Agoda.com, the hotel booking site of Priceline Group, announced a list of hot travel spots in Milan, as well as hotel suggestions for those planning a winter vacation there. Milan, the second-largest city in Italy next to Rome, is known as a cultural city and industrial and financial hub of the country. The country also is a desirable winter destination with cool winter weather, not terribly cold, for skiing. Some of the attractions for sightseeing include the UNESCO World Heritage Site Santa Maria delle Grazie, Sforzesco Castle, which has Michelangelo’s final sculpture Rondanini Pieta, and the Gothic cathedral Duomo di Milano, which took 600 years and 40,000 people to construct. Ski resorts are a three-hour drive from the city, including the Aosta Valley, Courmayeur and La Thuile. On the recommended hotel list are the newly renovated Magna Pars Suites Milano, Chateau Monfort Hotel and Hotel Pierre Milano.

(wylee@herladcorp.com)