The Areas to Avoid in Milan

The city of Milan is generally safe. However, as any big city, Milan also has its great areas and those areas considered less great. In this blog post, I will focus on areas to avoid in Milan.

Moving to Milan, of course, you would want to stay in an area that is welcoming and safe. For that, you can find the list of safest areas to stay in Milan.

What about the bad areas of Milan? The areas of Milan considered dangerous and unsafe? Below I have prepared a list of areas to avoid in Milan if you are moving to the city as expat or visiting it as a tourist.

With that, let’s get started!

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Visiting Milan? Welcome

Here is a list of things to know about Milan to get you started:

The list of dangerous Milan areas or areas to avoid in Milan

1. Corvetto

First up is the area of Corvetto. Corvetto is situated around the homonymous metro station and frequently appears on the news for crimes and violent episodes. I recommend avoiding Piazzale Corvetto and the area south of it, especially during nighttime.

2. Lampugnano

Lampugnano is one of the main bus stations in Milan, located in the northeastern part of the city. Just like Corvetto, Lampugnano is quite popular on Italian news. This dangerous area of Milan is known for pickpocketing and luggage theft. If you are traveling from/to Lampugnano, take good care of your personal belongings and try to travel during day time. My suggestion is to avoid the area at night, especially if traveling alone. Arriving in Milano by car, please do not park at Lampugnano. I have read several stories of tourists’ cars being robbed there. Hope this suggestion saves you a potential headache. 🙂

3. Milano Centrale

Train stations in big cities are never considered the safest areas. Milano Centrale (Milan’s Central Station) is no exception. It’s home to the famous Milanese pickpockets, so you should stay alert and always take care of your belongings. Besides, try to avoid crossing the square right outside the station during the night or early morning. Enter the train station from the metro instead. Do not buy metro tickets from anyone but the ATM machines as scammers will approach you by trying to sell you tickets at a cheaper price.

4. Loreto and Via Padova

While many describe Loreto as an amazing area, for me it never really clicked. What many however agree to avoid is the area of Via Padova, especially around the train tracks and Parco Trotter, both subject to several crimes.

5. Giambellino - Lorenteggio

Giambellino and Lorenteggio, once famous for drug trafficking, today two of the main streets with public housing. Located fairly close to the city center – reachable by tram in less than 30 minutes. I personally find the first part of the area (up until Piazza Pietro Frattini) safe.

6. Via Gola

Via Emilio Gola is a street in the neighborhood of Navigli. Characterized by a historically bad reputation, the street is known as a ghetto for drug dealing, with falling apart public housing. Walking the street gives an unsafe feeling even during the day and there are often fights on the street at night.

7. Segesta and Piazzale Selinunte

This area lies just south of the popular San Siro stadium. The San Siro area is considered nice (minus loud football matches haha), but anything south of Via Simone Stratico and south of the Segesta purple metro line is a no-go. Avoid specifically Piazzale Selinunte and its nearby surroundings. This is considered one of the most dangerous areas of Milan, with public housing, frequent riots, criminal acts, and daily police interventions. Just driving through has given me an ick, I can’t imagine walking there.

Other areas to avoid in Milan

Lambrate – a developing area around Lambrate train station. The streets right by the train station are not the best. But the streets further from the train station build a nice residential neighborhood.
Gratosoglio – work class district, around 45min from Milan’s city center.
Barona – Milanese suburban area. Once one of the most dangerous areas, today being rebuilt into a green residential neighborhood.
Ripamonti – another area of Milan that simply doesn’t click with me. Too industrial, giving away weird vibes, especially in the evening.

The map of Milan dangerous areas

Please note: The list of areas to avoid in Milan is based on personal opinion and is a recommendation, not a guide to follow. The dangerous areas listed are based on my gut impressions while walking in each of these areas. Please consider that many expats live happily in these areas without problems. I suggest you to always also explore the area on your own.

For any questions about Milan, or life in Milan as expat, you can always send me a message and contact me.

Hi, it's Neja

I am an expat from Slovenia,
living in Milan since 2021 and writing a travel blog for all of you who are curious about life in Italy or traveling in Europe.

Follow me on my journey and learn everything about Italy and the European destinations.

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