The dynamo behind the country’s “economic miracle”, MILAN is a city like no other in Italy. It’s foggy in winter, muggy in summer, and is closer in outlook, as well as distance, to London than to Palermo. This is no city of peeling palazzi, cobbled piazzas and la dolce vita , but one in which time is money, the pace fast, and where consumerism and the work-ethic rule the lives of its power-dressed citizens. It’s a historic city, with enough churches and museums to keep you busy for a week - the Accademia Brera, duomo and the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie - but there are also parks and cafés to relax in, and the contemporary aspects of the place represent the leading edge of Italy’s fashion and design industry.

Historic Milan lies at the centre of a web of streets, within the inner Cerchia dei Navigli , which follows the route of the medieval city walls. Piazza del Duomo is the city centre’s main orientation point: most of the city’s major sights lie within this area, as well as the swankiest designer shops and most elegant cafés. Visits to art galleries and museums , the Duomo and other churches can be punctuated with designer window-shopping in the so-called Quadrilatero d’Oro, or sipping overpriced drinks among the designer-dressed clientele of the pavement cafés of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele or around the Pinacoteca di Brera art gallery. The second cerchia , the Viali , skirts behind the centre’s two large parks - the Parco Sempione and Giardini Pubblici - to the canal sides of the Navigli in the south, following the tracks of defensive walls built during the Spanish occupation. Within lie the Castello Sforzesco and the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie , which houses Milan’s most famous painting, Leonardo’s The Last Supper . What follows is a wedge-by-wedge account of the city: Milan is not an easily wanderable city, so make a judicious selection, walking a little but where necessary hopping between places by way of the metro or other public transport.

Milan first stepped into the historical limelight in the fourth century when Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan here, granting Christians throughout the Roman Empire the freedom to worship for the first time. The city, under its charismatic bishop, Ambrogio (St Ambrose), swiftly became a major centre of Christianity - many of today’s churches stand on the sites, or even retain parts, of fourth-century predecessors.Medieval Milan rose to prominence under the ruthless regime of the Visconti dynasty, who founded what is still the city’s most spectacular building, the florid late-Gothic Duomo , and built the first, heavily fortified nucleus of the Castello - which, under their successors, the Sforza, was extended to house what became one of the most luxurious courts of the Renaissance. This was a period of much building and rebuilding, notably under the last Sforza, Lodovico, who employed the architect Bramante to improve the city’s churches and Leonardo da Vinci to paint The Last Supper and design war-machines to aid him in his struggles with foreign powers and other Italian states. Leonardo’s inventions didn’t prevent Milan falling to the French in 1499, marking the beginning of almost four centuries of foreign rule. Later, the Austrian Habsburgs took control, during their time commissioning the Teatro della Scala and founding the Brera art gallery, which, during Milan’s short spell under Napoleon, was filled with paintings looted from churches and private collections.

Mussolini made his mark on the city too. Arrive by train and you emerge into the massive white megalith of the central station built on his orders; the main tourist office is housed in one half of the pompous twin Arengario , from which he would address crowds gathered in Piazza Duomo. And with stark irony it was on the now major road junction of Piazzale Loreto that the dead dictator was strung up for display to the baying mob.

Milan has two main tourist offices , one tucked away between two jewellery shops down a corridor off the main upper level of the Stazione Centrale (Mon-Sat 9am-6pm; tel 02.7252.4360), and another, larger office in the city centre at Via Marconi 1, on the corner of Piazza Duomo (Mon-Fri 8.30am-8pm, Sat 9am-1pm & 2-7pm, Sun 9am-1pm & 2-5pm; tel 02.7252.4301, fax 02.7252.4350); there are also information desks at the airports (daily 9am-4pm). The tourist office publish Milano Mese,a monthly booklet which can be worth picking up for its listings and general information. Hello Milan also gives good monthly rundowns of cultural events and the like, and Milan Where, When, How , has comprehensive listings concentrating on shopping, sport, bars, clubs and discos; both are available free in hotel lobbies, bars or the tourist office in Piazza Duomo. The pullouts in either Corriere della Sera on Wednesdays, or La Repubblica on Thursdays, are another valuable source of listings.

Many of Milan’s tourists are in the city for just one reason - La Scala , Via dei Filodrammatici 2 (box office open daily noon-6pm, plus 15min after the start of each performance for ticket collection only; tel 02.7200.3744, fax 02.887.9297), one of the world’s most prestigious opera houses. The opera season runs from December through to July, and there’s usually also a season of classical concerts between September and November. Not surprisingly, seats for the opera sell out months in advance, but you can book tickets via their Web site if you get in early enough. The average price of a ticket is about L75,000/38.74. There is also often a reasonable chance of picking up a cheaper seat in the gods on the day, or one of around 200 standing places; get there an hour or so before the performance starts.Of Milan’s theatres , the Teatro Piccolo, Via Rovello 2 (tel 02.7233.3222), is a classical theatre, with a traditional repertoire, and is reckoned to be one of Italy’s best. Teatro dell’Elfo, Via Ciro Menotti 11 (tel 02.716.791), reachable on bus #60, puts on more original plays. Count on paying around L30,000/15.49 for a seat at either of these places.

As for cinema , Sound and Motion Pictures ( L9000/4.65) show a selection of original language films at the following cinemas: the Arcobaleno, Viale Tunisia 11 (tel 02.2940.6054; MM Porta Venezia), the Anteo, Via Milazzo 9 (tel 02.659.7732), and the Mexico, Via Savona 57 (tel 02.4895.1802). The Fondazione Cineteca Italiana is based at the Spazio Oberdan , and has an excellent programme of international arthouse films. In the summer months outdoor cinema is organized at several venues, including the Parco di Villa Ghirlanda, Cinisello Balsamo Via Frova 10; see newspaper for listings.

Milan has perhaps Italy’s best nightlife . This centres on two main areas: the streets around the Brera gallery, and the canal-side Navigli and the adjacent Ticinese quarter, south of the city, where there are any number of lively bars, restaurants and nightclubs, some hosting regular live bands.

The city’s clubs are at their hippest midweek, particularly on Thursdays - at weekends out-of-towners flood in and any self-respecting Milanese trendy either stays at home or hits a bar. Many places have obscure door policies, often dependent on the whim of the bouncer; assuming you get in, you can expect to pay L20,000-30,000/10.33-15.49 entry, which usually includes your first drink. As for live music , Milan scores high on jazz, and the rock scene is relatively good by Italian standards: there are regular gigs by local bands, and the city is a stop on the circuit for big-name touring bands.

If you need an antedote to the expensive designer side of Milan’s nightlife, check out the very healthy alternative scene, which revolves around the city’s many Centri Sociali . Born out of the student protests of the late Sixties, these centres are essentially squatted buildings, where committees organize cheap, sometimes free, entertainment, such as concerts and film showings. They also contain bars and - often good - vegetarian restaurants, and are an established part of the social scene, accepted by neighbours and even sometimes receiving local funding. Worth checking out are Gargliano , in Via Gargliano, ten minutes’ walk north of Garibaldi Station, and Conchetta , on Via Conchetta, five minutes’ walk south of Porta Ticenese and the flagship, Leoncavallo , which you can contact on tel 02.670.5185 or csleo@tiscalinet.it .

Milan’s street-plan resembles a spider’s web, with roads radiating out from the central Piazza Duomo. The bulk of the city is encircled by three concentric ring roads, although the suburbs and industrial estates are now spilling out towards a fourth ring, the Tangenzianale, which links the main autostradas . The city centre is, however, fairly compact, and most of what you’ll want to see is within the first or second rings, each of them marking ancient city boundaries.

In spite of this, the streets can be smoggy and packed, and at some point you’ll want to make use of the public transport system - an efficient network of trams, buses and metro. The metro is easiest to master (and the fastest and most useful). It’s made up of four lines, the red MM1, green MM2, yellow MM3, and blue passante ferroviario , meeting at the four main hubs of Stazione Centrale, Duomo, Cadorna and Loreto . The system is not comprehensive, but it’s adequate for sightseeing. However, you may need to use a tram or bus to get to your hotel: the system is well organized and integrated with the metro. Buses, trams and the metro run from around 6am to midnight, after which nightbuses take over, following the metro routes until 1am.

For all public transport enquiries the information office at the Duomo or Stazione Centrale metro stations are helpful, and have free route maps. Tickets , valid for 75 minutes, cost L1500/¬0.78 and can be used for one metro trip and as many bus and tram rides as you want. They are on sale at tobacconists, bars and at the metro station newsagents; most outlets close at 8pm so it’s best to buy a few tickets in advance, or a carnet of ten for L14,000/¬7.23. Some stations have automatic ticket machines, although only the newer ones give change. You can also buy a one-day (L5000/¬2.58) or two-day ticket (L9000/¬4.65) from the Stazione Centrale or Duomo metro stations.

Taxis don’t cruise the streets, so don’t bother trying to flag one down. Either head for a taxi rank - on Piazza Duomo, Largo Cairoli, Piazza San Babile, Stazione Centrale, etc - or phone one of the following numbers: tel 02.6767, 02.5353 or 02.8585. Apart from taxis, driving in the city is best avoided: the streets are congested and parking close on impossible. Parking in prohibited zones is not worth it; you’ll be fined if caught and have your car impounded by the police .

Most international and domestic trains pull in at the main Stazione Centrale , northeast of the city centre on Piazza Duca d’Aosta, at the hub of the metro network on lines MM2 and MM3. Quite a few trains, especially those from stations in the Milan region - Bergamo, Pavia, Como and the other western lakes - terminate at Garibaldi, Lambrate, Porta Genova and Nord , all on MM2 (the metro stop for Milan Nord is “Cadorna”), although these often also stop at Centrale. International and long-distance buses arrive at and depart from Piazza Castello, in front of the Castello Sforzesco. Information and tickets are available from the Autostradale bus office (tel 02.801.161) on the piazza, or Zani Viaggi (tel 02.867.131), on the corner of Piazza Castello and Foro Buonaparte. As for arrival by car , the city is encircled by a multi-laned toll road, the Tangenzianale, from which there are links onto the autostradas for Venice and Turin (A4), Genoa (A7), and the “Autostrada del Sole” (A1) for Bologna, Florence, Rome and the south.Milan has two airports , both used by domestic and international traffic. Malpensa (tel 02.7485.2200), 50km northeast of the city, is the main one, connected by direct bus with the Stazione Centrale (every 20 mins 5.20am-10.30pm; 1hr; L13,000/¬6.71) and by the new FNME train, the Malpensa Express (every 30min 6.30am-1.30am; 40min; information tel 02.27.723, www.malpensaexpress.com ), with Milano Nord (the early morning and late evening services are replaced by a bus from Via Leopardi, just to the left of the station). It costs L15,000/¬7.75, although Air Italia and Lufthansa passangers are entitled to discounts. Check when you buy your ticket that your airline hasn’t arranged a similar deal. Milan’s other airport, Linate (tel 02.7485.2200), is just 7km from the city centre: special airport buses connect it with the air terminal on Piazza Luigi di Savoia, on the east side of Stazione Centrale (every 20min 5.40am-7pm, every 30min 7-9pm; 20min; L4500/¬2.32). Ordinary ATM urban transport buses (#73) also run every ten minutes from 5.30am until around midnight between Linate and Piazza San Babila in the city centre, and they don’t take much longer; tickets cost L1500/¬0.78 and should be bought before you get on the bus from the airport newsagent, or, if you have change, from the ticket machine at the bus stop. Bear in mind, too, that there’s a twice-daily connecting bus service between Linate and Malpensa, a 75-minute journey.