Navigli District

Navigli District Review

In medieval times, a network of navigli, or canals, crisscrossed the city. Almost all have been covered over, but two—Naviglio Grande and Naviglio Pavese—are still navigable. Once a down-at-the-heels neighborhood, the Navigli district has undergone some gentrification over the last 20 years. Humble workshops have been replaced by boutiques, art galleries, cafés, bars, and restaurants. The Navigli at night is about as close as you will get to more-southern-style Italian street life in Milan. On weekend nights, it is difficult to walk (and impossible to park, although an underground parking area has been under construction for years) among the youthful crowds thronging the narrow streets along the canals. Check out the antiques fair on the last Sunday of the month.