Weekend in Florence

One of Italy’s richest artistic cities, Florence is perfect for anyone looking for a weekend of culture, romanticism, and fun.

Before you go to Florence, take a look at these other two websites:

Firenze Card: The “Florence Card” is a card that’ll let you see the most important museums practically for free. It only has an activation cost, and if you plan on visiting a lot of museums, art galleries, and churches, then it’s definitely worth picking up. If you’re looking for a more low cost weekend, however, it’s a neat extra that you can go without.

Firenze Parcheggi: Make sure to check out this site if you’re driving to Florence! Florence’s traffic is terribly chaotic, with tight streets and a lot of one way streets, including limited traffic areas. If you’re coming from the Firenze Peretola airport, then get onto Via Francesco Baracca which will lead you right to the train station. There are always many parking spots there; they all need to be paid for, but they’re really safe. The biggest parking lot in the city is the Fortezza da Basso, but since it’s also the most well known parking spot it might be difficult to find a place on crowded days. In any case, Firenze Parcheggi has maps to help you find these parking spots, and a counter that tracks how many spaces are available in real time.

If you are looking for a cheaper alternative, don’t forget that you can also take the train!

Florence can become really expensive, especially in the more touristy areas. You should probably book your hotels long in advance, beating the prices and giving yourself a lot more options. You could also consider the possibility of staying in the surrounding area: Firenze Rifredi, Sesto Fiorentino, and Prato. They’re all located on the main railroad. Also, remember that it’s a lot easier to move around Florence than you may think; even though it’s a regional capital, it’s still a rather small city, and if you’re only staying for a weekend then you’ll most likely remain within the city center.

Our suggestion is to walk the city by foot, when possible, and not just because it’ll save on your budget! The public transportation system consists of busses and trams, both operated by the ATAF. The busses cover almost all of the central and suburban areas, they’re punctual and cheap, but usually a bit overcrowded. The tram is usually a better choice, but it only has one line and, apart from the Cascine stop, doesn’t have any interesting tourist sights on its route.

Whether you’re staying in the center or just outside the city, you’ll definitely want to have lunch inside Florence at some point. Florence’s culinary tradition is quite peculiar for the type of city it is, lacking the romanticism that usually accompanies most Italian capitals, but the food is just as good, if not better, for it! Of course, most restaurants around the city are tourist traps, and if you want to experience true Florence you should look for an “enoteca”. An “enoteca” is a typically small Florentine spot with a very informal air about it. They mostly serve excellent wines, and have limited (but excellent) menus. If you want to try the famous “Fiorentina”, the Italian T-Bone steak, make sure you ask for it properly. Don’t make the mistake of asking for it well done, as no self-respecting Florentine would think of serving it to you unless it’s medium-rare.

First courses are generally better with meat-based dishes, and an excellent side dish are the “fagiolini all’uccelletto”. An alternative to the fiorentina, if you’ve got the stomach for it, is a typical tripe based dish. An even cheaper option is to head towards the central market: in the heart of San Lorenzo, there’s a place with Tuscan designs that serves amazing wines and Panini (with condiments of your choosing).

 

On your first day, leaving from Piazza Stazione, go on Via degli Avelli to find Santa Maria Novella square. There’s a spectacular Church there, with some interesting cloisters that have black and white arches. Next, head towards Via della Scala where you can find the Santa Maria Novella pharmacy. It’s a lot more than a typical pharmacy, boasting some splendid architecture, mosaics, paintings and worked marble.

If you’re up for some shopping, you can head down towards Via Tornabuoni to find the best and most famous Italian brands. Even if you want to stay light on your budget, it’s still worth it to walk down the street and see Palazzo Strozzi, with its stone walls shaped like a diamond. If you’ve got some free time, go ahead and take some pictures inside its beautiful courtyards. Now, through Piazza della Repubblica, you can reach Via Calzaiuoli, one of the world’s most beautiful streets that, among other things, has a delightful artisanal market in the Mercato Nuovo.

At the end of the road you’ll bump into Piazza della Signoria, which can speak for itself. It’s the fulcrum of art, culture, and past beauty with its copy of the statue of David and its extraordinary Palazzo Vecchio, and only a few steps away lies the Uffizi museum. You’re going to have two choices now: keep on exploring the rest of Florence, or jump straight into the museum’s immense collection. It’s a tough decision; if you go into the Uffizi, know that you’ll spend at least a couple of hours in there, and you probably won’t have any more time to see anything else. If, however, you decide to explore the city, find your way back to Piazza Duomo where you can admire Giotto’s bell tower, the Battistero and, obviously, the Duomo itself. If you’ve got time and money to spare, you can certainly enter any of these artistically unique temples. Otherwise, there’s plenty to discover in the alleys around Piazza Duomo. If you’re ending the day and heading back to Piazza Stazione, make sure to take the route through the airy Via Panzani.

The second day, head back to the Uffizi. If you visit it in the morning, remember that you’ll probably be out by midday. You could then head out on the river walk, the Lungarno. Your first instinct may be to head straight to the Ponte Vecchio, but we advise to head towards Palazzo Pitti through Via Guicciardini instead, by the Boboli Gardens. Even though some areas of the gardens aren’t as well kept as others, this tourist attraction offers a breathtaking view of Florence. It costs 10€ to get in, and your visit may last a couple of hoursl. The Oltrarno neighborhood is less visited than others, but it hides certain gems like Sdrucciolo dei Pitti.

There’s the nearby Piazza Santo Spirito, with its Church and Piazza del Carmine, complete with its own cathedral. You can either stay in the San Frediano area, or move on to Piazzale Michelangelo where you can admire the entirety of Florence from an amazing vantage point. At the end of the day, take some time for yourself to rest, head back to the Lungarno and, accompanied by the sunset, visit the Ponte Vecchio. You can watch the city lights come on after sunset, as they glitter and wave in the river’s reflection.

The most beautiful parks in Italy

Our readers voted Villa Medicea di Castello and Villa Gamberaia di Settignano, both in Florence, as the most beautiful parks in Italy. Other such parks include Parco giardino Sigurtà di Valeggio sul Mincio a Verona, i Giardini del Castello Ruspoli di Vignanello a Viterbo, la Reggia di Caserta, la Villa d'Este di Tivoli, i Giardini la Mortella dell'Isola d'Ischia, la Villa Durazzo-Pallavicini di Genova, il Parco di Monza, la Villa San Michele di Capri e la Certosa di San Lorenzo di Padula e la Villa Cimbrone di Ravello a Salerno.


The most beautiful medieval squares in Italy

Piazza della Signoria, in Florence, is one of Italy’s most beautiful medieval squares. Other such squares include Piazza Sordello a Mantova, Piazza della Frutta e Piazza delle Erbe a Padova, Piazza del Duomo a Parma, Piazza IV Novembre a Perugia, Piazza del Duomo a Pistoia, Piazza della Cisterna e Piazza del Duomo a San Gimignano, Piazza del Campo a Siena, Piazza Duomo a Trento, Piazza delle Erbe e Piazza dei Signori a Verona, Piazzetta san Pellegrino a Viterbo, Piazza dei Priori a Volterra, Piazza Vecchia e Piazza del Duomo a Bergamo, Piazza Inferiore e Piazza Superiore di San Francesco ad Assisi, Piazza Grande ad Arezzo, Piazza Silvestri a Bevagna, Piazza Matteotti a Castell'Arquato, Piazza del Comune a Cremona, Piazza del Comune a Fabriano, Piazza della Signoria a Gubbio, Piazza San Martino a Lucca, Piazza Garibaldi a Massa Marittima, Piazza del Duomo a Pisa, Piazza del Duomo a Spoleto, Piazza del Popolo a Todi e la Piazza di Torcello.

Written by:
Mary Cafissi
Translation by:
Daniel Yeatman

Tags: Weekend in Tuscany   Low cost weekend   A weekend for two