Florence Bucket List
The city that started the Renaissance and never really looked back in its quest to show off. Brunelleschi's dome still owns the place. The Uffizi Gallery still makes one's jaw drop. And a two-pound steak served over oak at some trattoria in the neighborhood will destroy one's taste buds forever.
Why Florence belongs on your bucket list
The Medici family funded the Renaissance, and Florence has the receipts to prove it. Botticelli, Leonardo, Caravaggio - all hanging in the Uffizi Gallery as if it's no big deal. A cathedral with a dome designed by an architect who built it without scaffolding because he was that confident. Michelangelo's David, carved out of one block of marble that two other sculptors had already abandoned. But what really gets tourists is that Florence is not just a city full of museums. Walk across the Ponte Vecchio into the Oltrarno district, and it's artisan studios, neighborhood trattorias with paper tablecloths, and some guy pouring you glasses of Chianti Classico while lecturing on the virtues of Brunello. The Tuscan countryside starts about 30 minutes outside the city.
When to go
April to June. September to November. Those are the times to go. May and October are the peak of the peak - the weather's nice enough that one can dine al fresco, walk the city streets without freezing one's tail off, and the Tuscan sun shines with that golden glow that makes everything beautiful at about 5 PM. July and August? Forget it. We're talking 38 degrees Celsius heat, tourists packed in like sardines, and then in mid-August everyone closes up for Ferragosto and the city is half empty anyway. Winter's nice and cheap but grey. There are the museums to oneself, which is nice, but one also eats dinner in the rain a lot.
Must-visit places in Florence
Uffizi Gallery
The building was originally government offices. It now has arguably the best collection of Renaissance art in the world. Birth of Venus. Primavera. Leonardo's Annunciation. Caravaggio's Medusa gazing back at you from a shield. Titian's Venus. These are just a few of the more famous ones, and there is just that much more here that half of the masterpieces get no more than a handful of viewers. Book a timed ticket in advance; otherwise, you'll waste hours waiting in a line that goes all the way around this building. Early morning or late afternoon is best if you want a small crowd. Grab a drink and take a break at the cafe on the roof; the view of the Duomo from up there is free with your ticket.
Florence Cathedral & Brunelleschi's Dome
Brunelleschi constructed this dome between 1420 and 1436. No scaffolding. Nobody knew exactly how he did it for centuries afterward. It's still the largest masonry dome in existence. Climbing 463 steps between the inner and outer shells is a little claustrophobic and sweaty, but well, well worth it, as you'll pass right by Vasari's Last Judgment frescoes (so close you can see the brushstrokes) before emerging at the top and gazing out over a view that will momentarily distract you from your burning legs. Don't neglect the baptistery doors opposite the main entry. Michelangelo called those the "Gates of Paradise." He was not kidding.
Galleria dell'Accademia (David)
5.17 meters of white marble, and it's at the end of a long hall. You walk down towards it past Michelangelo's unfinished "Prisoners," the figures half trapped in the rough marble, struggling to free themselves from the stone. And then there's the David. Larger than you expected. More detailed than you can capture in a photograph. The veins in his hands. The tension in his shoulders. Everyone says, "It's different in person," about everything, but with the David, they're not lying. There's a small museum with musical instruments and Florentine paintings, but let's be honest, you're there for one thing.
Ponte Vecchio
Stores have been on this bridge since the 1300s. Used to be butcher shops and tanneries, but the Medici family had them removed because the smell was interfering with their morning commute. Put jewelers and goldsmiths on the bridge, and they're still here. This bridge was spared during WWII because, supposedly, even Hitler thought it was too beautiful to bomb. There's a hidden walkway above all the shops, the Vasari Corridor, which the Medici built so they could walk from their palace to their office without having to walk among the peasants. Nice Medici, eh? Try walking across the bridge at sunset, so the light on the Arno River makes everything glow amber.
Piazzale Michelangelo
This is the one view of Florence. The Duomo, the tower from the Palazzo Vecchio, all the bridges, the hills in the background, all put together in this one view that has not been changed in half a millennia. Come here an hour before sunset. Buy a bottle of Chianti from the kiosk. Sit on the steps. Watch the entire city change from gold to amber to deep purple. It's the most cliché thing you can do in Florence, and I would do it every night if I could. Walk up through the rose garden from the river. It's in bloom from April to October, and it's lovely on its own.
Oltrarno
The other side of the river, and the density of tourists is halved. Oltrarno is the real neighborhood, the one where you can find leather workshops, gilding studios, and a guy making marbled paper the old-fashioned way, just like his grandfather used to. There's a market in the square of Santo Spirito every day, and by 6 PM, the square is packed with people having their aperitivo on the steps of the church. Eat at Trattoria Sabatino or Il Latini, the real Florentine classics, and the prices won't make you bat an eyelid. This is the real Florence, the one Florentines actually live in. And that, my friend, is the beauty of it all.
Mercato Centrale
Two floors, two different worlds. Ground floor, it's like visiting the real food market, the one where you can find everything from the fresh produce to the cured meats, the aged pecorino, the truffle everything. First floor, it's like visiting the real food court, the one where you can find lampredotto (it's like a tripe sandwich, and it's the real Florentine street food, so don't knock it until you try it), fresh pasta made on the spot, and good gelato. And sometimes, the famous butcher Dario Cecchini shows up and hands out free samples of his bistecca while reciting Dante. I'm not kidding. It's the single best place to understand the Florentine attitude to food.
Boboli Gardens
The Medici family had so many palaces, they decided to build a garden or two. And this one, literally, is in the backyard of their palace, on the hillside, with different levels, fountains, and sculptures. It was the model for Versailles, supposedly. The Buontalenti Grotto is just plain weird, stalactites, hidden sculptures, the kind of thing the Medici family built because they had too much money and too little to do. The Amphitheater and the Neptune fountain are more classical, pretty. And on a summer day, the cool paths and the hilltop breezes are just the thing to get away from the heat and the crowds.
Basilica di Santa Croce
Michelangelo is buried here. So is Galileo. So is Machiavelli. So is Rossini. It's like walking across the tomb of the greatest hits of Italian history. The Giotto frescoes in the side chapels are some of the best he ever did, and the Pazzi Chapel in the cloister is Brunelleschi doing what he does best - perfect proportions that make you feel tranquil just standing around looking at them. Out back, there's a leather school set up in the old monastery where craftsmen still make the goods by hand. The bags and jackets they make are the real deal - expensive, but this is the source for the real deal in Florence leather goods.
Mercato di San Ambrogio
This is where real Florentines come to buy their groceries. No performances for the tourists here. Inside, they have produce, meat, cheese - local prices. The surrounding stalls have everything from socks to kitchen gadgets for sale. The real reason to come here, though, is for Trattoria da Rocco, which is hidden away inside the market. Get a full meal of Tuscan goodness, a glass of wine, for a price that seems like a mistake. The clientele is entirely local, the food is great, and no one is ever going to come over to your table and try to sell you a menu in English. That's how you know it's good.
Florence insider tips
- Museum Reservations: Book your tickets for the Uffizi or Accademia at least two weeks in advance - this is not optional, trust us, the lines for walk-ups are awful. The Firenze Card gets you in anywhere for free, and after three or four museums, it's paid for itself if you're really going for the whole "art tourist" thing.
- Walking city: The old part of Florence is only 30 minutes across on foot. No need for a car here. Seriously, don't even think about bringing a rental into Florence. There's a ZTL (restricted traffic area) and if you enter that area, a camera snaps a photo of your license plate and you'll get a nice fat fine from your rental company several months later. Learn from other people's mistakes.
- Bistecca alla fiorentina: The T-bone steak is a sacred food in Florence. It has to be Chianina beef. It has to weigh at least 1.2 kg. It has to be oak-grilled. It has to be served rare. Ask for well-done and your waiter might look at you as if you're an idiot. Buca Mario, Perseus, and Trattoria Sostanza are good places to try this dish. Get one between you and a friend – it's huge.
- Gelato quality: If the gelato is stacked high in fluffy neon-colored peaks, don't even think about going in. Good gelato is kept in a metal container with the lid on, and the colors are more pastel and natural. No gummy bear flavor here. Vivoli, La Sorbettiera, and Gelateria della Passera are the best places to get this frozen dessert.
- Aperitivo: Between 6 and 8 PM, order a drink at a bar and you'll get free snacks – often a full buffet. The Negroni cocktail was actually invented in Florence. This is where you order one of those. Find a bar with a view of the Arno River and watch the sun set over a bitter orange concoction. It's practically required.
- Day Trips: Siena is 1.5 hours away and well worth the trip. San Gimignano is an hour away. The Chianti wine region is 30 minutes away. If you want to get between vineyards in Chianti, you'll want a rental car. The bus is easier for visiting hill towns – free entertainment included.
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