For most of the world, Milan means fashion. But Milan is so much more than la moda: from its spectacular Gothic cathedral to its gigantic Renaissance castle, Milan is full of art treasures. Unlike Rome, Milan is a private city and many of its most beautiful sights are hidden ones: wandering along the city's canals, designed by Leonardo da Vinci, you can discover art from the Middle Ages to the contemporary.

Come with us as we explore the graceful statuary of medieval Lombardy in the Castello Sforzesco, a veritable city of museums, or ponder the famous "Last Supper" by Leonardo in the monastery complex of Santa Maria delle Grazie; attend a concert in a church constructed by the Milanese architect who later built the Kremlin; experience a church entirely covered in frescoes by the school of Leonardo at San Maurizio, or Bramante's illusionistic Santa Maria presso San Satiro, or, if you prefer, search out the traces of Milan's two centuries as the capital of the late Roman empire.

Milan also offers much more: the magical early Christian basilicas of Sant' Ambrogio and San Lorenzo (the latter with its mysterious imperial mausoleum), the best temporary art exhibitions in the Palazzo Reale, or an opera at the world-renowned La Scala.

Milan also serves as a great base for exploring the jewels of Lombardy: the Italian Lakes, from Lake Como to Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta, with their villas and churches; the art city of Bergamo, one of Italy's untouristed delights; and the barbarian Langobard capital of Monza, which preserves the Iron Crown of the Holy Roman Emperors.