The Milan of skyscrapers
Over the last twenty years Milan has changed its skyline more than any other Italian city. The Porta Nuova district, built on former railway land between the Garibaldi station and the Isola neighbourhood, is the symbol of this transformation: a new business and residential quarter of glass towers, pedestrian squares and gardens.
At its centre is Piazza Gae Aulenti, a raised circular square surrounded by skyscrapers, including the UniCredit Tower, the tallest building in Italy with its 231-metre spire. A short walk away stands the Bosco Verticale, the "Vertical Forest" designed by Stefano Boeri and completed in 2014: two residential towers whose balconies host about 800 trees and thousands of shrubs and plants, a "forest" that changes colour with the seasons and has won international awards. Between the towers stretches the Biblioteca degli Alberi, a botanical park with paths and gardens. Nearby, CityLife, with the towers by Zaha Hadid, Arata Isozaki and Daniel Libeskind, is the other new skyline of Milan.
Tip: visit Piazza Gae Aulenti in the evening, when the fountains and the towers are lit; the Isola district next door has lively bars and street art.
Where it is
More things to see in Lombardy
Where to stay near Milan
Tours and activities nearby
Offers from GetYourGuide. Some links are affiliate links: if you book we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.