Milan—famed for its fashion runways and gourmet cuisine—also hides a treasure trove of art and culture that most tourists miss. But thanks to Lufthansa’s Milan Insider series, we’re taking you deep into the heart of this historical city, where travel influencer Tanya Khanijow joins forces with Milanese art expert Elisabetta Roncati to reveal the city’s artistic evolution. Get ready to go beyond the brochure and discover the real Milan, from its ancient roots to modern-day masterpieces.
From ancient marvels to modern masterpieces
Day 1 of the series kicks off with Tanya landing in Milan, greeted by the city’s vibrant culture and artistic flair. But this isn’t your typical tourist route. Armed with insider knowledge from Elisabetta, Tanya embarks on a journey that explores Milan’s transformation through time—starting from its Celtic and Roman roots, through the grandeur of the Middle Ages, and into the bold strokes of its modern-day identity.

The Duomo di Milano: A living canvas of art history
The iconic Duomo di Milano is the perfect starting point for this journey. With over 3,400 statues adorning its façade, the cathedral is more than just a landmark—it’s a towering testament to centuries of artistic mastery. As Tanya gazes up at the intricate sculptures, Elisabetta reveals fascinating details that most visitors overlook. “It’s not just a building—it’s a story, with each statue representing different moments in history,” she explains. Tanya is left in awe, realizing the cathedral is essentially an outdoor museum that spans centuries. Talk about history in 3D!
Sforza Castle: Where Milan's art and power converge
Next, they explore Sforza Castle, a fortress that once housed Milan’s rulers and is now home to some of the world’s greatest artistic treasures. Elisabetta takes Tanya through the corridors, explaining how this grand castle served as a political and artistic hub. And here’s a fun fact—Leonardo da Vinci himself worked on projects within these very walls, further cementing Milan’s place in art history.

Navigli Canals: Designed by Da Vinci, flowing with culture
The journey wouldn’t be complete without a stop at the Navigli canals—a network designed in part by da Vinci to boost the city's trade routes. But today, these canals are not just an engineering marvel—they’re the heartbeat of Milan’s social and cultural life, lined with galleries, cafes, and studios. Elisabetta shares the fascinating story of how these canals evolved over centuries, while Tanya captures the picturesque waterways, bringing viewers a fresh perspective on this vibrant part of the city.
The insider’s edge: Travel like a local
Exploring Milan like an insider means skipping the tourist clichés and embracing local life. Elisabetta shares essential tips on navigating the city—like a true Milanese. Whether it’s mastering the efficient public transport system or understanding the unspoken cultural etiquette, Tanya learns what it really takes to move through Milan with ease and confidence. No taxis needed here—just a metro card and some insider know-how!

The soul of Milan: Where art, history, and life collide
Through Elisabetta’s expert narration, viewers are treated to an intimate look at how Milan’s past shapes its present. From the ancient ruins hidden beneath the city streets to the Renaissance masterpieces in its museums, each corner of Milan tells a story that connects art, culture, and everyday life. Tanya marvels at how seamlessly the city blends the old with the new, making every street feel like an open-air gallery.

What’s next? Stay tuned for fashion, food, and more
Day 1 is just the beginning of this insider journey through Milan. Over the next few days, Tanya will dive even deeper into the city, exploring its fashion-forward streets, indulging in its rich culinary delights, and unearthing hidden gems that only locals know. If you think Milan’s art scene is impressive, just wait until you see what comes next!
Visual storytelling: Bringing milan to life
Through visually stunning Instagram reels and YouTube videos, the energy of Milan’s art and culture leaps off the screen. From Tanya and Elisabetta standing before the Duomo to their canal-side chats along Navigli, viewers get to experience Milan as if they’re right there, soaking in the city’s rich artistic heritage. So, grab your virtual passport, because this is one Milanese adventure you won’t want to miss.
Disclaimer: This article has been produced on behalf of Lufthansa by Times Internet's Spotlight team.

Kolkata: With heavy showers skipping Kolkata for a week, the city is back to being a cauldron. Even though it has been extremely stifling since Monday, the average humidity level hasn’t jumped. It has, in fact, slid after the heavy rain stopped. But lack of rain has pushed up the mercury by 3-4 degrees, making the humidity unbearable, said weathermen.
“When it rains, humidity shoots up. But temperature drops and so we don’t feel the stifling moisture. When the showers disappeared this week, the mercury jumped from around 28-30 degrees Celsius to 34 degrees now. This is pushing up the discomfort index even though the humidity now stands at 95%,” said G K Das, director of Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC).
This July has been very humid, with the average clocking above 70% and touching 100% during showers. But since it rained heavily last month, the choking humidity wasn’t felt. “Now that the temperature has climbed up, the humidity is being felt more. This will continue till we have heavy showers which is unlikely now,” said Das.
With the monsoon trough having shifted towards north and no significant system in sight, south Bengal will have only light and sporadic showers over the next 48 hours. A north-south trough now cutting across the state from north Bengal to Bay of Bengal is the only trigger. “We will have isolated rain but not heavy spells of shower till we have another significantly large system. There is none at the moment,” added Das.

Kolkata: Does the state health department practice what it preaches? It seems not when it comes to taking up vector control exercises, given the fact the Swasthya Bhawan compund at Salt Lake has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. A number of mosquito larvae, including that of Aedes Aegypti (the one that carries dengue virus) were found on the campus on Wednesday.
The mosquito-breeding grounds were stumbled upon by health workers of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) during a vector-control drive in the satellite township. From time to time, the health department has been taking up awareness programmes through posters, seminars and conference with civic representatives. Was the health department so busy preaching to others that it forgot to mind its own courtyard?
“During our inspection on Wednesday, we found larvae of Aedes Aegypti on the premises of Swasthya Bhawan. Water accumulated in plastic waste had become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. We informed officials in Swasthya Bhawan about it,” said Pranay Roy, MMiC (health), BMC.
Aedes Aegypti breeds in stagnant water that is clean and does not need a huge volume of it. The Swasthya Bhawan compound is littered with plastic cups, thermoocol containers and other material in which water had accumulated. Health department officials promised to clean up the campus in 48 hours.
“The health department itself should have taken up a drive to clean the premises on its own so that water accumulation did not take place before civic bodies found larvae. It is absolute irony that we have not been following what we try to teach others,” said a senior Swasthya Bhawan official.
Apart from Aedes Aegypti larvae, the civic body team also found larvae of other mosquito breeds. These will be sent to the laboratory. Last year, Salt Lake had seen at least nine dengue deaths in BMC area. Learning a lesson, the civic body took up mosquito control measures on a regular basis, inspecting government offices, educational institutes and parks and gardens. Wednesday’s exercise was part of this drive.
Besides Swasthya Bhawan, civic officials led by Roy went to other addresses including Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan near tank number 13, where two primary section students had died of dengue last year. Following the deaths, classes had to be suspended for a few weeks as the guardians protested. This time no larva was found there.
Mosquito larvae were also found in the Bidhannagar (south) police station compound in water accumulated in tyres dumped on its premises.
“There are scrap materials on the premises where water is accumulating,” Roy said.