Leonardo da Vinci is one of those men you just can‘t get out of your mind. And after visiting his spectacular fresco– The Last Supper – it can be hard to think of anything else. Upon leaving the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie where the work is housed, many people see Milan with new eyes. It’s not just a pretty fashion hub where long legs disappear into luxury cars now, but rather the hometown of one of the most incredible minds the world has ever seen. They wonder where little Leonardo played, which benches he sat on while he scribbled in his notebooks and where his favourite thinking spot was.

The good news is that your journey through the past doesn’t have to end once you have bid adieu to the Dark Rome guide that has brought you through a skip the line tour of The Last Supper. With our short guide you can trace your own tour of da Vinci’s Milan, learning more about Leonardo da Vinci and how he saw the world.

Head first to Sforza Castle, Castello Sforzesco, where da Vinci spent most of his time in Milan. Here he worked for Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza after sending him a letter of introduction, listing his skills as a designer of both civil and military machines. Spot the bridge and moat he designed, now grassed before heading for the Tower Room. Da Vinci decorated this room himself with a fresco of eighteen willow trees and the Sforza coat of arms. The Duke later gave Leonardo the room to keep as his own private work and living space. Once you have soaked up your surroundings head for the many museums and art galleries contained within the castle walls.

Another great museum in town is the Milan National Science and Technology Museum, Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Technologia de Leonardo da Vinci, which shows another side to the genius’s multi-faceted mind. Here the huge selection of models built from da Vinci’s drawings include paddle boats, gliders, cars, winches and cranes with notes from his pages showing the original drawings.

Next, follow in Leonardo da Vinci’s footsteps with a cruise along the canals, the Italian name for which is navigli (see here for bookings). This is one spot that we know for sure the man himself wandered as he pondered improvements for the city’s waterways. While the canals pre-date the man, he was instrumental in their development as he improved and connected them with the help of lock designs and sluices – some of the originals of which are still in Milan.

And if you still haven’t had enough of Leonardo, hop on a train to Vinci – a small town in the Tuscan hills that feels lost in time. As the birthplace of Leonardo the town has renamed almost every building in his honour and countless knick knack and souvenir shops have sprung up among the vineyards and olive groves. The museum there has a number of models built according to his scribbled plans but the best part of the town is undoubtedly the small, humble honey-brick house that he grew up in. At the end of a hiking trail, the property is surprisingly quiet and the views back over Vinci may just be beautiful enough to inspire you to start scribbling in your own notebook.