Modern Milan: skyscrapers and the Vertical Forest

In barely a decade, the area around Porta Nuova and Isola went from railway wasteland to the most striking modern skyline in Italy. This walk is the counterpoint to the historic centre: futuristic plazas, Italy's tallest tower, and the Bosco Verticale — two residential towers wrapped in thousands of living trees. It's the clearest window into where Milan is heading.

What you'll see on this walk

• Piazza Gae Aulenti — the raised, fountain-filled plaza of new Milan
• UniCredit Tower — the tallest building in Italy, with its soaring spire
• Bosco Verticale — the award-winning “Vertical Forest” residential towers
• Corso Como — the stylish pedestrian street of bars and design
• The Isola district — the once-cut-off neighbourhood reborn
• The regeneration story — how a rail yard became a global showcase

A skyline built in a decade

The Porta Nuova project transformed disused railway land into a business and residential district full of ambitious architecture. Your guide explains how it happened, who designed the landmark towers, and why it stirred such debate in a city famous for its history.

The Vertical Forest

The Bosco Verticale — two towers planted with some 900 trees and thousands of shrubs — has won global awards for rethinking how cities and greenery can coexist. Up close it's genuinely startling: a living facade that changes with the seasons. Your guide unpacks how it actually works.

Old meets new in Isola

Behind the towers, the Isola neighbourhood keeps its working-class roots alongside new design studios and street art. It's one of the most interesting places to see the two Milans — old and new — sitting side by side.

Meeting point & times