Summer in Florence: top 7 tips
I’ve recently shared my top tips for Rome, and then for Verona. Today, I’m sharing my top tips for another one of my favorite Italian cities and the capital of Tuscany: Florence. I’ve often thought that Firenze, as the Italians call it, embodies the concept of la dolce vita. I’ve been to Florence several times, and every time I enjoyed the city a little bit more. I remember strolling around the beautiful city center trying to plan my meal times, so that I could dine at as many restaurants as possible, and have as much gelato as possible between or after my meals (quite a task!). Although it’s been a while since I last visited Florence, writing this post allowed me to escape the business of my London life and re-visit this beautiful city in spirit.
Here are my top 7 tips for Florence:
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Museums & Churches
With such a rich history and culture, Florence is one of those places where you absolutely have to make time for museums. But, unless you want to waste your precious time queuing to get tickets, make sure you buy them online and at least a few days in advance (definitely not on the same day).
Day 1 (am)
Start from the Cattedrale of Santa Maria del Fiore, one of the most iconic buildings in Florence. Il Duomo, as the medieval cathedral is better known as, is situated in the Piazza del Duomo, in the heart of the city. Once you step inside, you will undoubtedly be impressed by Vasari’s fresco decorating the 45-meter-wide dome.
Afterwards, continue to the Piazza della Signoria and the Palazzo Vecchio. As you are about to enter this landmark building, you may notice David, the famous statue by Michelangelo. However, this is only a replica; the original is now housed in the Galleria dell’ Accademia. Don’t be tempted to leave; the Museo di Palazzo Vecchio is definitely worth your attention.
This architectural masterpiece houses a number of art pieces (paintings and statues) on eye level, but beautiful ceilings too. Here you will find Dante Alighieri’s death mask (which went missing in Dan Brown’s Inferno), the Hall of Geographical Maps (Guardaroba), the Hall of the Lilies (Sala dei Gigli) decorated with yellow fleur-de-lys on a blue background. Then, head to the Sala Verde, where a small door in the room indicates the beginning of the Vassari Corridor (also mentioned in the Inferno), which connects the Palazzo Vecchio with the Galleria degli Uffizi and the Palazzo Pitti on the opposite side of the river Arno. Last but not least, go to the top of the bell tower and enjoy a panoramic view of the city.
Day 1 (pm)
Continue to the adjacent Galleria degli Uffizi, which is not only one of the most popular tourist attractions of the city, but also one of the most important as well as most visited art museums in the world. The reason? Uffizi houses a collection of Renaissance art masterpieces, including works by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, Raphael and Caravaggio. There’s also a beautiful rooftop café offering spectacular views of the center of the city.
Day 2 (am)
The Galleria dell’ Accademia is also worth a visit. It is the second most visited art museum in Italy, after the Uffizi, and home to Michelangelo’s David (the original). It is also home to lesser-known works by other artists, including Botticelli.
Much lesser known and lesser visited is the Palazzo Medici Riccardi, a Renaissance palace and museum. It is located between the Duomo and the Galleria dell’ Accademia, so you can easily combine it with a visit to the latter.
Day 2 (pm)
Before you cross to the other side of the city center, make sure you visit the Basilica di Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross), one of the most impressive churches in Florence. Situated on the Piazza di Santa Croce, it is the largest Franciscan church in the world and also the burial place of Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli.
2. Oltrarno: the Other Side
On your way to Oltrarno (literally meaning the other side of the river Arno), you will undoubtedly walk on the Ponte Vecchio, the iconic bridge lined with jewelry stores from one side of the river to the other.
Once you’re on the other side, you have plenty of choices: you can hike up to Piazzale Michelangelo, where you can enjoy another panoramic view of the city, or you can visit the Palazzo Pitti and, following on Robert Langdon’s footsteps, stroll in the Boboli Garden.
Or, head towards the Piazza di Santo Spirito to escape the tourist crowds and have an authentic Fiorentine experience (some of the best restaurants and bars are located there).
3. New Generation Festival
Founded in 2017 and taking place at the Palazzo Corsini Al Prato from 28th to 31st August 2019, the New Generation Festival features opera (Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro), jazz, and classical music performances, as well as a DJ sets by DJs Youp van der Steeg and Harold van Lennep.
4. Coffee
For me, coffee is part of the Italian gastronomic culture as much as pasta, pizza and gelato.
Cantinetta dei Verrazzano (on Via dei Tavolini) is a traditional café and one of my favorite in Florence; they serve coffee as well as a large selection of savory and sweet bites making it a perfect pitstop for either breakfast or a light lunch.
Overlooking the Piazza della Repubblica, one of the main squares of the city, Caffè Gilli is the oldest café in Florence. Indulge yourself with pastry and a coffee whilst taking in the beautiful interior.
Ditta Artigianale (on Via della Sprone in Oltrarno) is another favorite of mine; unlike the previous ones, Ditta Artigianale is a modern café with a large and spacious interior.
5. Aperitivo
The Italians are famous for enjoying an aperitivo before dinner. So, why not follow their example? An Aperol Spritz is, of course, perfect in the summer. But, a glass of wine is equally enjoyable. In fact, Florence is no short of enoteche (wine bars; enoteca is the singular and most frequently used form of the word). Here you can also enjoy some light food, along with your wine. I would recommend Enoteca Alessi (on Via delle Ocche), and Procacci (on Via de’ Tornabuoni).
In Oltrarno, there’s Cabiria (on Piazza Santo Spirito), perfect for an aperitivo before a meal at the Osteria Santo Spirito, on the opposite side of the lively square. If you’d rather combine your aperitivo with views of the city, head to the Hotel Pitti Palace al Ponte Vecchio (right by the Ponte Vecchio). I saved the best for last: this is not just a pet-friendly hotel, but also home to Gin and Tequila, two friendly cats strolling around the hotel and waiting to be cuddled.
6. Food
I’ve read that restaurants in Florence can fall into two categories: a waste of money or a religious experience. I totally agree. Fortunately, by consulting locals and trusted guidebooks, I managed to avoid the tourist traps and have excellent gastronomic experiences.
To avoid the tourist traps, I have 3 tips:
- Avoid the restaurants located in the most famous and touristy piazzas, or by landmarks (unless, of course, you are only keen on location). If you’d rather have a more authentic and satisfactory culinary experience, be prepared to walk to the back streets, and you won’t be disappointed.
- Avoid restaurants with the menu in photographs. The bigger the photographs the worse.
- Avoid restaurants serving fast food from different countries, i.e. burgers, kebabs, or English breakfast.
With that said, here are the restaurants where I have dined in Florence, and I would highly recommend:
Trattoria da Guido (on Via Faenza) is not only the restaurant where I had my first ever meal in Florence, but also the one where I first tried to famous bistecca alla Fiorentina, a delicious traditional Fiorentine dish not suitable for vegetarians or vegans. The Osteria Di Giovanni (on Via del Moro) is another great place to try the bistecca (I still can’t choose which one I liked the most). Il Latini (on Via dei Palchetti) is one of the most highly recommended restaurants in Florence; even though it is famous for the bistecca, I simply had to try something different.
In Oltrarno, there are some of my favorite restaurants in the city: Il Santo Bevitore, the Osteria Santo Spirito, and the Trattoria La Casalinga. Also located in Oltrarno, Il Ristoro dei Perditempo is one of my favorite places for lunch, or simply a coffee, best enjoyed by the window against a backdrop of the Ponte Vecchio.
For a lighter meal, there’s the highly instagrammable All’Antico Vinaio (on Via dei Neri), where you can enjoy one of their famous paninis (but first make sure you post a photo of it). You’d better go when you’re not very hungry, as there is always a queue outside. Also on Via dei Neri, there’s a small eatery called La Prosciutteria. As the name suggests, this is the place to savor the famous Italian dry-cured ham (along with a glass of wine).
If you’re not a fan of meat, or if you’ve simply had more than enough bistecche and prosciutto, I would recommend Obicà Mozzarella Bar, a contemporary restaurant famous for serving pizza and mozzarella. They also have branches in other Italian cities, as well as abroad: in the USA, Japan, and the UK (4 branches in London).
7. Gelato
Afterwards, it’s time for gelato, unless, of course, you’re like me, and you can enjoy gelato any time of the day. Florence is no short of gelaterias; here are my favorites:
- Gelateria dei Neri (on Via dei Neri), perfect for after a light meal at the All’Antico Vinaio, or at the Prosciutteria (both a few steps down on the same road)
- Festival del Gelato (on Via del Corso)
- Gelateria La Carraia (in Oltrarno, right by the Ponte Alla Carraia), perfect choice after a meal on that side of the river
- Gelateria Carabe (on Via Ricasoli) for after a visit to the adjacent Galleria dell’ Accademia
There are also three of the most famous gelato chains, Amorino (on Via del Corso), Venchi (on Via dei Calzaiuoli and also on Via Calimaruzza), and Grom (on Via del Campanile).
Getting there
One option is to fly to Florence (Peretola Airport); however, there are not as many international flights to Florence as to other Italian cities. Another option is to fly either to Pisa (Galileo Galilei Airport) or to Bologna (Guglielmo Marconi Airport); you can take a bus from either airport directly to Florence. The journey is about 1 hour from Pisa, and 1 hour and a half from Bologna. A third option would be to fly to Rome, and take the train from the city center. The journey takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes (and it allows you to combine your visit to Florence with some time in Rome).
Accommodation
A Florence view is a bed-and-breakfast centrally located on the Piazza di San Giovanni and offers a fantastic view of the Duomo. An alternative is to stay in Oltrarno.
When and how to long to visit for
I have visited Florence in the winter, in the spring and in the summer. Perhaps the best time to visit is mid to late spring, or late summer (in time for the New Generation Festival) to early/mid autumn.
To visit the places mentioned in this post, you don’t need more than 2 days, but this will certainly not be enough to fully enjoy Florence and thoroughly experience the dolce vita. The more days you spend here, the better.
Having said that, Florence is surrounded by the renowned Tuscan countryside, so why not combine your visit to the city with a stay there?
Further reading
There are many travel guides for Italy; however, today I’m going to recommend one book that will simply travel you to Florence.
Inferno
This is Dan Brown’s fourth novel that features Robert Langdon. Inferno follows the fictional Harvard professor on a quest around Florence (and then to Venice and Istanbul). Fearing for his life, Langdon follows a trail of clues to the Boboli Garden, and from there, via the Vasari Corridor, finds himself at the Palazzo Vecchio, only to discover that Dante Alighieri’s death mask has gone missing.
If you have enjoyed reading my tips and want to read more about summer destinations, check out my posts ‘Summer in Rome: top 7 tips’, ‘Summer in Verona: top 7 tips‘, ‘Summer in London: top 20 tips by a local‘ and ‘9+1 Greek islands to visit this summer‘.
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Buon viaggio!
Alex
(the Traveling Psychiatrist)