From Gothic Spires to Designer Skies: Milan’s Rooftops in Late Summer

Summer’s almost done, but Milan’s rooftops are having a last word. Skip the glossy guides.

Milan has always been about what happens just above eye-level. Terraces, spires, and secret rooftops form the city’s other skyline—one where light, stone, and cocktails trade places with the noise below. With late summer lingering, here are the views worth slipping into before autumn takes hold.

The Duomo Terraces: A Lesson in Architecture

Walking the terraces of the Duomo is less a view than an immersion. You’re shoulder-to-shoulder with gargoyles and marble saints, peering through gothic lacework at the Alps on a clear day. It’s one of the few places where Milan feels hushed and timeless—an elevated maze that rewards slow steps.

Aperitivo in the Sky: Terrazza Aperol & Giacomo Arengario

On Piazza Duomo, Terrazza Aperol remains a staple—not for novelty but for atmosphere. At golden hour, with a spritz in hand, you watch the Madonnina gleam as DJs ease into the evening. A few steps away, Giacomo Arengario inside the Museo del Novecento offers a quieter counterpoint: seafood and vintage design in view of the cathedral.

Ceresio 7 & Terrazza Triennale: Design Meets Stillness

Ceresio 7, with its twin pools and 1930s glamour, feels cinematic. From here, Milan stretches toward the Alps in sharp outlines, and aperitivo comes with a sense of theatre. A gentler mood awaits at Terrazza Triennale, a greenhouse-like restaurant wrapped in greenery beside Cadorna. It’s an oasis of calm, with city hums softened by glass and leaves.

Night Above the City: Radio Rooftop & The Roof Milano

For evenings with a beat, Radio Rooftop on ME Milan Il Duca stages a double panorama: one side gazes over Porta Nuova’s towers, the other onto Repubblica’s leafy expanse. The Roof Milano, meanwhile, offers a modern, minimalist lounge where the cathedral seems close enough to touch—an urban theatre that belongs to the night.

Monte Stella: A Hill of Memory

Not every view comes with a barstool. Monte Stella, a 45-metre hill built from post-war rubble, is Milan’s unexpected lookout. Families stroll its paths, cyclists trace its curves, and from the summit the city opens wide, the Alps again on the horizon. It’s a reminder that Milanese rooftops aren’t only man-made—they’re layered with memory. Pack a chic picnic and watch the sun set over the fashion capital.

Designer Rooftop to Watch: Etereo at Casa Brera

In 2025, Milan’s rooftop scene gained a new design-driven chapter with Etereo, the terrace bar and pool crowning Casa Brera. Unlike the historic terraces, this space speaks in contemporary lines: a pool edged with stone, Duomo-skimming views, and cocktails that draw from Milan’s art-district verve. It’s a reminder that Milan doesn’t just preserve its skyline—it reinvents it.

Milan’s rooftops are never just about elevation. They’re places where history, design, and daily ritual converge. Some belong to architecture, some to aperitivo culture, and one to the city’s resilience itself. And now, with Etereo, they also belong to a new generation of design-led luxury. Late summer is when they shine—quietly, just above the line of sight.