Milan

Yes, Milan is safe for tourists. Watch for pickpockets in Piazza del Duomo, at Centrale station and on the metro, and avoid the "friendship bracelet" and pigeon-feed tricks around the Duomo. The area around Centrale station is less pleasant late at night.

April to June and September to October are the best months. Summer is hot and humid, and in August the city empties and many shops close. Winter is cold and foggy. During Fashion Week and the Salone del Mobile (April), hotel prices soar.

Italian. English is spoken well in hotels, shops and restaurants in the centre, as Milan is Italy's business capital.

Two to three days is enough for the city. With an extra day you can add Lake Como, Bergamo or the Bernina Express to St. Moritz.

1. Duomo and its rooftop terraces
2. The Last Supper
3. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
4. Sforza Castle
5. Teatro alla Scala
6. Brera and the Pinacoteca di Brera
7. Navigli canals
8. Sempione Park and the Arco della Pace
9. Porta Nuova and the Bosco Verticale
10. Monumental Cemetery

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and Piazza del Duomo are free, as are the courtyards of the Sforza Castle and Sempione Park behind it. Walking the Navigli, the streets of Brera and the skyscrapers of Porta Nuova (with the Bosco Verticale) costs nothing. Two hidden free gems: the Monumental Cemetery and the church of San Maurizio, known as the Sistine Chapel of Milan. The Duomo, the Last Supper and La Scala are paid.

The Pinacoteca di Brera is the city's great art gallery. Add the Museo del Novecento on Piazza del Duomo, the Sforza Castle museums (with Michelangelo's last Pietà), the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana (Leonardo and Caravaggio), the Leonardo da Vinci science museum and the Fondazione Prada. The Last Supper must be booked well in advance.

Milanese are busy, practical and stylish, more reserved than people in the south of Italy. Aperitivo is sacred: from 6 to 9 pm, a drink comes with snacks or a buffet. A coperto (cover charge) usually appears on the bill and tipping isn't required.

Try risotto alla milanese (with saffron), cotoletta alla milanese, ossobuco and, at Christmas, panettone. Panzerotti from the bakeries near the Duomo are a classic snack. For aperitivo, a Negroni Sbagliato or a Campari spritz, both born here.

The Duomo area puts you in the heart of the city, at higher prices. Brera is artsy and charming, also pricey. Navigli is lively at night, along the canals, with lower prices.