Milan has lengthy been misunderstood and underestimated, however the Lombardy capital charts its personal course, delivering every part a metropolis lover may presumably need: nuanced tradition, wealthy heritage, ingenious eating places and cocktail bars, with a bursting dynamism solely set to develop in 2026.
From 6-22 February 2026, Milan will co-host the Winter Olympic Games with Cortina d’Ampezzo. The Games are poised to be essentially the most widespread in historical past, spanning 22,000 sq. kilometres between the 2 hubs and their outlying venues. The 2026 Games will even be essentially the most gender-balanced winter version in historical past, with 47 per cent feminine participation, whereas sustainability stays on the forefront. Initiatives embrace 100 per cent renewable vitality, the usage of 11 (out of 13) current or momentary venues and an Olympic Village, outfitted with photo voltaic panels, rainwater harvesting and concrete farming, which can be repurposed into pupil dorms.
From 21-26 April 2026, design devotees will descend on Milan for the sixty fourth version of Design Week, or Salone del Mobile, the world’s largest furnishings truthful. Fuorisalone, the city-centre offshoot, unfolds by lots of of courtyards, galleries and showrooms rooted in a unifying theme. As 2026’s theme, Be the Project will purpose to carry sustainability and social affect into focus, increasing on final 12 months’s Connected Worlds, which explored AI and digital interconnectedness.
But sports activities and design are hardly Milan’s solely draw. In 2026, a trio of five-star lodges will open. In the Quadrilatero della Moda, the golden rectangle delineating the upscale vogue district, two Nineteenth-century palazzi will home the 70 visitor rooms of Rosewood Milan. Six Senses will debut a brief stroll away in the Brera, set in a post-war rationalist constructing with 68 visitor rooms, together with 15 suites (two with plunge swimming pools), a spa, rooftop bar and sky pool. A brief stroll from Piazza del Duomo, Mett Milan will declare the highest 9 flooring of the Torre Velasca, a 26-storey Fifties skyscraper with a protruding prime harking back to a medieval watchtower. Adding to the combo, Soho House can also be set to arrive, remodeling the Thirties Cinema Arti right into a inventive membership and lodging of greater than 50 rooms, together with a rooftop terrace and pool.
How to plan it: Milan has two principal airports: Linate and Malpensa. Linate is the extra snug possibility, with town centre simply 15-20 minutes away by taxi. It’s additionally linked by way of buses and the new-ish M4 metro line. Malpensa is sort of an hour away. From there, you may take the devoted prepare (tickets accessible on the station or from the TreNord app), or a bus or taxi – simply affirm the $134 mounted fee earlier than setting off. In common, discovering a taxi may be tough (particularly throughout Salone or different buzzy occasions), however apps corresponding to itTaxi, Freenow and appTaxi make it simpler. Uber operates in Milan, nevertheless it’s principally Uber Black, with restricted availability. Public transport is environment friendly and dependable, and all buses, trams and metro traces settle for contactless fee. —Jaclyn deGiorgio
Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, France
Go for: sustainable prepare journey and sweeping Haute-Savoie views