Simplon Park

Simplon Park is located in Milan's old town, just behind the Sforza Castle, around a fifteen minute walk from the Duomo Cathedral. It's one of my favourite areas in the city and one of the parks that I have liked the most during my time spent in Europe.

It's an enormous park where you can go for a peaceful walk, relax, play, ride your bike, hang out with friends, etc. For me personally, it's a hidden treasure in the metropolis that is Milan. When you are walking through the city, you wouldn't even begin to imagine that you could find this place, one that has nothing to do with the rest of Milan and allows you to take a break from the stress that comes with being in such a big place.

In the middle of the park, there is a small lake that is home to some ducks that you can see one end of upon crossing a little bridge that has sculptures on it, which seems like a really charming area to me.

With regards to the flora and fauna found in the park, I don't really understand it, but be assured that there are several different species for you to see. There are trees with leaves of both different shapes and colours, some of which are really majestic. I also really liked the round-looking flowers that were both white and brown - I had never seen anything like them before.

The park is also home to the Civic Aquarium of Milan [in Italian, "Acquario Civico di Milano"], the Torre Branca (an iron panoramic tower), and some bars where you will be able to sit and have a drink.

At the other end of the park, you will find the Arco della Pace, which can be seen from practically anywhere, given that it sits right in the middle of the pathway for all to see. The arch is white and, although it's not one of the biggest I have ever seen, it is still beautiful. The park sits comfortably between the Arco della Pace and the Sforza Castle, and they bring a special charm to the Simplon as they are like two entryways to it.

There is another very pretty park about 20 minutes away from the Duomo that I had also planned on visiting, but, in the end, I couldn't go because it had started to go dark. For reference, it's called "Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli" and is much smaller than Simplon.

In addition to getting there on foot from the city centre, you can also take the metro. The stops that fall closest to the park are “Cairoli Castello” (line 1), “Cardona FNM-Triennale" (lines 1 and 2), and “Lanza Brera Piccolo Teatro” (also on line 2).

And if you are wondering how to see everything that Milan has to offer in 2 days, check out our complete guide with which planning you trip will be much easier!