Italy
Only 20 minutes away from the Duomo, this hostel is by Idroscalo, with its swimming beach and lake.
It's a really social hostel with a cool Italian bar and is opposite the 'rolling stone' nightclub if you want to go out.
Lots of good freebies - breakfast, linen, wi-fi and a city map.
The Castello Sofrzesco, an easy walk from the Duomo, was largely rebuilt during the 19th-century, so there is little left of the original medieval structure, but it now hosts an array of exhibitions. All of these can be visited for as little as three euros per person, under-18s get in free.
Piazza Castello, subway line 1 (red), Cairoli stop; www.milanocastello.it/ita/home.html
Search Been there