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The lead up to Christmas may just be one of the best times to visit Milan. The sun has disappeared and with it the huge throngs of tourists that crowd its streets in summer. In its place are huge Christmas markets, life-size nativity scenes, Christmas performances at the opera and churches and sometimes even snow. Milan at Christmas is an entirely different city to its summer self.
For most visitors the highlight of a winter trip to Milan will be the Christmas markets, the biggest of which is O Bej! O Bej! I know what you’re thinking – a strange name for a market right? The name comes from the origins of the market as we known it now. In 1510 the Pope sent Giannetto Castiglione of the Order of Saints Maurizio and Lazzaro to Milan. He wanted to keep the people sweet so he arrived with armfuls of gifts for the children which he threw to them as his carriage pulled into town. O bej! O bej! means ‘Oh beautiful! Oh beautiful’ in Italian and that is what the children shouted when they opened their gift. It’s likely to be what you say too when you see the display at this Milan Christmas market. Last year the event saw around 400 stalls piled high with crafts, toys, gifts, food, clothes and trinkets. As always it will coincide with the feast day of Milan’s patron saint, Sant’Ambrogio. It starts on December 7th (the feast day) and runs to December 10th just outside the walls of Castello Sforzesco.
If you miss that one never mind, there are a whole host of other Christmas markets taking place in and around Milan. Just outside the city the Christmas market at Lazzate nel Borgo is well worth the short trip out of the city. The town goes all out for Christmas with events for kids and adults and a fantastic atmosphere. Market stalls are housed in little wooden chalets and when sprinkled with snow they look like something straight out of Santa’s Grotto. As at O Bej! O Bej! the products here are as diverse as they are lovely with a mouth-watering array of products, many of them handmade. Since the place is as full of locals as it is visitors, you’d be hard pushed to find a more authentic souvenir or gift to bring home from your Milan trip. This year the Lazzate market takes place between December 10th and 11th from 11am to 7pm on Saturday and from 10am to 7pm on Sunday
Other markets going on back in Milan include the eco-conscious Smart Market which will be selling second-hand goods in Mediolanum Forum on December 12th and the Christmas edition of the regular market at Piazza Sant' Ambrogio. Pop by before December 23rd for a real taste of Christmas. Rub shoulders with the locals as they shop for Christmas dinners and decorations and be sure to buy a loaf of Pannetone, the famous festive Italian sweet bread. Sure you can probably buy it at home in your local supermarket but here, cooked by locals from traditional recipes handed down from generation to generation, the taste is quite unlike anything you’ve tried before.
Of course shopping is not the only thing occupying the Milanese at this time of year. Many will be buying tickets for the Christmas opera at Teatro alla Scala which opens its doors on December 7th to its festive performance of Don Giovanni. If you’re interested in going along (and you should be!) we recommend that you buy tickets on the official website as soon as you know your travel dates.
Although it’s often forgotten, this is a religious event and as such, there will be a lot of religious festivities going on around town. On December 7th the Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio will come to life for the patron saint’s annual celebrations. And of course there will be Christmas religious ceremonies taking place in the glorious il Duomo throughout the month of December. Check mass times once you arrive and try to pop along to one for an opportunity to see the famous cathedral in all its glory, full of singing choirs, chanting voices and flickering candle light. Christmas Day masses are particularly special but usual packed to the rafters with patrons so gawkers won’t be welcome but anyone wishing to participate will.
There are a few things to watch out for in Milan at Christmas. First and foremost, make sure that your hotel room has heating as well as cooling. Pack a coat, an umbrella and some mittens. If you have them, bring boots in case it snows. Check opening times too for everywhere you want to go. You can take it for granted that everything will be closed at least on Christmas day and New Year’s Eve. Beyond that, remember most museums close on Monday anyway and so will be shut on Boxing Day. For anything special that you particularly want to see, double check times before you go. Re the Last Supper, we will be running tours on December 24th and December 27th but since Galleria dell’Accademia will be closed on December 25th and December 26th we will have no tours then.
You’ll need to choose your Christmas dinner carefully too as most restaurateurs will be at home with their families or off celebrating in their home provinces. There will be a few restaurants open around town in the morning, closing at 1pm but ask your hotel for recommendations and opening hours. One that is open every year is La Cadrega on Via Vincenzo Viviani which opens from 12PM to 12AM 365 days a year – no exceptions. You can make a reservation through their website. Wherever you eat, we highly recommend making a reservation for dinner on Christmas Day – not a nice day to go hungry.
Christmas in Milan is a fantastic and lively time of year quite unlike any summer, spring or autumn visit. Forget about your to-do list and spend your days wandering Christmas markets, checking out beautiful window displays in designer stores and drinking and eating yourself into an early slumber – that’s what everyone else is doing. Just remember to bring a coat, double check that your hotel has heating, make reservations well ahead of time and enjoy!
Buon Natale!
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