The green heart of Milan

Culture and nature: in the heart of Milan, our itinerary explores the city's most beautiful gardens and green areas

Fashion, art, culture, history. Milan is the perfect destination for those looking for something new and different. But it also provides much more.

The gardens and green areas in the heart of the city are the perfect place to enjoy a little relaxation, an afternoon with friends, or a walk full of artistic delights and reflections in a natural setting, surrounded by the skyscrapers and nightlife that have always characterised the region's capital city.

Street after street, this itinerary will lead you on a journey of discovery to unique green corners in the midst of the frenzy of the city, departing from Via dei Giardini and arriving at Via Mozart, relaxing in the natural beauty of Milan's most beautiful parks.

A camera, packed lunch, and a good book: prepare your backpack and enjoy the green side of Lombardy's metropolis.

1. Perego Garden — The walk starts on Via dei Giardini, where you will find the first stop on this green itinerary. We are in front of the Perego Garden, an historic "English" style garden that was turned into a public park in the 1950s. The rocky seats positioned along the path, the flower beds, and the interesting tree specimens - including maples, yews, the Magnolia grandiflora and the Celtis australis - give the park a truly romantic atmosphere. (ph: Comune di Milano)

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2. Via Senato Library Garden — Turning into Via Senato, along the circle of the Naviglio, we find ourselves in front of the Via Senato Library Foundation. Waiting for us inside is a small eighteenth-century garden, which has also served as a stage for productions by the "Teatro di Verdura": these events range from ancient prose to emerging shows, from classical music to jazz, and readings from the great classics, transforming this small green area into a timeless place full of emotions. (ph: Biblioteca di Via Senato)

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3. Villa Belgiojoso Garden — Continuing our walk towards Via Marina, we will reach Via Palestro, where, on the left, we find the entrance to the third stop on our itinerary: the Garden of Villa Belgiojoso. Once the garden of Villa Comunale, it is a stunning example of an "English" garden, designed in the late 1700s by Leopold Pollark and restored in 1999. As soon as we enter we can spot important tree species such as the false lotus and the coffee tree.

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4. Indro Montanelli Public Gardens — Located in front of the Belgiojoso Garden is the main entrance to the Indro Montanelli Public Gardens, the fourth stop on this green itinerary. Before us we find a prime example of an urban park for public use, designed in the late 1700s by the architect Giuseppe Piermarini with a "French" layout, and later revised by the architects Giuseppe Balzaretti and Emilio Alemagna in a landscape style.

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5. Villa Necchi Garden — Leaving the park, we cross Corso Venezia to reach Via Mozart, where we find the final destination of our itinerary: the garden of Villa Necchi. It can't be seen from the road as the old owners, the Necchi Campiglio family, erected walls to surround their property.

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Take me here: The green heart of Milan

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Parco dei Fontanili: the ideal place to live in the green and spend your free time.

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Cycling from Col d'Anzana to Val Fontana

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On the wings of winter

In winter at the Parco del Mincio to spot flocks of migratory birds.

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Birdwatching in Lombardy

Parks, nature reserves and oases where you can take a glimpse into the secret lives of birds

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Teglio walk - San Silvestro - Frascesca spring

Medium-difficulty itinerary that, through scenic routes, leads to the coolness of the Frascesca spring.

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Between the Ticino and Po rivers

Alla scoperta di acque e castelli in provincia di Pavia

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Gera d'Adda: legends flowing between Adda and Milan

Between the Adda and Martesana rivers, places tell the story of Lombardy's history and industriousness

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Valle Intelvi: 4 excursions in the land between two lakes

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Brescia Nature, taste and traditions: Val Sabbia

From multiple-day treks with night-breaks at mountain huts, to shorter walks open to all: a charming valley for all tastes set against the background of the little lake Idro

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Discovering Lombardy with Va' Sentiero along the Italy Trail

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Brughiera Briantea Park

Park that extends in the territory between Milan and Como and represents one of the largest forest areas of the Lombard plain.

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Learn from nature in the lowlands of the Po Valley

Take a lesson, and much more, from the educational farms on the Lombardy Plains, learning about the environmental and cultural wealth of our countryside.