Milan by bicycle

“Ma dove vai bellezza in bicicletta, così di fretta pedalando con ardor...” in 1951 Silvana Pampanini sang this way in the movie Bellezze in Bicicletta by Carlo Campogalliani, while with her colleague Delia Scala was trying to reach the city of Milan by bike.

Invented in 1817, the bicycle has always been part of our lives: there are those who use it to move, some for work, other for passion or just as a hobby. Milan, like other European cities, is gearing up to offer a more complete service to its citizens by building bike paths and adapting its streets, in order to make more pleasant and safe the transit of cyclists through the city.

For all the bike lovers: even on holiday you can cultivate your passion or choose the bicycle as a vehicle to visit the city.
To those who want to ride even in autumn, here you can find three itineraries that will take you to explore the sights in and around Milan.

The first itinerary starts going biking in a new Milan, made of skyscrapers and innovative materials. Here is the route that will make you literally lift your eyes up to the sky, but only to admire the highest buildings in the capital of Lombardy.
From the Hotel Cavour take Via Filippo Turati, which after a few meters becomes Via Vittor Pisani, and you will reach the beautiful Central Station. Here begins the actual tour: in Piazza Duca d'Aosta it stands the Pirelli Tower, also known as the Pirellone, the tallest building in Europe from 1958 to 1966.
From this building, go back a few meters and take Via Ferdinando di Savoia, up to the underground stop of Repubblica: this will be the right direction for the Diamond Tower, the Samsung Palace and the Solaria Tower.

To this complex, through a pedestrian and cycle bridge, the famous Piazza Gae Aulenti is connected. It is the home of Unicredit Pavilion and Unicredit Tower, now one of the tallest skyscrapers in Italy with its 231 meters.

Taking the Luigi Vigorelli Walk, you will arrive at the Bosco Verticale, a residential complex made by two towers. These buildings are characterised by the peculiarity of having about 900 trees planted on the 8,900 square meters of terraces.
The bike path will then take you to the heart of Palazzo Lombardia and to the close by Città di Lombardia square, the largest covered square in Europe. Here a complex of curvilinear buildings, green areas and hanging gardens rises up.

If the first itinerary was dedicated to the new Milan, our second route will take you to discover an artistic and historical Milan.
Leaving the Hotel Cavour on your left, you can take immediately via A. Manzoni and start riding your bicycle. You will arrive in Piazza della Scala, where you will find the well known Teatro alla Scala. It is considered one of the most prestigious theaters in the world and has been the historical house to artists and performers of operas, ballets and more for more than 200 years.

From Teatro alla Scala you can cross Vittorio Emanuele Gallery, strictly on foot with your bike at hand, until you’ll arrive in Piazza Duomo, where the view of the cathedral will leave you breathless.

From the most famous square in Milan you have two options: the first one is to continue towards via Dante and reach the Castello Sforzesco, Sempione Park and the adjacent Triennale, a cultural institution among the most famous in Milan. Your second option is to take Via Torino, a street full of shops, boutiques and more: the Church of Santa Maria in San Satiro, the Civic Temple of San Sebastiano and the Church of San Giorgio will take you up to Corso Porta Ticinese.

From here, turning left, you will be at San Lorenzo Maggiore Church and the Columns of San Lorenzo: built in the late Roman period, are among the oldest buildings in the city.

The last itinerary we propose you, will lead you to the discovery of the nature among the canals in Milan, away from the chaos and the smog of the city.
Take the subway with your bike and go to the stop Turro (your bike will travel for free). From here, following Via Petrocchi Policarpio, you will arrive in Cascina Martesana, a public space immersed in the homonymous Park and overlooking the small canal. Now your journey can start: along the stream, you will leave the bustle of the city behind and ride towards the silence of the surrounding countryside.

The Martesana creek continues for more than 30 km, until joining the River Adda near the city of Crespi D'Adda, a small worker village built in the late 1800s and now part of the UNESCO Heritage. For the return, do not panic! From here you don't need to ride back, you can just hop on a train and be taken back home.

Milan is a city to be discovered. In every corner you can find beautiful and fascinating buildings, charming historical and newly architectural works, and also green areas in which taking refuge from the chaos.
Milan every day reveals something new! What else would you like to discover?

Book now