Florenz has incredible works of art and monuments. Every travel guide will tell you that. But the city has much more to offer than just sights. "Florence embraces you", they say. You'll understand what that means when you're there.
- The flair of Florence
- Why you will fall in love
- The most beautiful view of the city
- Must-do programme in Florence
- Arrival & transport on site
The flair of Florence
The young city with an old history
Florence: Only about 370,000 inhabitants, all buildings old and with history, and yet Florence is international and lively. The city always has been.
For centuries, students from all over the world, creatives and artists have come here in search of inspiration. And of course tourists.
Five Italian rituals that make everyday life better
The queue in front of the cathedral is 150 to 500 metres long, depending on the time. When the buses from Livorno arrive - the cruise giants dock here - it also has a bit of a raiding party feel to it.
Why you will fall in love
Florence catches you with the light. Because the light is very different from anywhere else in the world. This light attracts millions every year. A velvety pink-orange that embraces you.
The Golden Hour
When the sun goes down, the banks of the Arno glow gold. Not a bit kitschy, but it feels warm, simply beautiful. Mobile phone photos look as if they were taken with "super romantic+" have been filtered. Incredible and incredibly beautiful. Florence sights are completely natural. This light simply makes you happy.
Florence's most beautiful sights
...doesn't cost a penny, just a 20-minute walk from the historic centre: watch the sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo. You sit on a grand staircase with dozens of strangers and marvel at the beauty of the world together. Sounds cheesy? Try it out.
Nice hotels for Florence, have a look Ad
The best view in town
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More Information20 minutes' walk, but you get this view in return
Arrival & transport on site
Train
- The most beautiful journey is by train. First you drive through the rolling hills of Tuscany, then you arrive in Florence. Jackpot if you've booked the night train and arrive in Florence at sunrise.
- Santa Maria Novella central station is super organised, modern and well laid out.
Bus
- Florence has more than 20 long-distance bus connections within Italy alone. The bus stations in Florence are about a 10-minute walk outside the centre.
Car
- If you are travelling by car, then absolutely pay attention tonot to drive in the traffic-calmed zone, the "ZTL zone" in the city centre. (more about the traffic rules here): In principle, the whole city centre is closed to normal car traffic from outside.
- Each (!) time you drive in, you will be fined. There are signposted (mostly paid) parking spaces outside. If your hotel is in the ZTL zone, check beforehand how you can unload and park.
Aeroplane
- Florence has a small airport, but it has relatively few (and rather expensive) connections.
- Bologna airport is 116 kilometres from Florence. From here it is easy to get further by train or bus (between 1 to 2.5 hours journey, tickets between about 10 to 20 euros, as of 09/22).
- It's a bit quicker from Pisa airport (about 95 kilometres from Florence). Here you can continue directly by bus, journey time to Florence about one hour (10 euros, as of 09/22).
Transport on site
On foot
- In principle, you can easily reach all the sights of Florence in the centre on foot - without having to have the stamina of a competitive athlete. Everywhere there are enough nice places, benches or bars where you can rest.
Very good bus network
- There is also a well-developed, modern bus network. You can buy tickets at vending machines, on the bus, at an authorised point of sale (newspaper kiosks, bars, tabacchi) or by SMS. On the bus, it costs a little more from the driver.
- There are different types of tickets (10-ride tickets, 72-hour tickets, etc.).
- >>> more info here (Online purchase only possible after registration)
The tram
- Still relatively new: the Tramvia, the tram. Line T1 runs between Villa Costanza and Careggi Hospital, line T2 between Santa Maria Novella Station and Florence Airport. >>> more here
Florence: Sights to eat
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More InformationA normal ice cream parlour in Florence
A must-see: sightseeing in Florence
In Florence, the most beautiful sights are so close together that you basically only have to turn around once.
When you stand in the Piazza della Signoria, you see the Palazzo Vecchio, the political and social centre of the city. Here you will also find monuments such as the Neptune Fountain of Giambologna or the David by Michelangelo.
In fact, however, the latter is only a replica. The original is in the museum, in the Galleria dell'Accademia. Just a few streets away, you will come to the imposing cathedral. Santa Maria del Fiore. 30,000 people fit into the nave. The enormous dome is a masterpiece of the Renaissance.
World famous works
Only 500 hundred metres further on are the Uffizithe most sought-after sight in Florence. The art museum has around two million visitors a year.
The Uffizi Gallery is one of the most important museums in the world in terms of art history. Famous works of art are - among many others - the "Birth of Venus" by Sandro Botticelli and "The Annunciation" by Leonardo da Vinci and Andrea del Verrochio.
Ponte Vecchio
From here it is only 200 metres to the Ponte Vecchio. The bridge is built up with houses. When the dirt became too much in the 16th century, only "clean" businesses were allowed to settle, especially goldsmiths and silversmiths. On the bridge, there are flashing lights from all sides. It is usually relatively crowded here.
Gastro tip: Mercato Centrale
Gastro tip for Florence: Go to the Mercato Centrale. You can sit on the upper floor, and downstairs you can also buy to go at the market stalls. Attention: You can't get more food porn than this.
The official websites
- Bella Venezia: The Curse of Beauty
- Lifestyle and everyday life in Italy
- Travel tips for Italy
- Olive oil from Italy: All about the green gold!
- That's what they talk about in Italy...
- Practical! The best links for your trip to Italy
- Mamma mia, mangiare: This is how delicious Italy eats!
