The Navigli of Milan: Leonardo's Canals and Milan's Liveliest Evenings
Milan is not a city people associate with water – until they reach the Navigli. Here, two surviving canals cut through the southern districts, lined with old workshops, bookshops, trattorias and bars that spill onto the towpaths every evening. For guests staying at Taylor's Love Solferino B&B in Brera, it is the perfect contrast to the elegant streets around Via Solferino.
Naviglio Grande, Milan. Photo: mat's eye, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
Getting There from Our B&B
By metro (recommended): from Moscova (M2 green line), 300 metres from the B&B, take the M2 directly to Porta Genova FS – about 6 stops, roughly 12 minutes. The Naviglio Grande begins two minutes from the station exit. Door to door: around 20 minutes.
On foot: approximately 3.5 km, about 45 minutes – a pleasant walk if you cut through the centre past the Duomo and the Colonne di San Lorenzo.
A Thousand Years of Engineering
The Navigli were not built for beauty. Work on the Naviglio Grande began in 1177, creating a waterway that linked Milan to the River Ticino and Lake Maggiore. It carried grain, salt, timber and, most famously, the pink-white marble from the Candoglia quarries used to build the Duomo – shipped free of duty, marked AUF, ad usum fabricae.
In the late fifteenth century Leonardo da Vinci was consulted on the canal system and worked on the locks that allowed boats to overcome differences in level. His drawings of the Milanese waterways survive in the Codex Atlanticus.
Most of the inner ring was covered over in the 1930s. What remains – the Naviglio Grande and the Naviglio Pavese, meeting at the Darsena – is now among the most sociable corners of the city.
What to See and Do
- Naviglio Grande – the longer and livelier of the two, lined with restaurants, vintage shops and artists' courtyards.
- Vicolo dei Lavandai – a tiny preserved alley with the wooden washing stalls where Milanese laundrywomen worked until the 1950s.
- Naviglio Pavese – quieter, straighter, less touristy, good for an evening walk.
- Darsena – the old dock, restored for Expo 2015, now a waterside promenade and one of the best spots at sunset.
- Mercatone dell'Antiquariato – a large antiques market along the Naviglio Grande on the last Sunday of most months.
- Aperitivo – the Navigli invented Milan's aperitivo culture. From around 18:30 the towpaths fill up.
Practical Information
- Cost: free to walk. Aperitivo typically 10 to 15 euro including buffet.
- Best time to visit: late afternoon into the evening. Sunset over the Darsena is the highlight.
- Boat trips: seasonal cruises run from spring to autumn; book ahead in high season.
- Antiques market: last Sunday of the month, roughly 09:00 to 18:00 (no market in July and August).
- Booking ahead: advisable for restaurants at weekends.
A Word of Advice
The Navigli are busiest on Friday and Saturday nights, when the crowds can be considerable. If you prefer something calmer, come on a weekday evening, or in the morning when the light on the water is at its best and the neighbourhood belongs to its residents again.
Why Our Location Works So Well
Taylor's Love Solferino B&B is at Via Solferino 56, in Zone 1 – the historic centre, between Brera, Moscova and Corso Garibaldi. The green M2 line runs straight from Moscova to the Navigli, so you can spend the evening by the water and be home in twenty minutes.
For travellers seeking a short stay apartment in Milan centre instead of a standard hotel, the B&B offers free self check-in with a smart lock – useful if you come back late. Porta Garibaldi FS, 700 metres away, links directly to Malpensa Airport via the Malpensa Express.
Elegant Brera by day, the canals by night: it is a good way to understand how many different cities live inside Milan.