Italy is well known for the amazing architecture as well as the outstanding food.  People from all over the world make their way to Italy as a place to take their vacation.  If you are planning on heading to Milan, Italy I would highly recommend checking out the following tourist attractions.  If you are travelling Europe and are in a bordering country to Italy, hop on the Eurail and pay Milan a visit, you won’t be disappointed.

Teatro alla Scala
Piazza della Scala, Milan, Italy

Teatro alla Scala is a large opera house built in 1776 by Giuseppe Piermarini built on the space of the old Santa Maria dell Scala church.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Piazza della Scala, Milan, Italy
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is an amazing covered double arcade featuring two mamoth glass vaulted arcades at right angles.  The arcade is four stories and features shops, restaurants and cafes.  Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is also the home to big brand luxury name brands such as Prada, Gucci and Louis Vuitton.

Meazza (San Siro) Stadium
Via Piccolomini 5, Milan, Italy

Meazza (San Siro) Stadium is the home for two of the most popular European football (soccer) clubs.  The stadium houses both AC Milan as well as F.C Internazionale Milano.  It is considered to be one of the most famous football (soccer) stadiums in the entire world. The stadium is now technically named ‘Stadio Giueppe Meazza’ in honour of Giuseppe Meazza but still commonly goes by the name ‘San Siro’.

Palazzo Marino
Piazza della Scala, Milan, Italy

The Palazzo Marino is the official Government building for the City of San Marino and doubles as the town hall. The building was created somewhere between 1884 and 1894 by famous architect Frencesco Azurri.

Palazzo della Ragione
Piazza Mercanti, Milan, Italy

The Palazzo della Ragione is a Renaissance town hall which is said to have the largest unsupported roof in all of Europe. The construction of this building commenced in  1172 and finished in 1219.

Cimitero Monumentale (Cemetery)
Piazzale Cimitero Monumentale, Milan, Italy
The Cimitero Monumentale is an extremely large cemetery located in the Cimitero Monumentale square.  The Cemetary was originally opened in 1866 and has since been filled with amazing Italian sculptures.

Palazzo Cusani - Via Brera, Milan, Italy
Palazzo Cusani is a Palace located in the Brera area. The palace was originally built in 1719 but is now used by the Army.

Palazzo Litta
Corso Magenta 24, Milan, Italy
The Palazzo Litta is a large Baroque structure built in the 1640’s.  The building has undergone a number of changes since it was first built but remains to be an amazing tourist attraction and an architectural masterpiece.

Fiera di Milano (Trade Fair)
Largo Domodossola 1, Milan, Italy
Fiera di Milano, also known as FieraMilano is a monumentous large-scale exhibition center located in the town of Rho.  It first opened in 2005 and offers over 345,000 square meters of indoor exhibition space.

Conservatorio di Musica Giuseppe Verdi
Via Conservatorio 12, Milan, Italy
Conservatorio di Musica Giuseppe Verdi otherwise known as the Milan Conservatory is an ancient college of music established in 1807.  Since it creation over 200 years ago, the institute has become the largest musical institute in all of Italy.

Europe is a massive place featuring thousands upon thousands of castles. While this is just a small selection of the castles you may find travelling across Europe, all of these Castles are located in Countries you can get to using the Eurail train system.

Ammersoyen Castle
Built: Around 1350
Location: Netherlands

The Ammersoyen castle is located near the Mass River in the Netherlands.  The castle was  originally built somewhere around 1350 by the Van Herlaer family and has changed ownership many  times. The castle is rectangular shaped and features towers in each of the four corners.  The  castle also is also surrounded by a moat to help fend off sieges.

Boechout Castle
Built: 1100’s
Location: Meise, Belgium

The Boechout Castle, located just nort of Brussels was originally built in the 1100’s.  The oldest piece of the castle that remains is from the 1300s.  The castle has since been rebuilt numerous times and houses a few small art exhibitions.  The castle is now mainly used for  gatherings and conferences.

Duino Castle
Built: 1000AD
Located: Castello di Duino, Italy

This castle site is actually the home to two castles that jutt out into the Gulf of Trieste. The  first castle is name ‘The Old Castle’ and dates back to 1000 AD. Unfortunately, ‘The Old Castle’  is in ruins and is no longer able to be visited.

‘The New Castle’ was built du ring the 1300’s and was built on the ruins of a Roman military  outpost.  The castle was nearly destroyed in the 15th century when it was attacked by the Turks.  In World War II the Germans used the castle and built a bunker in the rocks next to the castle.  Today the bunker is used as a museum.

Hamm Castle
Built: 1052
Location Bitburg, Germany

Hamm Castle was first built in 1052, when it owned by the Counts of Vianden. At the time the Counts of Vianden were the protectors of the Abbey of Prüm. The Prüm stream flows around the castle which is situated on a large ridge.  The castle is still inhabited by it’s owners, but they do offer a holiday suite if you want to head to Bitburg Germany for a vacation.

Auzers Castle
Built: 1470
Location: Village of Auzers, France

Auzers Castle is locally known as Château d’Auzers and has been inhabited by the same family since the 15th century.  All aspects of the original castle are still in tact including the lookout turrets, the rampart walk and the tower.

Heidenreichstein Castle
Built:1190
Location: Village of Heidenreichstein, Lower Austria, Austria

Heidenreichstein is an amazing water castle situated in Heidenreichstein, Austria.  The castle itself has two separate draw bridges and a giant square keep. There are a few towers that are 
still fully intact.  Because of the way the castle is laid out the castle was never over taken and has never been destroyed.  The castle now houses a museum that you can visit to learn more about the castle.

Alcazar of Segovia
Built: 1075AD
Location: Segovia Spain

The Alcazar is more than just a castle, it is a palace.  The castle is located within the walled  city of Segovia in Spain.  Many Spanish kings of lived in this castle due to its amazingly beautiful exterior.  In 1862 this beautiful castle fell victim to a devastating fire however it was promptly rebuilt in 1882 using sketches of the original interior.   Even though the castle’s interior is only a few hundred years old, the exterior is still original and what you do see on the interior is close to the original state.

Loule Castle
Built:1249
Location: Loule, Portugal

Loule Castle is a very medieval looking castle with classic architecture you’d probably see in movies such as Lord of the Rings.  An Earthquake devastated the building in 1755 causing substantial damage however all damage was restored in the 20th century.  Currently, the three remaining towers can be visited for free during daytime hours.  Although you can see the towers for free, the rooms attached to the towers are off limits.

Ansembourg Castle
Built: 1100’s
Location: Valley of the Eisch Stream, Luxembourg

The Ansembourg castle, known locally as Alt-Ansembourg is located in the Valley of the Eisch stream.  This area also goes by the Valley of the Seven Castles and features six other castles. These castles include Mersch, New Ansembourg, Schoenfels, Koerich, Septfontaines and Hollenfels.  This castle is constructed around 200 feet above the valley floor on a rocky spur. In the 1500s the castle was renovated, where the keep was torn down and the gate tower fo the bailey was built. The castle is not available to be visited as it is private property.