Milan is famous for its vibrancy and for being the city of fashion and finance but also for all its wonderful main attractions.

Some of its must-sees are the Duomo, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, Castello Sforzesco and Parco Sempione, the Navigli and Darsena, Piazza Gae Aulenti and City Life. But Milan also hides a multitude of unusual attractions and secret places to visit.

So if you are about to move and are interested in an original city tour and unusual things to do in Milan for an even more special experience, you will find all the information you need here.

We will take you on a discovery of buildings and houses with original shapes and beautiful façades and then delve into the hidden places to see and experiences that you absolutely must try.

Unique buildings and houses to see in Milan

What is so special about Milan's buildings? I mean, they are all the same aside from the buildings in the city centre, right?

But no! Milan is a city of a thousand surprises where brilliant and eclectic minds have passed through and left truly incredible architectural imprints.

Here are some of the hidden places in Milan where you can see unusual buildings:

• Bosco Verticale, are two residential towers with hundreds of trees and shrubs planted on all floors to absorb Milan's notorious smog and produce oxygen. They are located just behind Piazza Gae Aulenti, in the area between Garibaldi Station and the Isola district;
• Cimitero Monumentale, certainly an unusual but truly spectacular destination, it is famous for its artistic monuments and tombs housing famous people including poets, composers, philosophers;
• Casa delle Fate in Via degli Odescalchi 3 (San Siro area), which is also called a 'fairytale house' because of its shape, but which hides a spicy past. In fact, in the 1980s and 1990s it is said to have been a dating house with a heart-shaped swimming pool inside;
• Case a Igloo in via Lepanto 11, in the Maggiolina district, built in the 1940s by architect Mario Cavallè, these are true circular dwellings built with a vaulted system that allows for no load-bearing walls other than the structure itself;
• Casa Galimberti at 3 Via Malpighi, Porta Venezia neighbourhood, is the building regarded as one of the most brilliant pieces of Milanese Art Nouveau. The exterior façade is covered in figured ceramic tiles, wrought iron and floral motifs. It is like admiring an open-air work of art;
• Casa del Rabbino at 35 Via Carlo Poerio, a few steps from Porta Venezia, also known as 'the Dutch' for its architectural style reminiscent of the Netherlands. The real peculiarity is that it is one of the reproductions of 'house 770' which was the home of Rabbi Yoseph Yitzchok Schneerson and provided accommodation for the religious man fleeing Nazi persecution;
• Case colorate in Via Lincoln, located between Piazza Tricolore and Piazza Cinque Giornate, also known as the Quartiere Arcobaleno or Giardino. In this street there are a variety of multicoloured cottages that you would never expect to see in Milan.

When walking through the city streets, also remember to look up sometimes, because many buildings offer architectural surprises on the highest floors.

Hidden places to visit in Milan

Our tour is not over yet!
There are secret spots in Milan that are not often talked about and that are little known but that give you a different view of the city.

They are original experiences that you can also give to relatives or friends who come to visit you for a weekend or to leave your partner speechless.

San Bernardino alle Ossa

Right in the centre of Milan, in Piazza Santo Stefano a few steps from the Duomo, is the Church of San Bernardino alle Ossa. It is a veritable shrine to human skulls and bones. Yes, you got that right!

A chapel whose interior walls are decorated with countless human skulls, meticulously arranged, apparently from the victims of the Black Death in the 1300s. According to the story, an adjacent cemetery had run out of space and so the chapel was built to hold the exhumed bones.

Admission is free, although there is a donation box for chapel maintenance.

Antique shops in the Navigli

The Navigli are Milan's waterways, one of the city's nightlife hotspots, famous for the places where you can have an aperitif and spend a funny evening.

But they also offer much more, for example vintage and antique shops where you can find original pieces of local tradition. There are clothes shops, between the Darsena and Ripa di Porta Ticinese, but also boutiques selling original objects from other eras.

The shopkeepers are very proud of their antique heirlooms and are happy to show and tell everyone who walks through the doors of their shops about them.

Additionally, an antiques market is held on these banks on the last Sunday of every month. Among the stalls there, you may discover all kinds of deals on old furniture, books, vinyl records, and much more.

Apéritif at Vigna di Leonardo

When you think of Leonardo da Vinci in Milan, surely the first thing that comes to mind is The Last Supper, the work preserved in the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie and which we absolutely recommend you see.

But once you have finished your visit, which lasts 15 minutes, it is time to visit Leonardo's Vineyard. This is a vineyard that Ludovico il Moro gave to Leonardo da Vinci in 1498 as a tribute to his works.

The guided tour will take you to discover this hidden inner garden, an oasis of peace inside Casa degli Atellani. A splendid palace that also contains other works of art.

The Vineyard has survived the French invasion, the vicissitudes of centuries and the bombings of wars. Forgotten for many years, it was taken back into consideration by architects and historians. In 2015, the vineyard was restored, and it is now possible to visit the place, sip coffee or have an aperitif, but only by reservation.

Flamingos at Palazzo Invernizzi

Did you ever think you would see flamingos in Milan? It is strange but true.

They are in the garden of Villa Invernizzi, the address is Via dei Cappuccini 7, near Palestro and Porta Venezia. The area is quiet and residential, and if you look around you will also see some beautiful buildings, but the real attraction are the pink flamingos.

The only way to see them, however, is to browse through the hedges while staying outside the gate. In fact, the villa is privately owned and therefore closed to the public.

But don't worry about doing anything strange because you will also find other small groups of people with the same intention as you.

Orto Botanico nel quartiere Brera

Just behind the Pinacoteca di Brera, in the district of the same name, is the Orto Botanico, a historic garden that is considered a true open-air museum.

Admission is free for everyone and on Saturdays you can book free guided tours as well. A chance to enjoy a green corner of Milan rich in vegetation that offers different spectacles depending on the season, here you will find manicured flower beds, centuries-old trees, and exotic species.

This garden is also transformed into a natural backdrop for architectural and artistic installations during special Milanese events, such as Design Week and the Fuori Salone.