase their creations in their showrooms around the Italian streets, at the Fiera Milano tradeshow grounds, and in special exhibits across the city center. If you are visiting for the fair, enjoy! If not, be sure to enjoy the design celebrations nonetheless; take a look and be inspired!

koket salone del mobile milano boca do lobo and maison valentina

It’s also during Milan Design Week we learn about the newest up and coming projects and brands that will pave the way for design this upcoming year. Top industry names like our publisher, KOKET, will be present at Milan Design Week. KOKET will showcase its iconic designs in collaboration with renowned brands Boca do Lobo. They will also launch a new partnership with luxury bathroom decor brand Maison Valentina, both in their stand at Salone and ongoing. While at Salone del Mobile you have seven exhibitions to look through at the fairgrounds. Additionally, Fuorisalone, another celebration of design all over the city of Milano, takes place during the same time.

For more design inspiration, you can take a look at Milan’s most famous ancestral homes. Casa Museo Boschi di Stefano has one of the biggest private collections from the 1900s, curated by the hands of the original owners Antonio Boschi and Marieda Di Stefano. Villa Necchi Campiglio which is a true representation of Art Déco in the 1930s in Milan. And Museo Poldi Pezzoli, a house museum, opened in 1881 as a dying wish of its owner, who wanted to share his art gallery and create an artistic foundation for the public. To this day, it remains a hub and example for house museums around the world.

haute craftmanship by koket

Where to Shop

Fendi Casa | Photo owned by Fendi
Fendi Casa | Photo owned by Fendi

Since we are talking about Italy, there are many luxury Italian brands we will mention in this article. After referring to Prada above, there are many more you can find in the best design neighborhoods of the city.

A few of our favorites are of course the Quadrilatero d’Oro, aka the epicenter of Italian fashion, with all the biggest high-end fashion Maisons from Gucci to Dolce & Gabbana and Versace, to name a few! The Rinascente, which is the fashion mall by the Duomo, never lets us down. The Fendi Casa flagship store in Piazza della Scala and the Vesace Home Flag Ship on Via Durini are two more of our favorites. There’s nothing quite like seeing these fabulous brands up close and personal.

milan april luxury design lovers travel city guides galleria vittorio emanuele II milan
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II | Photo by Ouael Ben Salah on Unsplash

If you are looking for the perfect mix of beautiful architecture and luxury shopping (oh, and amazing food—see below!), then Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is for you.

Finally we always make time for RO Gallery, a must for finding new and transformative art and decor. Read more about the gallerist behind the space, Rossana Orlandi, a female force in the design world whom we have had the honor of interviewing and featuring numerous times in the past and who we love following. And we can’t wait to see what she brings to Milan Design Week 2024!

And Some More of Our Favorites!

Where to Eat

The dining room at Vik Pellic8
The dining room at Vik Pellic8

Italy and food are two words that almost mean the same thing. So finding good food in Milan won’t be a very difficult task. But here is a list to help you find the most glamorous restaurants of this fashion city!

Pasticceria Cova milan april treats
Pasticceria Cova

If you like to start your day with coffee and a pastry, or want one of the best desserts Italy has to offer, then Pasticceria Cova is for you. In addition to their take away counter, the Milan location of this European chain also offers a sophisticated dining area.

We love a good view when dining, so the first two we need to mention are two staple restaurants in the iconic and never-boring Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. One of our favorite places to be in Milan in April.

Above, you have Vik Pellico Otto. Their team is made up of young chefs who are hungry to prove everyone wrong with their tasty creations! You will also find there will be many design items waiting for your gaze while dining. Keep a look out!

And, of course, Ristorante Carlo Cracco, held by the hand of the chef of the same name. Chef Carlo Cracco is such a household name that he has now recently started an Amazon Prime called “Dinner Club,” special all about Italian food! His restaurant welcomes you in a beautiful architectural room with fantastic food.

More Dining Venues We Love

Still Need to Book a Hotel?

If you are checking for hotels this April, read on for our top picks, specially selected as the perfect places to get around the chicest Milan neighborhoods!

You can never go wrong with one of the many Hyatt locations or the ever-fabulous Bulgari Hotel, but there are many other fabulous hotels waiting for your visit as well!

Have Time for a Spa or Need a Hair Salon?

The Bulgari Spa (& Private Hair Styling with Roberto D’Antonio)
The Bulgari Spa (& Private Hair Styling with Roberto D’Antonio)

Feature Image by Ouael Ben Salah on Unsplash


More to Love!

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