Have you ever been to Florence, Italy?
It’s an incredible city, full of culture, history, amazing food, and a lot more.
In this video, we’re giving you a taste of the top things to do there.
So let’s not waste any time.
Viewcation presents: The Best Things to Do in Florence, Italy!
The City Center While there are a ton of incredible attractions
within the city (many of which we’ll cover in this video) it’s also worthwhile to approach
Florence’s city center as a whole.
And that’s not just our opinion.
UNESCO has made the Historic Center of Florence a World Heritage Site.
So, the first thing you might want to do when visiting this incredible city is to simply
walk around this Historic city center, taking it in.
That way you’ll immediately get a sense of the vibe, the look, the smells, and the
people who live there.
The city center is teeming with statues, churches, alleyways, little markets and so much more.
And it’s a great opportunity to let yourself get lost as you walk around without a specific
goal in mind or a thing you NEED to see right then.
And when you’ve walked for long enough that you get a good sense of the city, then start
hitting up some of the most popular attractions.
If you’d like, you can join a walking tour of the area, which will provide some history
and context to all the things you’re seeing as you weave in and around the city center.
Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower If you’ve seen a picture of Florence or
an advertisement, then you were probably looking at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower.
It’s also known by its more common name, The Duomo di Firenza, or simply the Duomo.
It’s considered the centerpiece of Florence, and for good reason.
This incredible church is an architectural wonder.
The plans for its construction date back to the year 1296, when Arnolfo di Cambio presented
his original plans.
Though di Cambio never got to see his finished vision, since the Duomo was built over the
next 150 years.
Many different artists helped to contribute to the design and the look over the many years.
Notably, artists such as Pisano, Donatello, and Giotto added artistic elements to the
church as it was constructed.
And Burnelleschi is the artist most commonly associated with the church, since he designed
the dome on top, giving it its signature look.
There are actually multiple structures that make up the cathedral, including the dome,
as well as Giotto’s Belltower, and the Battistero.
The exterior of these buildings is all polychrome marble, which gives them a fascinating aura
of geometric shapes that dazzle the eye, and colors that give life to the buildings.
Until 1881, the dome was the world’s largest.
And if you’re up for climbing 463 steps through its narrow passageways, you’ll be
rewarded with a view from the highest point in the center of the city.
Plus you can get a great view of the dome itself if you climb to the top of the bell
tower.
Tour the Uffizi Gallery The Uffizi Gallery is one of the most famous
and honored art museums in the world.
People flock from all over the globe to visit it, so if you’re in Florence, this is a
must.
And even if you’re not an art lover, the experience of walking the Uffizi is something
special.
They have many masterpieces in the gallery, including pieces by Michelangelo, Raphael,
Botticelli, and hundreds more.
It’s such a vast museum that you could spend an entire day there and still not see everything
properly.
So be sure to leave yourself enough time to take in all the incredible art in its halls.
You have to buy tickets beforehand, there are a few ways to experience the gallery.
You can get a timed entrance ticket, for starters.
It’s the best option if you’re looking to walk at your own pace, and don’t want
a tour guide.
Though there are also excellent audio guides you can get at the museum, so you can walk
around on your own, yet still, hear about the history and features of each piece.
Then there’s the small group tour option.
This is your best bet if you’d like an expert to walk you around the huge museum, enhancing
the visit with their depth of knowledge about all the art there.
And finally, there’s an option to purchase a tour for families with children.
It’s a little on the more pricey side, but it’s worth it if you think your kids might
get bored in an art gallery.
The engaging guides do an excellent job of keeping it entertaining for all ages.
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Walk along the Arno River and explore the Ponte Vecchio
Along with the Duomo and the Uffizi, perhaps the most notable Florentine landmark is the
“Old Bridge” aka the Ponte Vecchio.
The bridge spans the width of the Arno river, which flows through the city.
It has a long and expansive history, beginning when it was constructed in the 13th century.
It originally had grocers, butchers, and other food merchants along its expanse, before they
were all banned from setting up shop there in 1593.
This was because Ferdinand the II declared it would now only be used by jewelry and gold
traders.
And amazingly, that tradition has continued since then.
So as you walk along the Ponte Vecchio, you’ll be able to feast your eyes on the many shops
offering sparkling metals and jewels, as you also admire the gorgeous Arno river below.
There are shops on both sides of the bridge, giving it the feel of an enclosed bridge.
But it’s an open-air bridge, so you’re still walking in the fresh Florentine air.
Of note is the fact that the Ponte Vecchio is so impressive, that when Hitler’s Nazis
took Florence, she demanded the bridge be left untouched.
You’ll also be able to stroll along the banks of the Arno, even when not on the Ponte
Vecchio.
The river is vast, and walking along it is a great way to spend some time.
You can pop into restaurants and shops along the way, or stop for a while to sit on a bench
and people watch.
You can also go on a paddleboarding tour of the river if you’re feeling more adventurous.
One company we recommend is Toscana SUP.
They’ll take you underneath the Ponte Vecchio, and along the Arno.
You’ll avoid the crowds, have some aquatic fun, and have incredible photos from the tour
to boot!
Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens The Palazzo Pitti is an incredible home (actually
a palace, as the name suggests) that was designed by Brunelleschi and was once the home of the
powerful and rich Medici family.
Today it’s a museum, showing off the opulence and taste of the palace from days long ago.
The rooms that the Medici stayed in are perfectly preserved, so you can get a sense of what
living like one of the richest people on earth was once like.
And other parts of the palace have been turned into an art museums.
It hosts primarily Italian art from the 16th to 20th centuries.
It also houses the Museum of Fashion and Costume.
Outside the palace are the famous Boboli Gardens.
It’s a private park located within the ground of the Pitti Palace.
The gardens extend over 111 acres and are replete with incredible plants and trees,
as well as tons of caves, fountains, and sculptures.
These were all originally designed by Florence’s top artists many years ago.
It should be noted that these are the type of gardens for setting up camp and pooping
open a picnic basket.
They are intended to be walked along and admired.
It’s definitely a good idea to buy tickets for both the Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens
in advance, and keep in mind it can get a bit crowded.
Fiesole Hills It might seem odd that we recommend getting
slightly outside of Florence as one of the best things to do in the city, but trust us
here.
The hills just above the city, in a town called Fiesole, offer breathtaking views of the entire
city.
There are a few ways to get to the top of the Fiesole Hills, and one truly fun way is
to rent motorinos (scooters) and ride to the top.
But you can also take a public bus (the number 7 bus) from the city up into the hills.
Once there, you’ll get a staggeringly great view of Florence below.
And you’ll also see the Tuscan landscape around and beyond the city, that’s just
as gorgeous.
And the town of Fiesole has all the authentic Italian and Tuscan charm you could hope for.
There’s the main piazza, where you can sit and enjoy a meal or coffee, a convent that
you can visit, a theater, and more.
And there are also hiking trails that you can wander up.
These are most notable because they are the spot where Da Vinci first tested out his mechanical
flying machines.
So there you have it – the best things to do in Florence.
And yes, if you’re ever been to Florence, you can attest that a quick video can’t
even begin to capture all of the amazing things in this Tuscan city.
But the ones we featured are a great start, and then you can wander and find the rest!
Now it’s time to hear from you.
Did we miss any of your favorite things to do in Florence?
Let us know in the comments section below.
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if you haven’t already.
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