Florence, Perhaps The Greatest Of All Italian Cities
Whether it’s your first time to Italy or you’re a seasoned traveler, you cannot deny that Florence is one of the most influential and beautiful places to visit in Europe. After all, it is the heart of the Renaissance. Why is this place so magical, so relaxed, so… Italy? Let’s reflect.
Firenze
It never gets old
Florence, or Firenze as it’s known as, is one of those places that gives you a feeling that’s difficult to turn in to words. Sure, it has its tourist traps, as most cities do. Did someone say Ponte Vecchio? However, there are many other locations that you want to frequent over and over, immerse yourself in, and vibe with.
Ponte Vecchio
One of the many bridges on the Arno River
Yes, Ponte Vecchio is well known and must be mentioned. Albeit, it’s far prettier from afar (or across the adjacent bridge) than actually walking it. Ponte Vecchio is simply a medieval bridge over the Arno River. Walking through it will put you shoulder to shoulder with crowds. If you’re into flashy jewelry, maybe real, maybe fake 🤷🏻♂️, then definitely walk across this and check out the shops. Be careful to hop over the random paintings on the floor. You’ll come across many random street vendors with rows of printed artwork on the floor. These may come up on you fast! I do love looking at this site, you can enjoy views from the middle of the bridge, but it’s certainly more appealing from a distance. If you’ve never been here, walk across it at least once.
Bardini Gardens
Tranquility at its finest
Let’s talk about the Bardini Gardens. Most travelers will visit the Boboli Gardens, likely with the Uffizi combined tickets. The Boboli is also amazing, but the Bardini is a hidden gem. Here you will escape the crowds and feel what it’s like to be a local. You can bring a lunch, grab a drink at the café, sit upon the highest steps and gaze out at the city, or lounge in the grass and read a book. On my most recent visit, I enjoyed the simple climb through the lavender laced tunnel to the peak of the gardens. There I sat and watched a painter paint the horizon. I grabbed a coffee at the café, and I enjoyed the view from the grass. There was very little traffic, especially later in the day. Watching the sun set can be therapeutic in itself.
Boboli Gardens
Wherever you turn, you find something interesting!
Boboli Gardens is also a must see. If you purchase the combined pass, which you should, then you get 4 locations for nearly the price of one. You must begin at the Uffizi museum and book a time to enter. After you visit and collect your tickets, you may enter all other attractions at your leisure. Uffizi, Pitti Palace, Boboli Gardens, and the Museum of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure are the four locations included. Boboli Gardens is massive. You should allocate enough time to see it all. If you feel up to it, you can do the Pitti Palace which is the same vicinity. These gardens are stunning, there are many structures, and there are many beautiful places to see. My favorite are the oval rocks hidden on the edges. You begin behind the large building, and you continue upwards, tier after tier. You will encounter various statues along the way. You will likely take photos at each junction, but the view keeps improving each set of steps. From there you can go left or right, and you will continue to circle around the outer rim. Bring your walking shoes!
The Uffizi Gallery
Works of art, sculptures, views, and highly detailed ceilings
The Uffizi is huge. It’s a large U-shaped building. It will also give you some great views from the corner windows. There are many rooms to walk through in a web of connections through the hallways. My favorite parts were the map room and the ceilings. The ceilings have so much detail, you may spend half your time looking up. There are lots of benches, and you’ll need them because it will take you several hours to traverse this entire location. Once you go here, you’ll have fun trying to spot the windows from the outside. Its entrance is interior of the long corridor that connects to the Piazza Signoria. Don’t mistake it for the Museo Galileo as they are right next door to each other. If you do, that’s ok because the Galileo is really fun too!
Accademia Gallery
The real David
The infamous Accademia Gallery which houses the real statue of David by Michelangelo. This also requires a separate ticket as it’s a different entity. While it’s interesting to view Michelangelo’s masterpiece, as well as his unfinished works, you must prepare yourself for the crowds. This is probably the most trafficked attraction in Florence. It’s also rather small inside. You should pre-order your tickets online well before you go. If you do not, you will be at the mercy of the line that, typically, wraps around the block. If you pre-purchased tickets, skip all that and find the different colored lines. Red is for reservations (pre-bought tickets). Blue is the long line, and I believe green is for tour groups. If you purchase through a tour group, you’ll pay heavy premiums. You can navigate this place fairly well on your own. You may also purchase an audio guide. Tip: Once you enter the red line and actually get in, you’ll still need to take your reservation paper to the glass windows and retrieve your physical tickets before you go through the entry point inside. If you liked the Uffizi, you’ll see similar works here. My favorite section is the musical instruments which you’ll find toward the end.
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore
Too large to capture, too colorful to forget
Of course, you have to see Florence’s Duomo. Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore reminds me of Easter. It is enveloped in pastel colors. If you look closely at the architecture, you’ll see angled flaws as well. I like this because it shows how unique the design is. It’s pretty massive in size, and it’s also surrounded by places to eat, shop, and browse.
Piazza della Signoria
Dinner, dessert, and art… what more could you ask for?
Piazza della Signoria is likely where you’ll spend a good chunk of time. Luckily, everything is within short walking distance here. This is reminiscent of the hub of Florence. You can see the Fountain of Neptune, check out the lower portion of the museum here for free, and eat at one of the amazing restaurants on the sides. My favorite restaurant here is Il David. You get a beautiful view of the architecture while enjoying Italian food. I could eat pizza and pasta every day, forever… 🤣 It also showcases the outdoor statue collection in sort of a miniature museum fashion. And yes, there is another David replica. It’s also very similar to the real one, and easily mistaken. You can only see differences in the definition of the muscles in the arms and such. It’s still a sight to see. Each day I must complete my routine inside Piazza Signoria which is to eat a cup of fresh fruit with chocolate on top from Café Perseo, which also has amazing gelato!
Piazzale Michelangelo
Any day, any time, dangle your feet from atop the city
Saving the best for last and my absolute favorite place in Italy, Piazzale Michelangelo. I have returned to this panoramic viewpoint for many, many years. It never gets old, at least for me. Yep, there are times when it’s quite busy. However, it never feels overly touristy somehow. You have a bit of a steep climb ahead of you. It’s about 15 minutes, if you walk casually, from Ponte Vecchio. At the top, you’ll be able to see the entire city, from nearly every angle. You can rest easy as there is a restaurant and many vendors selling food, ice cream, drinks, coffee, water, and even souvenirs. You can always find a place to isolate there as well, even if the entire front wall is consumed by onlookers. There are many benches to relax on. You can even enjoy the view on the stairs. It’s a fun little place to hangout late nights as well. It never closes. You can bring a tiny speaker up, you can drone, you can take photos, you can dance in the middle, you can do whatever you’d like. Yep, there’s even another David replica here. It’s as real as the real one, nearly. I recommend coming here several times. If you’re not able to hike up, grab a taxi.
At the foot of the entrance to Piazzale Michelangelo lies one of my favorite little eating spots in Florence. I Bastioni di San Niccolò Trattoria & Pizzeria is a great stop on your way home, don’t forget!
All’antico Vinaio
Is the line worth the sandwich?
Speaking of food, you may be tempted to try the renown All’antico Vinaio sandwich shop. Bear in mind, this place has lines a mile long, from dawn until dusk. If you’re lucky enough to have a buddy named Nate, like I do, who will wait in perpetual lines at the crack of dawn to bring his friends sandwiches, well then you may get to enjoy one of these. I, personally, had “La Boss,” and it was impressive. It had a black garlic dressing that was clearly homebrewed and very delicious. Would I eat there again? …Absolutely! Would I wait in that line? … No 🤣. P.S. Thanks Nate!
Shake Cafe
P.S. Thank you for real sized coffee 🙃
One final note, if you’re American and love your coffee full sized, there is hope in Italy. It is true that Starbucks is slowly breaking into Italy, but the venti is not the venti you’re used to, and the only thing you can customize is the way you pay 😄. There is a chain of coffee, pastry, and smoothie places in Florence called Shake Café. I was able to acquire nearly a full sized, strong coffee every day! This made me happy. If you aren’t that into coffee, they also have awesome healthy choices as well. If you are familiar with the infinitesimally tiny coffees offered throughout Europe, you’ll be happy to find these cafes as well!
There are many more places to go, things to see, and especially historical sites to explore. These are just a few of my favorites, and some things you can see time and time again. If you decide to stay here, I recommend staying on the south side of the Arno, somewhere right near Ponte Vecchio. This will give you a nice in between of all the locations.
As I now depart Florence, I hope this entices you to follow in my footsteps. Enjoy!
