Corso Vittorio Emanuele II (Milan)

Connecting the vibrant Piazza Duomo to Piazza San Babila in downtown Milan, the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II is a wide traffic free boulevard that has become the epicentre of the city’s vibrant shopping culture. It is a visually arresting sight, lined with attractive porticoes and covered arcades filled with charming designer accessory stores and typically extravagant fashion boutiques. Named after the first king of Italy, its most vibrant focus is the ornate 19th century Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – quite possibly the most attractive shopping centre in Europe. On cheap city breaks in Milan, you will witness stunning mosaic flooring, renaissance statues and artful modern graffiti topped off by two huge glass domes.  

 

An eye catching sight it may be, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II is best known for its fabulous shopping opportunities. It has pretty much everything a self-respecting fashionista could need, along with cheap high street stores, arty boutiques, bookshops and flagship department stores. Short breaks in Milan will seriously test your resolve and temptations abound at every turn. You can gaze at artful window displays from the likes of Prada, Gucci, trendy high street names such as Zara and Benetton or rummage through the unique collections of Milan’s next big things in the fashion world.

 

Corso Vittorio Emanuele II functions just as much as an unofficial fashion catwalk for Milan’s young stylish set who like to see and be seen. It is a great place to simply soak up city life and become fascinated by the infamous Milanese preoccupation with beauty and glamour. Take refuge in one of its elegant art nouveau street cafes and be captivated by the energy and colour of Milan weekend breaks. After dark, numerous bars fill to bursting point with young revellers and it also has the highest concentration of theatres and cinemas in the city.