Hobo's guide to Milan

The first thing to come in mind thinking of Milan, is probably its notoriety as the fashion capital of Europe. It is famous for the glitz and glam, the party scene, where supermodels and football players enjoy their cocktails and young designers either celebrate their first fashion week. Besides all that, there is, as in all big cities, a different reality. The real people making their daily ways and small streets untouched by the newly bought designer shoes of tourists. This is where you can begin your journey to discover the city.

Will work for food

The biggest concerns moneywise while traveling, are accommodation and food. This is the first point of planning your super low cost trip. The most convenient way to survive the city, is by volunteering. Programs like workaway or helpx give young travelers a possibility to work a few hours per day in exchange of bed and meals. The work can vary from babysitting to building, from art projects to farming.  This gives you the security about your basic needs together with enough time for getting lost in a new world.

I was working as an au pair - the simplest job to find without knowing the local language. I got no paycheck, but I could live almost in the city centre, eat fine healthy food, use the family's bikeshare card and they even payd for my metro rides and gave me a phone with a local sim card to use.
For those looking for a more alternative challenge, it is possible to dumpster dive and sleep on the street. What you have to now, however, is that you will not be alone in that. As other main cities in Italy, Milan has attracted numerous illegal immigrants, who spend their days trying to sell brickabrack to tourists.  When night falls, a lot of them unfold a cardboard box as a bed and settle near train station and parks.

If you have a skill, put it into use. Busking in Milan is quite common, although there is some paper work to be done - you should register yourself in the police. It doesn't cost anything, but lessens the feeling of spontaneity. When it is done, choose a place near one of the many tourist destination and song away. Note however, that there is usually competition over the spots and Italians are not too prone to give money unless you are truly talented and manage to impress them.
There are a lot of squats, occupied houses, in Milan. I only had a chance to visit one of them, but I believe when you will, it is possible to find a place to sleep there. Most of them also offer food for far lesser price than any cafe or pizzeria. People are friendly and open. Maybe that's the point most important for visiting them.

Find inspiration in churches

When you are set with the basics, it is time to go and explore. The first good news is that there is no entrance fee to any of the churches, except for the Duomo. The main cathedral in the middle of the city offers enough to see even from the outside. The gothic towers and magnificent basreliefs and figurines offer stories of history, religion and mythology.

A few hundred meters away, there is a small church for the lovers of more macabre side of architecture. San Bernardino alla Osso hides in it a chapel decorated fully with human bones. The remains are set in patters, drawing attention to the eyeless sculls, which seem to look straight through you.

Not surprisingly, there are a lot of sacred building in the city. My favourite.are San Marco near the Academy of Brera and San Ambrosio, which have some impressive frescoes and enough gold and marble to leave you breathless. Another small church worth visiting is San Simpliciano in Via Moscova in the middle of a fancy shopping area for the commercially minded tourists and locals.

When consumerism takes over

As you are reading a guide for moneyless traveling, it might be surprising to bring up stopping, but in fact, there is more to Milan's markets than just buying unnecessary things. What I enjoy about them, is that they are perfect for people watching.
Once a month, hundreds of trendy artists and hipsters gatherings in Lambrate to take part of East Market. Inspired by the flea markets of London, the huge area offers a wo wonderful mix of vintage clothes, antique jewelry, works of young artists, vinyls and street food. Everything is overpriced, but for a broke bystander, it is a chance to breathe in the longing for the times before and to escape from the gray reality. It is a great place to meet young people, artists and musicians, and get more acquainted with the subcultures of Milan.

When East Market seems too crowded or the concentration of hipsters is more you can bare, you might like to visit Fiera di Senigaglia instead. This authentic fleamarket takes over the coasts of the channels in Navigli every Saturday. Whatever you Are looking for, this is most likely the place you will find it. The merchandise varies from golf sticks to gas masks, from weed grinders to 70s porn magazines. And the people behind the counters are even more special. This is the place to experience all the best features of multiculturalism.

Art, history and avoiding the queue

Museums in Milan are expensive, but luckily there are ways to visit at least some of them for free. On the first Sunday of every month, all public museums are free for everyone. This includes also Pinacoteca di Brera, Museums of natural history and the museums of Castelle Sforzesco, which are all worth visiting for their beautiful collections.

When the lines on the Sunday, however, are too long, the entrance to a lot of museums is free of charge also on Tuesday after 14.00 and one/two hours before closing every day. So with good planning you can visit all of them and treat yourself to a gelato with the money you saved.

Wander the streets and get lost in the green

There is beauty in every district of Milan. In Chinatown you can admire the Chinese posters and try to read the names of the shops. In Navigli and Brera you can look for street art, for eclectic architecture and pink flamingos (!) find the quadrilateral of silence. Do not avoid the famous stopping streets. It is free to watch! See the elegant women trying to Cross the cobblestone road in stilettos and young men groomed to perfection. It is a different world. See it as an anthropological fieldwork.

When your mind gets tired of the glitter, head to one of the many parks and public gardens. There is often live music in Parco Sempione, you can find yoga groups from Parco Montanelli and poetry nights in Parco Trotter. In spring or summer, Brera botanical garden is a beautiful place to look for peace and calm.

Traveling without money or with a very low budget is challenging, but that should not stop you from seeing the world. Yes, you might not try all the national dishes or visit La Scala, but you can spend time with the locals and find your own miracles in a place you have never visited before. There is always a way. Forget the Maps and tourist guides and let Milan unfold in from of you in a unique way.