Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) is a pair of tree-covered residential towers in Milan’s Porta Nuova district, completed in 2014 by Stefano Boeri. It is free to see – there is no interior access or observation deck, so visitors admire the greenery-clad facades from the street. The best free viewpoints are Piazza Gae Aulenti and the adjacent Biblioteca degli Alberi (BAM) park.
Milan is not a city you associate with skyscrapers, which is exactly why the Bosco Verticale stops people in their tracks. Rising above the old rail yards north of the centre, two towers stand wrapped in living forest – some 730 trees and thousands of shrubs and perennials growing straight off the balconies, changing colour with the seasons like a hillside stood on end. It is one of the most photographed pieces of contemporary architecture in Europe, and seeing it costs nothing.
Designed by Boeri Studio and inaugurated in October 2014, the two towers – one of about 110 metres (26 storeys), the other roughly 80 metres – carry more than 90 plant species chosen to shade the apartments in summer, filter dust and pull carbon out of the city air. The project won the International Highrise Award in 2014 and the CTBUH prize for Best Tall Building Worldwide in 2015, and it launched a wave of “vertical forest” imitators from Nanjing to Utrecht. The towers are private homes, so this is an exterior sight – but Porta Nuova was designed as public space, and you can get remarkably close.
This guide covers where to stand for the best views, when the greenery looks its finest, how long to allow, and exactly how to reach the towers by Metro.
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Bosco Verticale Opening Hours
Bosco Verticale can be viewed at any time, 24 hours a day, free of charge, as it sits within open public squares and parks. The towers are private residences with no public interior access, lobby entry or observation deck. The surrounding Biblioteca degli Alberi (BAM) park is also open and free, generally from early morning until late evening.
There is no gate, ticket or opening time to worry about – the towers are always in view from the streets and squares around them. Piazza Gae Aulenti and the BAM park are public spaces open around the clock, though the park is at its liveliest and safest in daylight and early evening. The ground-floor retail units and cafes in Porta Nuova keep standard Milan hours, roughly 10:00 to 20:00. Once a year, during the Open House Milano weekend in late spring, a handful of private buildings in the district open their doors, but the Bosco Verticale apartments themselves are not routinely part of it.
Best Time to Visit
Spring (April, when the trees leaf out and blossom) and autumn (October, for red and gold foliage) show the Vertical Forest at its most dramatic. For photography, come at golden hour just before sunset, or at blue hour just after, when the apartment lights glow between the branches. Weekday mornings and Sunday mornings are the quietest.
The whole point of the towers is that they change through the year, so there is no truly bad time – but the greenery reads very differently in each season. In late spring the balconies burst into leaf and flower; in October they turn autumnal; in winter the bare branches expose the structure and the evergreens hold their colour. Light matters as much as season: the low sun of early morning or late afternoon rakes across the facades and separates the planting from the concrete, while harsh midday sun tends to flatten everything. If you want the classic postcard frame with the towers reflected in the pools of Piazza Gae Aulenti, aim for a clear evening.
How Long Does a Visit Take?
Seeing the Bosco Verticale takes only 15 to 30 minutes if you simply want photographs from the best angles. Allow one to two hours to stroll the whole Porta Nuova district – Piazza Gae Aulenti, the BAM park and Corso Como – or half a day if you add a coffee, an aperitivo in nearby Isola, or a walk on to Brera.
As a pure sight, the towers are a quick stop: circle them from a couple of vantage points, take your photos and you are done in half an hour. But Porta Nuova rewards lingering. The pedestrianised Piazza Gae Aulenti, the winding lawns of the Biblioteca degli Alberi and the shops and bars of Corso Como all sit within a few minutes’ walk, and the trendy Isola neighbourhood just behind the towers is one of the best places in Milan for a relaxed dinner or aperitivo. It pairs naturally with the modern-architecture theme of the CityLife district on the other side of the city centre.
What to See at Bosco Verticale
The main sights are the two forested towers themselves, best framed from Piazza Gae Aulenti and the BAM park, plus the wider Porta Nuova skyline anchored by the UniCredit Tower. Highlights include the seasonal foliage on the balconies, the reflecting pools of Piazza Gae Aulenti, and the design gardens of the Biblioteca degli Alberi below the towers.
Piazza Gae Aulenti
This raised circular plaza is the heart of new Milan and the single best free viewpoint. From the upper deck you look across shallow reflecting pools to the Bosco Verticale, with the curved glass UniCredit Tower – Italy’s tallest building – spiking up behind. It is a genuine public square, busy with locals, buskers and children playing in the fountains, and it connects by bridge and ramp to the older Corso Como. Come at dusk to catch the towers and the plaza lights together.
Biblioteca degli Alberi (BAM park)
Directly below the towers spreads the Biblioteca degli Alberi, or “Library of Trees” – a contemporary botanical park of themed groves, curving paths and open lawns opened in 2018. It is free, and it gives you the closest legitimate view of the Vertical Forest, with real trees in the foreground framing the planted balconies above. The park runs a free programme of events, and its lawns make an easy picnic spot between sights. Late afternoon light through the towers is especially good from here.
The Porta Nuova skyline
The Bosco Verticale does not stand alone. It caps a whole district of glass towers built over the former Varesine and Garibaldi rail yards, from the UniCredit Tower to the wavy Palazzo Lombardia and the Diamond Tower. Walking Corso Como or the bridge toward Isola gives you elevated angles over the whole ensemble. For a different slice of Milan’s tall buildings, the older 1930s Torre Branca lookout in Parco Sempione offers a climbable panorama the modern skyscrapers cannot.
The planting, close up
If you stand at the foot of the towers on Via Gaetano de Castillia you can see just how physical the “forest” is – full-grown trees rooted in deep concrete planters, held by steel restraints against the wind, tended by climbing gardeners a few times a year. The scheme carries some 730 trees, around 5,000 shrubs and 11,000 perennials across the two blocks, a small woodland lifted 100 metres into the air.
Is Bosco Verticale Worth It?
Yes, if you have any interest in architecture, design or greener cities – and it is free, so there is little to lose. Manage expectations: you view the towers from outside, there is no way up, and the “attraction” is really a short photo stop combined with a walk through Milan’s most modern district. As part of exploring Porta Nuova and Isola, it is well worth the short Metro ride.
The Bosco Verticale is not a museum or a monument you enter; it is a building you look at. Judged as that, it delivers – few pieces of 21st-century architecture are as instantly striking, and the surrounding public spaces are genuinely pleasant to spend time in. Travellers hoping for an interior tour or a rooftop view will be disappointed, but anyone who enjoys contemporary design, urban parks or simply a good photograph will find the detour north of the centre easily justified.
Things to Know Before You Go
- Viewing the towers is completely free and possible at any hour; there is no ticket, tour or interior access, and no public observation deck.
- The apartments are private homes with key-card lobbies – do not attempt to enter, and be considerate photographing residents’ balconies.
- The best free viewpoints are Piazza Gae Aulenti and the Biblioteca degli Alberi (BAM) park directly below the towers.
- The whole Porta Nuova district is pedestrian-friendly and walkable; wear comfortable shoes and allow time to wander to Corso Como and Isola.
- As at any busy Milan hotspot, keep an eye on valuables in the crowds around Piazza Gae Aulenti, especially at peak evening hours.
How to Get to Bosco Verticale
The Bosco Verticale stands in the Porta Nuova district, just north of the historic centre. The most convenient Metro stop is Garibaldi FS, served by the M2 (green) and M5 (lilac) lines, about a three-minute walk from Piazza Gae Aulenti. Porta Garibaldi is also a major regional and Passante rail hub, so you can arrive directly by train.
Alternatively, take the M3 (yellow) line to Repubblica, from which it is a seven-to-ten-minute walk, or the M5 (lilac) line to Isola, which drops you right behind the towers. Numerous ATM trams and buses serve Porta Nuova as well. A single urban ticket costs about EUR 2.20 and is valid for 90 minutes across Metro, tram and bus.
Central Milan is walkable, and the towers make a natural extension of a day in the north of the city: it is roughly a 15-minute stroll from Brera and its galleries, and a similar walk from the green expanse of Parco Sempione. The Cimitero Monumentale, one of Milan’s great open-air sculpture galleries, is about ten minutes west on foot. Arriving from Malpensa (MXP), Linate (LIN) or Bergamo (BGY) airports, take the Malpensa Express or an airport bus to Milano Centrale or Porta Garibaldi, then the Metro one or two stops.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bosco Verticale free to visit?
Yes. The towers sit within open public squares and parks, so you can see and photograph them for free at any time. There is no admission charge, because there is no interior access to buy.
Can you go inside Bosco Verticale?
No. Both towers are private residential buildings with key-card lobbies and no public observation deck. Visitors admire the greenery-clad facades from the street, Piazza Gae Aulenti or the BAM park below.
Where is the best place to photograph Bosco Verticale?
Piazza Gae Aulenti gives the classic postcard shot across the reflecting pools, while the Biblioteca degli Alberi (BAM) park directly beneath the towers offers the closest view with real trees in the foreground. Golden hour and blue hour are best for light.
How do I get to Bosco Verticale by Metro?
Take the M2 (green) or M5 (lilac) line to Garibaldi FS, about a three-minute walk from the towers. The M5 also stops at Isola station just behind them, and Repubblica on the M3 (yellow) line is a short walk away.
When is the best time to see the Vertical Forest?
Spring and autumn show the planting at its most colourful, and golden hour before sunset is best for photography. Weekday and Sunday mornings are the quietest times to visit.
How long should I spend at Bosco Verticale?
Allow 15 to 30 minutes for photographs, or one to two hours to explore the wider Porta Nuova district, including Piazza Gae Aulenti, the BAM park and Corso Como.
What else is near Bosco Verticale?
The Porta Nuova skyline, Corso Como’s bars and the trendy Isola neighbourhood are all within a few minutes’ walk, and the Cimitero Monumentale, Brera district and Parco Sempione are a short stroll or Metro ride away.
