Terrazza Martini & Roof of the Duomo
Milan rewards those who go up. The city has two iconic elevated viewpoints within ten minutes of each other, and together they give you a complete picture of a metropolis that stretches flat and infinite toward the Alps on a clear day.
The Duomo rooftop terraces
Taking the elevator (or the 250-step staircase) to the Duomo's marble terraces puts you eye-to-eye with 3,400 Gothic spires and the gilded Madonnina statue that has watched over the city since 1774. The view north on a clear winter morning, with the snow-capped Alps framing the skyline, is one of the most quietly spectacular urban panoramas in Europe.
Tickets for rooftop access are separate from cathedral entry and cost €13 by elevator or €9 via stairs. Book online at duomomilano.it to skip the ground-level queue; the rooftop itself is rarely crowded even when the piazza below is packed.
Terrazza Martini for the aperitivo angle
On the 17th floor of the Palazzo Mondadori on Piazza Diaz, the Terrazza Martini opens for aperitivo events and occasional public evenings, offering a rooftop bar perspective over the Duomo spires and the financial district's modern towers simultaneously. Check their Instagram for upcoming open-access evenings — they happen several times a month in summer.
The combination of a Campari spritz in hand and a 360-degree Milan skyline at golden hour is, frankly, difficult to improve upon. Dress smart-casual; this is a Milanese crowd.
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