La dolce vita fiorentina

You may have the universe if I may have Italy

Giuseppe Verdi

I have told you long time ago that a trip to Italy once a year is an essential part on my travel list which I couldn’t tick off for 2017, since I’ve spent so much time in NYC (and Little Italy just doesn’t make up for that). I wanted to catch up as quickly is possible, no matter how strenuous the journey may be. Real Italy lovers cant’ be scared off by an 11-hour overnight bus ride 😉 I found the perfect travel partner with my childhood friend Susan and off we went for our short Florence getaway! Unfortunately an arctic cold wave hit greater parts of Europe at the end of February and it was unusually cold (below freezing!) in the usually mild Tuscany region… On the upside, there were fewer tourists!

We both have been to Florence before and we love this city. Due to our limited time we tried to make the most of this trip without any sightseeing rush but a good portion of la dolce vita 🙂 And because we’ve had such a great time I’d like to share with you our laid-back “Florence in two days itinerary” which covers most of the city’s main attractions by foot:

1. The Old Town

The old town of Florence is compact but due to its huge cultural heritage (think Estruscans, Medici, the birthplace of Renaissance) it would’ve been easy to spend a whole week there and look into one of the world’s grandest art collections at the Uffizi and Michelangelo’s sculpture of David in the Galleria dell’ Academia – both we’ve skipped unfortunately (buying tickets in advance is a must and you should expect long cues at any time of the year). Nevertheless you get to see the spectacular architecture and IMO most beautiful city vistas in the world.

We arrived early in the morning after the not most comfortable night in the bus but the stresses and strains were quickly forgotten when we caught the first glimpse of Florence’s symbol – the Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore in the sunrise. It always amazes me how much detail you can put into a building and this church’s decoration I’d call wastefully beautiful!

Florence was just about to wake up and we enjoyed a walk in the quiet streets, passing by a replica of David in front of Palazzo Vecchio (as we missed the original)…

Just like in most Italian cities, wandering around the streets without a map is a wonderful way to get a feel for that place. There are so many pretty corners waiting to be discovered!

2. Mercato Centrale

At the Mercato Centrale we picked up our first appetite on all the Italian delicacies – a true ham and cheese heaven! The upper floor comes with a modern food court while outside the halls you’ll find a big outdoor market with all kind of leather products.

3. Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio is another Florence landmark you can’t miss. While the bridge itself is full with gold shops and tourists, it’s more impressive to look at it from the street or the other bridges that span over the river Arno. On the other side a quieter part of Florence is awaiting you with idyllic piazzas like Piazza Santo Spirito.

4. Il Duomo

Back to the Cathedral: If you’re not afraid to climb 460 quite steep steps through a narrow, winding staircase, you’ll be rewarded with a fantastic view from the top of the cupola and you get a close-up of the impressive structure by brilliant architect and engineer Filippo Brunelleschi. To get there, you must buy a ticket online and reserve a time slot on their website. There’s only one type of ticket available that also gives you access to the Museum of Opera of Santa Maria del Fiore and another viewpoint on Giotto’s Bell Tower (which we skipped as well due to lack of time). The climb was a little adventurous but we thought it was totally worth the effort and money!

5. Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella

Behind this melodious name stands a traditional shop that sells all kinds of natural essences, perfumes and skincare products – since 1612! It’s not cheap but the shop itself with its grand interior is worth looking at. It’s a journey into the world of scents and a good place to buy high-quality souvenirs.

6. Piazza Michelangelo

On the other side of the Arno – up on a hill – lies the Piazza Michelangelo (with another replica of David) from where you’ll get the most spectacular view over Florence. Especially during sunset – when the city dips into soft pastel colours – the place gets very popular among locals and visitors (who can blame them?) There are hundreds of different angles to catch and not only photographers will fall in love with this place. Unfortunately it was so cold when we were there, that my camera battery failed and I was only able to take a few shots (otherwise I’d have spammed you with many more ;))

Although we haven’t visited on this trip, I don’t want to leave unmentioned the Boboli Gardens (Italy’s most famous sculpture garden) and if you’re interested into art, you should check out Palazzo Pitti with its grand collection of paintings.

7. Eating and drinking

A trip to Italy is incomplete without indulging in Italian Cuisine, which is undeniably one of the best in the world! It might seem hard to find bad food there, but there are certainly tourist traps to avoid in Florence. Especially in the traditional Italian cafés it’s advisable to look closely at the menu as there are usually two different prices – one for standing at the counter (bar or banco) or sitting by a table (tavolo) which sometimes costs more than twice as much! The good thing is, the coffee never is really expensive (unless you go to the most frequented tourist areas) and always good quality! Anyways, I’ve summed up a few places for food and drinks we were happy with:

Super close to the duomo but far away from the crowds we’ve found this hidden and quiet spot which actually is a cafeteria of a library (Biblioteca delle Oblate). It’s perfect for a simple Italian breakfast (which consists of coffee and brioche usually) but the biggest draw is the wonderful view of the cupola while sipping your coffee 😉

A perfect day starts with fresh pastries and coffee (Cantinetta dei Verrazzano) continues with delicious street-style pizza (Mangia Pizza) and creamy gelato as dessert (Gelateria La Carraia)

Eataly isn’t only a great spot to buy Italian products, they also serve freshly prepared pasta, pizze and other Italian staples. Late afternoon is the perfect time to enjoy some aperitivo and snacks. At Chiaroscuro e.g. you’ll get all-you-can-eat antipasti with one drink for a flat fee of 9 EUR 😉

The nicest dining experience we had at Brac. It looks a little invisible from the outside but it’s a library/restaurant with a beautiful dining room in the backyard. Surrounded by books, wine and candles, the atmosphere is very cozy and their 100 % Vegetarian menu offers creative Italian-fusion cuisine. Reservations are recommended because it’s one of Florence’s most innovative restaurants and highly rated. They offer a tasting menu for 15 EUR where you an pick 3 items from the menu, which is a pretty sweet deal!

8. Where to stay

We stayed at Hotel Duomo Firenze – it’s so close to the cathedral that you could almost touch it 😉 It’s a small but well maintained hotel with modern rooms, some of them come with amazing views of the duomo and balcony. Parking is available for an extra fee. We were very happy with this choice and would definitely stay there again! You can book a room here.

Looking for guided tours and activities in Florence? You can download GPS supported itineraries to your smartphone through GPSMyCity.

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Further readings:

Castles by the sea – Miramare and Duino

La dolce vita triestina