The best things to do in Florence

The big sights

The historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and these are its headline acts.

1. 01

   The Duomo

   Landmark

   

   Florence's cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore, is clad in green, white and pink marble and crowned by Brunelleschi's colossal red-brick dome, an engineering marvel that nobody quite knew how to build when the church was designed. Climb up between its inner and outer shells for a close look at the frescoed Last Judgement and a breathtaking view from the lantern.

   Alongside stand Giotto's elegant bell tower, which you can also climb, and the octagonal Baptistery with Ghiberti's gilded bronze doors, whose originals are kept in the cathedral museum.

   Tip: Entry to the cathedral itself is free, but the dome climb needs a timed reservation that sells out days ahead in season.

2. 02

   Uffizi Gallery

   Museum

   

   The Medici's art collection grew into one of the world's great galleries. Walk its long corridors and you meet Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera, Leonardo's Annunciation, Michelangelo's Doni Tondo, Titian's Venus of Urbino and Caravaggio's Medusa, along with room after room of Renaissance masterpieces.

   Tip: Book a timed ticket in advance and go first thing or late in the day. The rooftop café has a fine view of Palazzo Vecchio.

3. 03

   Galleria dell'Accademia

   Museum

   

   People queue round the block for one reason: Michelangelo's David, moved here from Piazza della Signoria in the 19th century to protect it from the weather. It is far bigger and more powerful than any photo suggests. On the way, look out for his unfinished Prisoners, figures that seem to be struggling to escape from the marble.

   Tip: Book ahead. The gallery is compact, so an hour is usually enough.

4. 04

   Ponte Vecchio

   Landmark

   

   The only bridge in Florence to survive the Second World War, the medieval Ponte Vecchio is lined with little shops hanging over the Arno, goldsmiths and jewellers since the Medici threw out the butchers in the 16th century. Above them runs the Vasari Corridor, the covered passageway that let the Medici walk from Palazzo Vecchio to the Pitti Palace without mixing with the public.

   Tip: For the best photo of the bridge, walk along to the Ponte Santa Trinita at sunset.

5. 05

   Piazza della Signoria

   Landmark

   

   Florence's political heart is an open-air sculpture gallery, dominated by the fortress-like Palazzo Vecchio, still the town hall, with its slender tower. A copy of David stands at the door, the Loggia dei Lanzi shelters Cellini's bronze Perseus holding up Medusa's head, and Ammannati's Neptune fountain splashes in the corner.

More art and palaces

1. 06

   Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens

   Museum

   

   Across the river, the Medici's vast rusticated palace holds a series of museums, including a picture gallery hung floor to ceiling with Raphael and Titian. Behind it, the Boboli Gardens climb the hillside in terraces of fountains, grottoes, statues and cypress avenues, with views back over the city.

2. 07

   Basilica of Santa Croce

   Landmark

   

   Florence's great Franciscan church is a pantheon of Italian genius, holding the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli and a memorial to Dante. Its chapels are painted with frescoes by Giotto, and the leather school in the cloisters is still going.

3. 08

   Bargello

   Museum

   Once a prison and police headquarters, this grim medieval palace now houses Italy's finest collection of Renaissance sculpture, including Donatello's bronze David and early works by Michelangelo. It is far less crowded than the Uffizi or the Accademia, and wonderful for it.

4. 09

   Medici Chapels

   Museum

   Behind the church of San Lorenzo, the Medici built themselves a mausoleum of coloured marble and semi-precious stone. Next to it, Michelangelo's New Sacristy contains his tombs for two of the family, watched over by the reclining figures of Dawn and Dusk, Night and Day.

Views and neighbourhoods

1. 10

   Piazzale Michelangelo

   Landmark

   

   This big terrace on the hillside south of the Arno has the classic view of Florence: the dome, Giotto's tower, Palazzo Vecchio and the bridges laid out below. Come at sunset, when the whole city turns gold.

   Climb a little further to San Miniato al Monte, a beautiful Romanesque church with an even quieter view.

   Tip: Walk up through the Oltrarno via the stepped path from San Niccolò, or take the bus if it's hot.

2. 11

   Oltrarno

   Neighbourhood

   'Beyond the Arno' is Florence's artisan quarter, a web of streets where furniture restorers, framers, shoemakers and goldsmiths still work in tiny workshops. In the evening, Piazza Santo Spirito, in front of Brunelleschi's church, fills with locals for aperitivo, and the wine bars and trattorias around it are some of the best in the city.

Eat and drink

Tuscan food is simple, seasonal and built around very good ingredients.

1. 12

   Mercato Centrale

   Market

   Florence's 19th-century iron-and-glass market hall, by San Lorenzo, is crammed with butchers, cheesemongers and stalls of fresh pasta, truffles and olive oil on the ground floor. Upstairs is a busy modern food hall for a quick, good lunch.

2. 13

   Bistecca alla fiorentina

   Food

   

   Florence's famous T-bone steak is cut thick, grilled over coals, seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil and served very rare. It is sold by weight, usually to share, and a proper trattoria will bring it raw to the table for approval before it goes on the grill.

   Tip: Don't ask for it well done: the kitchen probably won't oblige.

3. 14

   Lampredotto

   Food

   

   Florence's street food classic, sold from carts around the city: slow-cooked tripe from the cow's fourth stomach, sliced into a crusty roll and dipped in its broth, with green sauce and chilli oil. It is tender, rich and much loved by Florentines. Be brave.

Day trips

Trains and buses put the best of Tuscany within easy reach.

1. 15

   Siena

   Day trip

   

   Florence's old rival is a perfectly preserved Gothic city of steep lanes and red-brick palaces. Its centre is the scallop-shaped Piazza del Campo, overlooked by the soaring Torre del Mangia, and its striped marble cathedral is one of the most spectacular in Italy.

2. 16

   Pisa

   Day trip

   

   Yes, the Leaning Tower really does lean, and it is even more surprising in person. It stands on the lawns of the Piazza dei Miracoli alongside the gleaming marble cathedral and baptistery. Pisa is an easy train ride from Florence, and often combined with Lucca.

   Tip: Climbing the tower needs a timed ticket, so book ahead.

3. 17

   Chianti

   Day trip

   The rolling hills between Florence and Siena are the Tuscany of the imagination: vineyards, olive groves, cypress-lined lanes, stone farmhouses and hilltop villages such as Greve, Castellina and Radda. Visit a winery to taste Chianti Classico where it is made.

   Tip: A car or a guided tour is the best way to explore. If you drive, choose a designated driver.

4. 18

   Fiesole

   Day trip

   A local bus climbs from the city centre up to this little hilltop town, which was here before Florence was. It has a Roman theatre, cool breezes on summer evenings and a sweeping view down over the city.

Where to stay in Florence

Not sure which area suits you? Read our guide: Where to stay in Florence →

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