December is Milan’s liveliest month: lights in the centre, the Christmas tree in Piazza Duomo, the markets, the Sant’Ambrogio holiday on 7 December and the Immaculate Conception on the 8th. Here is what to do week by week, with connections from the Milano Centrale area.
Early December: lights and the Duomo tree
Between late November and early December the street lights go on in the centre and the Christmas tree is lit in Piazza Duomo. The classic walk runs from Piazza Duomo through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, then along Via Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga with their Christmas windows. From the suite: M1 from Lima to Duomo in 10 minutes.
7 and 8 December: Sant’Ambrogio and the Immaculate Conception
7 December is the feast of Milan’s patron saint: it is a local holiday and the traditional Oh Bej! Oh Bej! fair takes place around the Castello Sforzesco, with craft stalls, sweets and roasted chestnuts. Details in our guide Oh Bej! Oh Bej!. The same day the Teatro alla Scala opens its season: read how to see La Scala.
With the 8 December holiday many locals take a long weekend: museums and shops are open, but the best-known sights get busy. Book the Last Supper and the Duomo rooftops early.
Markets and gifts
In early December Fiera Milano Rho also hosts Artigiano in Fiera, the big crafts market from around the world: see Artigiano in Fiera. For markets in town read Christmas markets in Milan; for shopping, Shopping in Milan, with Corso Buenos Aires just steps from the suite.
The Christmas weeks
- Christmas concerts in churches and theatres: check the programmes at the start of the month.
- Museums are open almost every day except 25 December: always check the museum’s website. To save money: Free museums in Milan.
- Day trips with Christmas lights: Bergamo, Como and Turin are an hour by train from Centrale.
- More festive ideas in Christmas in Milan.
Book your December in Milan
The Sant’Ambrogio and Immaculate Conception long weekend and the weeks before Christmas are among the busiest of the year. Mercadante Suite is a 10-minute walk from Milano Centrale, with self check-in and metro M1 5 minutes away: book on our website and pay 20% less than on booking portals.
