Shopping in Milan

This pedestrian street heading out of the main square in Varese, Piazza Monte Grappa, is at the heart of the city's cool and chic shopping. It is lined with old buildings and covered arcades which are filled with trendy boutiques and cute cafés where you can deliberate over whether to buy that extra pair or shoes, or not.

As the birthplace of the Armani fashion house, and host to the famous Milan Fashion Week, you would expect nothing less than a myriad of shopping options in Milan. And you won't be disappointed. For up-to-the minute prestigious designers and clothes straight from the catwalk, head for the glamorous Quadrilatero della Moda or "Fashion Quadrangle". Designer fashion houses are neatly arranged around a rectangle of streets in the centre of historic Milan. Starting from Montenapoleone metro station, this Quadrilatero d'Oro (Golden Rectangle) heads southeast down Via Montenapoleone, passing the sparkling Gucci flagship store, Louis Vitton, Versace and Christian Dior. Turn left along Via Sant' Andrea where you can find Chanel, Versace, Hermes and then left again along Via della Spiga for Fendi, Roberto Cavalli and Dolce & Gabbana. Finally head left and southwest down Via Manzoni, where the Armani Superstore can be found, the largest Armani store in the world. If your budget doesn't stretch quite that far, but you are still looking for something trendy and hip, try the Brera district where the next generation of designers are trying to make their names with hip, stylish boutiques. This district seems to exude life, blending the old and the new in perfect harmony. Make sure you explore the side streets. For the younger, trendier, more casual fashion scene, head to Corso di Porta Ticinese where you can find brands such as Diesel, Gas and Fornarina mixed in with second-hand clothes stores. Bi-annual city-wide sales are held in January and July and the city's many outlet stores such as 10 Corso Como Outlet, Il Salvagente and Basement are a great way to find designer bargains.

There are cute delicatessens and stores scattered all over Milan selling salami, cured meats, cheeses, pasta and oils. Food-lovers should head to Peck, (www.peck.it), a 100-year old Milan food institution which has a flagship store on Via Spadari. Founded in 1893, this food emporium offers a gourmet selection of hams, traditional cheeses, olive oils, pastas, wines and other delights. Many small specialist stores are worth a visit for their expertise and personal recommendations, try Doc & Dop (www.docdop.com) or La Vineria where you can buy wine and olive oil straight from the tap. To buy panettone, head to Garbagnati. This renowned Milanese bakery, considered the best in town, has been making this traditional sweet bread for over 70 years. If you want to pick up some Italian wine to take home, N'Ombra de Vin has an excellent selection of top quality Italian wines and Ricera Vini, with a choice of over 3000 varieties, should be able to find one to suit you.

As host to an international design and furniture fair, Salone Internazionale del Mobile, Milan unsurprisingly offers shopping opportunities a plenty. Many showrooms can be found at the northern end of Via Manzoni or a few streets further east on Via Durini. For contemporary furniture, try B&B Italia, Cassina or Cerruti Baleri. The Alessi flagship store can be found on Via Manzoni, as can Armani Casa, Armani's home line. The trendy Brera district in northeast central Milan is home to many design stores, as well as fashion stores and hip cafes.

This street is cool and chic and the centre of Lugano's designer shopping. You'll find all the top names you'd expect to see in the Golden Triangle in Milan as well as cafés and restaurants. At over 200 metres long, you should be able to shop until you drop.

This is Bergamo's most stylish street and the place to come for boutique shopping, antiques, gifts or to hang out and people-watch in one of its trendy cafés. It isn't quite Milan, but then it pleasantly lacks some of the pretention of Milan too.