Hello there!
Having completed my earlier travel posts on several interesting countries, such as Japan, Maldives, Indonesia and US, it's probably time to share about my recent Europe trip! If you are keen to find out which countries and cities I visited, you can read the quick summary here.
There is actually a back story behind this trip. My friend and I planned this trip a few years back and it was supposed to take place in Apr 2020, but as most of you would know, Covid 19 pandemic came and we had to cancel the trip due to all the travel restrictions and health advisories. So we planned for this trip in 2025 and it finally materialised!
Documenting all my entries for this 2025 Europe Trip:
Turkey - An Istanbul Adventure: From Blue Mosque to Bazaars
France - Exploring The Parisian Icons: Effiel Tower And Arc De Triomphe
France - Wandering Through Paris: The Louvre and Jardin des Tuileries
France - Strolling Through Paris: Notre Dame And The Seine
France - Climbing Montmartre: Basilique du Sacré-Cœur and Panoramic Views
France - Exploring Nice: Promenade des Anglais And City Strolls
France - Climbing Castle Hill: Breathtaking Views and Nice's Coastal Beauty
Monaco - Visiting The Home Of F1 Street Racing!
Monaco - Glamorous Streets, Iconic Sights And F1 Thrills
Italy - Exploring Rome’s Icon: The Colosseum
Italy - Discovering Rome: The Roman Forum
Italy - A Stroll Through Rome: Castel Sant’Angelo, Trevi Fountain, and More!
Vatican City - An Unforgettable Trip To Vatican Museum
Vatican City - The Beautiful Ceilings Of Vatican Museum
Vatican City - A Glimpse Into Sistine Chapel
Vatican City - The Majestic St Peter’s Basilica
Italy - A Journey Through Time: Sforza Castle in Milan
Before I start this post, I just want to do a shoutout to Worldmappin's current challenge! You can check out the post here. Less than 1 week left to the end of the challenge! There are some prizes to be won but the most important thing is to have fun!
I always had the impression that Milan is the fashion capital and it's all about the big brands and shopping over there, but I was so wrong. After we left off from Sforza Castle, we did a short walk to probably Milan's biggest attraction, or should I say, masterpiece! And that's the Duomo di Milano! Just look at the architecture!
I didn't really need Google Maps to navigate to the Duomo de Milano because one, you could see big groups of visitors heading towards their direction, and two, the building just stood out from afar. I have seen so many cathedrals but I have never seen one that was so beautiful as Duomo di Milano!
Here's a more closed up photo!
I was walking about the surroundings and snapping photos when I overheard a little story from a tour guide that was sharing to a group of visitors. To ensure I get the accuracy right, here's what I also confirmed from Google:
The highest point of the Duomo in Milan is the Madonnina, a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary perched atop the main spire, which reaches a total height of 108.5 meters (365 feet). This iconic landmark serves as a powerful symbol for the city of Milan and has historically held a tradition where no building was permitted to exceed its height, a custom that was upheld until modern skyscrapers began to surpass it.
Can you spot it?
There was a statue in the plaza in front of the cathedral as well.
Of course, we weren't just there to explore the surroundings. We bought tickets that would allow us to enter the cathedral and to head up for beautiful skyline views too! For going up, there were two modes of transport, one via walking up the stairs, and another via taking the lift. We paid a little more to take the lift and because it was a small lift and could only transport a few visitors at each time, and considering how popular this place was, the queue was pretty long.
Took this photo while I was waiting in the queue, the architecture is so grand and beautiful indeed.
And after a long wait, we were finally up! When we looked close up, it's really amazing how much effort went into the details of the structures and carvings. The pointed statues was something that made the whole cathedral stood out and it was so uniquely beautiful.
We were a few storeys high but we were not at the top yet. So here's how much higher the cathedral was versus the level that we were at.
Even at this level, there were statues too!
At our current level, it was enough to get some beautiful panoramic views of Milan!
More photos of the areas that we could wander around - some places were narrow and slopping so some caution was required as well.
See how high we were! From our level, I took a photo below too! People who are afraid of heights might find it a little scary.
We continued to walk around the perimeter and take photos of the structure of the cathedral. There were some restoration works going on as well, and that was definitely understandable.
And then we saw this! How amazing and incredible this was! Different parts of the cathedral brought different views!
And we finished the first part of the tour, and next up, we will head up 90 steps (no lifts this time) to the highest level of the cathedral! So stay tuned in my upcoming posts for that!
Duomo di Milano is indeed a masterpiece and for this post, we have only scratched the surface of its beauty. For this first portion of the tour, I thoroughly appreciated the details of the architecture and also very amazed that the culture and history is so alive here. There was so much to enjoy and admire for Duomo di Milano and I believe you will see what I mean in my upcoming posts!
And that's all I have today! Have you been to Milan or Italy? Let me know in the comments below!
Finally, thanks for reading my post in the community under World Map Pin!