The cosmopolitan city of Milan, in the northern Lombard region surprised me. It was my first visit to the city, which is the second largest after Rome. Out of all my visits to Italy, Milan is the fastest paced. A dirty raunchy city, filled with rude people who wait for no one. That is unless they are in no hurry, in which case you will be expected to slow down to their speed. The tension between the old and the new is palpable in all aspects - art, architecture, food, and also on their people. 

Though, I much prefer the southern charm of La Dolce Vita, I still enjoyed Milano because the city offers a lot to explore. It has a variety that's hard to come by in the classical Roman cities. I spend two weeks getting to know every little corner, and below is the list of my favorite places that I would go back to visit.