The Festa di Sant’Ambrogio is the biggest celebration in Milan and is held on the 7th of December. Festivities are centred around the Fiera di Milano, the city’s exhibition centre in the north-west. La Scala also marks this important date by beginning its opera season on this day.

If you wish to see a performance at the Teatro della Scala you really need to book your tickets months before to guarantee a seat as tickets are commonly sold-out well in advance. Otherwise the only opportunity is queuing up on the day of the performance. The last 200 standing-room tickets are sold at the entrance at an extremely low price. If you are really keen, you may be lucky enough to get an unsold ticket for the seating area, but be aware; you could be competing with people who are willing to queue from 6am!

Food is a Milanese passion and like every other Italian region Lombardy vaunts its own unique specialities.  Many of this regions dishes favour butter over olive oil.  Try the risotto and polenta dishes which are staple components of the Lombardy diet and often eaten instead of pasta. Polenta is served with almost anything but try it with Osso Buco or traditional Salame di Milano. Risotto is commonly the first course of many menus and is traditionally scented with saffron giving it its characteristic yellow colour and bone marrow to become Risotto alla Milanese (see our Milanese Recipes page to find out how to create this dish at home).  Meat dishes include Cotoletta alla Milanese (breaded and fried veal cutlet), Fritto Misto alla Milanese (fried slices of bone marrow, liver and lung) and Busecca (sliced tripe boiled with beans).  Some very nice cheeses originate from Lombardy and should be tried: gorgonzola, stracchino and taleggio.

Shopping outlets are a great way of buying the most famous brand names at discount prices.   One popular outlet in Milan is Il Salvagente (The life saver) and is located in a residential area to the west of the city.  Here you’ll find Prada, Armani, Robert Cavalli and Miu Miu clothing reduced by 20% or 30%. During the end-of-season sales you might get savings of up to 50% or 60%. Il Salvagente is located in Via Fratelli Bronzetti.  Other good shopping outlets include The Place, D Magazine, Fratelli Rossetti and the Marni Outlet.