Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II 
- Type: Shopping, Sightseeing
- Time to Spend: 1 to 2 hours
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This is another must-see even if you can't afford to buy. Italian designers, from Prada to Gucci, line the steel-and-glass arcade of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. In layman's terms, this galleria -- built at the height of 19th-century belle époque -- is a glorified shopping mall, yet incredibly elegant. (This is no Mall of America, my friends). Inside are shops, caffès, restaurants and even the über-luxurious Town House Galleria hotel.
Frommer's calls it "a fine locale for watching the flocks of well-dressed Milanese." A TripAdvisor user says, "At night it becomes virtually empty so that's a great time to explore all the tiny details like the caryatids, the mosaics on the floor and the dioramas of the continents."
You'll find the galleria off the Duomo metro stop, connecting the Piazza della Scala to the Piazza Duomo. Before you leave, remember to "step on the bull." Supposedly, turning your heel on a painting of a bull on the galleria's floor will bring you luck.
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