What To Do in Florence (Firenze), Italy

FIND YOUR FUN IN FLORENCE

You know the Romeo and Juliet movie? The one with Olivia Hussey from 1968? It was made before I was born, and yes, I know it was set in Verona, but I remember watching it for the first time as a child and being captivated by the lush technicolor and then shocked by the flash of a boob. My first time walking through the historic center of Florence, I imagined I was walking inside that movie, surrounded by the stunning architecture and vibrant atmosphere that seemed to echo the essence of Shakespeare’s tragic love story. As I strolled along the cobblestone streets, I could almost hear the whispers of forbidden love in the air and feel the presence of the characters, making the past come alive with every step I took. The beauty of Florence, with its rich history and romantic scenery, made me feel like I was a part of that timeless story, where every corner held a secret waiting to be uncovered and the Piazza sculptures flashed more than just a boob.

I don’t know what it is about Florence, the slant of the sun? Maybe it’s the light filtering through the buildings? Perhaps it was the smell of leather in the air; in any case, it felt like a treasured heirloom—something to be looked at in awe and wonderment. As you can guess, I really enjoyed Florence and wish I had been able to spend more time there; two days were not enough. Florence goes on the list of places that I would like to go back to. I left the city with fond memories and a curiosity that wasn’t quite satisfied.

As customary, I took the train into Florence. Let me take a moment to say Italian trains are very rarely on time. Sorry, I had to say it. It’s not a big deal; just know this is fairly normal and factor in time for delays when traveling by train. Despite this minor annoyance, train travel is by far cheaper, more efficient, and offers glimpses of life outside the major cities. I still prefer train travel over anything else. So, back to Florence, the central train station, Stazione Centrale di Santa Maria Novella, is located within easy walking distance to all sorts of amazing shopping, restaurants, cafés, and top sights. I booked a great hotel literally across the street from the train station. The train station and the area around it felt incredibly crowded to me (it is a major transportation hub, duh) and somewhat hectic as it is also close to the University of Florence; it is just packed with people (at least it is in the summer). Although Florence is considered generally safe, I recommend being vigilant, especially at night in crowded areas, and being aware of pickpockets. You are going to see a lot of young college-aged kids here due to its proximity to the University.

Normally, the first thing I do in a new city is go to the city center, but today my stomach was in charge, so I went directly to Trattoria Za Za. This Tuscan restaurant came highly recommended, and it did not disappoint; the food was delicious, the service was fast for Italian standards, and it did not break the bank. Za Za’s was also just across the square from the San Lorenzo Market, an outdoor market offering a range of leather goods as well as souvenirs and other fashion items. Florence is renowned for its high-quality leather goods, and it is a major industry in the city. You will see pop-up stands all over the streets, and the smell of leather lingers everywhere. Most of these places prefer cash, and you will often get a discount if you pay in cash. When making a purchase, make sure to drive a hard bargain; it’s part of the experience. Don’t be shy—negotiate a price; it is expected. Ladies, if you don’t find a bag, purse, wallet, or crossbody that you haven’t fallen in love with, did you even look?

In my opinion, the number one sight to see in Florence is the Florence Duomo, officially the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Flower. The Duomo, along with the Campanile and the Baptistery, is famous for its stunning architecture, with the Duomo and its famous dome being a prominent landmark and symbol of Florence. The Duomo group seems like it was just dropped into a crowded neighborhood; you’ll find yourself walking down a street, then BAM, there it is, in all its glory. My sister described it perfectly; the façade is like a beautiful wedding cake, white, intricate, and delicate. You will find that you can’t take your eyes off it. Do yourself a favor and make sure you go back and look at it at night under the lights; it is even more stunning. Yep, you guessed it, you can climb to the top of the Dome (referred to as Brunelleschi’s Dome); it is a challenging but rewarding climb of 463 steps up narrow, steep staircases with limited space for passing. You will pass through the interior of the Dome with close-up views of the stunning frescoes depicting the Last Judgment. The narrow and confined spaces of the dome climb could be challenging for people with claustrophobia and especially difficult for people with mobility issues. Once you get to the top, the views are breathtaking, with panoramic vistas of Florence and surrounding Tuscany. You’ll be able to see other iconic landmarks of the city like Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi Gallery, and Ponte Vecchio. There is a dress code to enter the Duomo; dress modestly, no bare backs, bare shoulders or short shorts.

Stroll towards the Arno River from the Duomo group down Calzaiuoli Street, and you will run into Florence’s living room: Piazza della Signoria. This square is home to the Neptune fountain and several statues, including a copy of Michelangelo’s David and the original Hercules by Bandinelli. Here you will get more than a boob flash. Considered the social heart of Florence, Piazza della Signoria is a key meeting place for locals and tourists alike. It is a lively square with plenty of distractions, so please secure your personal items and be aware of pickpockets. Palazzo Vecchio overlooks the square and has a very impressive tower (Torre di Arnolfo). You can purchase tickets to go inside and up the tower. It is 460+ steps to the top, so I would recommend doing either the Duomo or this tower; no need to do both. You are basically getting the same view. There is no dress code for the Palazzo and tower, though. A skip-the-line combo Duomo Tour with Guide & Top of the Dome, including the Baptistry, will cost around $124 per ticket, whereas a combo ticket for Palazzo Vecchio and the Tower will run about $43 for an unguided tour.

Considered the greatest gallery of Renaissance art on earth, the Uffizi Gallery showcases masterpieces from Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, and more. If you are into art, this is a must-visit. I recommend buying skip-the-line tickets online and going early in the morning right as it opens when there is less of a crowd. Please note I said ‘less of a crowd’, not ‘no crowd’. I recommend getting the self-guided audio tour so you can go at your own pace. There will be large tour groups no matter when you go, so be patient; but if you are on your own self-guided tour, you can skirt around the larger groups. The Uffizi Gallery is huge and will take some time to go through it. My husband has a strict one museum/gallery per trip policy, and this was it for us. If you are familiar at all with Greek mythology, you will find the works of art here very interesting, as its heroes, monsters, gods, and goddesses make up a large part of the subject matter here. Finally, that Greek mythology class in college paid off! Ha!

Continue walking towards the Arno River and you can’t miss Ponte Vecchio. This medieval bridge with its hanging houses (yes, people still live on the bridge) and shops is one of the most famous bridges in the world, and it is also the oldest stone bridge in Europe. Ponte Vecchio is now a pedestrian-only bridge with shops on either side, and it is extremely crowded. Because the bridge is lined on both sides with shops, there is only a small space in the center of the bridge where you can actually walk to the edge and see the river. This space will be very congested; please watch for pickpockets. In my opinion, this bridge is a bit of a tourist trap. Instead, walk along the river to the next bridge, Ponte S. Trinita, and get a nice picture of Ponte Vecchio from there.

A peculiar feature of Florence is all the little Wine Windows (buchette del vino); in fact, Florence is famous for them. You can stumble upon them quite by accident if you know what to look for or choose to go on an actual scavenger hunt for some of the best ones. Apparently, there are over 180 wine windows in Florence, and a glass of wine from these windows will cost you anywhere from €4 to €10, depending on location. It’s a fun little quirky thing to do, and if you are going to enjoy a glass of wine anyway, why not do it? I just happened to find one very close to the Duomo, which also had nice outdoor seating. My option was, and I’m quoting here, ‘white or red?’ so you get what you get, but in my opinion, all Italian wine is good, so just sip and enjoy.

If you are looking for sweeping panoramic views of Florence but are not fond of climbing stairs, make your way to Piazzale Michelangelo. This popular viewpoint on a hill on the south bank of the Arno River looks across Florence and up the river. You can tough it out and walk up to the top of the hill, or you can drive/take a taxi. Parking spaces are limited, so keep that in mind. There is an upscale restaurant off the parking lot, La Loggia del Piazzale Michelangelo, which has a fantastic terrace overlooking the city. They serve happy hour food here and great cocktails. This is also a popular spot to view sunsets. Just past the restaurant, further up the hill are San Salvatore al Monte and San Miniato al Monte with an adjoining monastery. San Miniato sits at one of the highest points in the city and has commanding views of Florence and part of the medieval walls that still stand below the hill. We walked to the very top, to San Miniato, and after exploring both churches, walked a little further down and stopped for an early lunch and refreshments at La Loggia. I was able to get some postcard-worthy pictures of Florence before we walked back down. If you are looking for that Instagrammable photo, this is the place to do it. If you are walking, make sure you bring water; a quick search says it’s a 3.6-mile walk round trip, but I’m not certain where the starting point is.

Florence is known for its long and rich history of perfume creation; it is the ‘founding capital of fragrance’ in Europe and still houses some iconic perfume houses. Aquaflor Firenze is a Maison de Parfum (house of perfume). Its factory, laboratory, and perfumer’s study are located in Florence. Aquaflor offers visitors exclusive experiences in the world of fragrances. I had read about it prior to visiting Florence, and while I was walking to a nearby cathedral, I happened to come across the store. I recognized the facade from a photo and remembered that you can literally design (create) your own personal fragrance here! Unfortunately, you need an appointment to design your own scent, but a fabulous perfumer or ‘nose’ guided me around a multitude of their signature scents until I found one that I fell in love with. This was such a unique and enjoyable experience; I recommend stopping by. I bought a bottle of perfume for about $115. This was a special treat for me; I am not a shopper, but I could not get the scent out of my mind. One squirt lasts all day, and trust me, I wear it every day. When it runs out, I will order another bottle or perhaps it’s as good a reason as any to go back to Florence. The scent will always remind me of Italy, and I adore it.

I’ve only just skimmed the surface for things to do in Florence; 2-3 days are enough to see the highlights, but if you want a more in-depth exploration with maybe a day trip on the side, give yourself 4-5 days here. I didn’t even mention some of the more famous sandwich shops like All’Antico Vinaio. I will admit we walked by, but the line was ridiculously long, and we decided to skip it. Someday I would like to find out if the sandwich is worth all the hype. Also, make sure you get an Italian Affogato when in Florence. This is a coffee treat with ice cream; let me just say you will definitely enjoy the cuisine in Florence.

There is so much to do, see, eat, and experience in Florence; put it on your list of cities to visit. I know this is going to sound weird, but for being a very large city, Florence has a small-town feel to it. I can’t really put my finger on it, but even though there are crowds and lots of people, there is a peacefulness to the city that seems to invite you to relax. The sunlight on the architecture really does look so beautiful you think you are looking through a filter of some sort. Florence is romantic and dreamy, and like the story of Romeo and Juliet, timeless.

Travel Must Haves: Below you will see a few items that will help when traveling. I am an Amazon Affiliate and you can click on the highlighted words to look at each item. First is the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide for Florence and Tuscany. This is my favorite brand for its compact size and very detailed, colorful maps. The book also recommends top restaurants, bars, and cafes, which is also very helpful on the go. Next is the all-important selfie stick. I purchased this one over two years ago and love it. The stick extends a very handy 62″, which helps if you are up close to larger buildings. It has a remote, doubles as a tripod, and the head of the stick that clamps onto your phone has a multi-directional ball and socket, which makes positioning your phone fast and easy. Next is a phone lanyard. I don’t always have the lanyard on, and this one clips on and off easily and doesn’t block the charging port. I always hear about tourists getting their phone snatched right out of their hands, and this strap is adjustable and not bulky. The price is right on this one so you can’t go wrong. I use my phone constantly when traveling for buying tickets and using directions; it’s just nice to have it close and secure to my body. Please check out other hand handy travel must haves by clicking on the Must Have Page and Resources Page above.