Florence is a must-see city for any art lover, but its delights reach far beyond the museums and galleries. The city itself is a piece of art - Stendhal himself felt so taken by the city that he was unable to walk. Yes, Florence is not only the birthplace of the Renaissance but also of Stendhal syndrome. Do not be ashamed if you lose your balance here while gazing at the sights. Countless tourists have succumbed to the same fate, and really, there are worse ways to go. (In all seriousness, Stendhal syndrome is not fatal, so stop worrying.)
While it is possible - easy, in fact - to spend a week or more in Florence and still not see everything, it is likely you will have other things on your Italian holiday agenda and will want to move on after a few days. If you can spare it, Florence deserves at least three days, if not four or five. And even if you think you are not interested in art, you will want to allot some time for the big museums anyway - these are no ordinary art museums, these are the art museums you will read and hear about for the rest of your life. Do yourself a favor and make the time. With any “extra” time you find you have in Florence, you can always take a daytrip or two outside the city as well.
Even with a few solid days in Florence, it pays to organize your time wisely. This is a busy Italian city, full of Italians as well as tourists, and the main tourist sights are some of the biggest in the entire country. Lines can be prohibitively long, and many of the indoor sights are small enough that you could be looking at the backs of peoples heads as much as you are looking at art. In this article you will find information about Florence’s top sights, some other attractions which can fill your time and a few non-art-related things to do (yes, there are some!) in Florence.
>> Pressed for time? These are my top 10 things to do in Florence.
>> You can also get a longer list of what to do in Florence, too.
>> And if you’re looking for a place to stay on a budget, you can read more about the Florence hostels I’ve either stayed in or visited.
The list of must-see sights in Florence almost makes the city seem greedy. There are beautiful churches and museums which would be the A-number-one attraction in another town, but in Florence they are relegated to the back burner of “if you have time.” It is an embarrassment of riches, and we as visitors are the benefactors. I know I, for one, am not complaining.
The Uffizi Gallery is, perhaps, the best collection of Italian paintings on earth. There is an entire room dedicated to Boticelli’s masterpieces, which are enormous, and before which you just might gasp. There are works by Raphael, Rubens and Caravaggio and a stunningly bright round painting of the Holy Family by Michelangelo. The building itself once held the offices of the ruling Medici family, so it is also worth pausing in the hallways to look around at the architecture. The Uffizi is, unfortunately, also one of the more annoying sights to try to visit if you are a spontaneous person. During the high season, a reservation made ahead of time can save you literally hours of waiting in line and is highly recommended.
>> No sooner did I mention the long lines in Florence than someone pointed me in the direction of a way to buy last-minute museum tickets. It’s still not a guarantee, and I still recommend buying tickets in advance if you can, but the secret ticket window is another alternative!
The city’s ancient main square is the Piazza della Signoria, and it remains a great spot for people-watching. Just to one side is the Palazzo Vecchio, the old seat of government and now a so-so museum. If you are looking down as you walk, you will find a plaque marking the spot where the fanatical monk Savonarola was burned at the stake in this square. The Uffizi Gallery is toward the river off one corner of the Piazza.
Many visitors to Florence think they have seen Michelangelo’s “David” when they stand in the Piazza della Signoria and look at the statue outside the Palazzo Vecchio. While that is a very nice copy, the original (which once stood in that spot) is now in the Galleria dell’Accademia in a spot built specifically to house the amazing sculpture. Reservations are also recommended here in the peak season, although if enough tourists think the fake is the real thing, they skip the Accademia altogether so the line is usually much shorter than at the Uffizi.
Florence’s Duomo, the city’s main cathedral, is a multi-colored marble fascination at the head of a usually crowded square. The interior can be a disappointment, since most of the artwork was removed after the 1966 flood. and the church walls can look bare below a certain point. The dome itself is an architectural marvel and you can climb inside it to get an idea of how it was constructed. The nearby bell tower designed by Giotto offers great views of the city as well, and the Baptistery across from the Duomo’s front doors is probably most famous for its own doors. They were designed by Ghiberti in the early 1400s - Michelangelo said they were fit to be the Gates of Paradise. If you find the giant pack of tourists crowded around one set of doors, that is the famous set. If you are lucky enough to be there on an un-crowded day, ask the ticket agent at the Baptistery or Duomo to point them out to you. Do note that these are copies - the originals, which were somewhat damaged in the 1966 flood, are now in pressurized containers in the Duomo Museum.
For sculpture fans, the Museo del Bargello is a great museum, often overlooked, which contains some early Michelangelos and Donatello’s petite bronze “David.”
To see all the goodies they removed from the Duomo for safe-keeping, the Duomo Museum, or Museo dell’Opera dell Duomo, is the place to go. This is also where you will see the original restored Ghiberti panels from the Baptristery’s doors as well as a Michelangelo “Pieta” in which one of the figures is a self-portrait. And it is not Jesus.
Here are just a few of the other brilliant attractions in Florence, each of which would be any town’s highlight were it not for the plethora of other things to see in this city.
Okay, okay - you have had your fill of art, I get it. The good news is that Florence caters to you now just as well as it did when you were art starved. Trust me, this city can do it all.
Serious boutique shoppers might be more at home in Milan, but if you want to come home from your Italy trip with a little something for your closet or shoe rack, Florence is a perfect place to go hunting. The entire region is known for its leather work, so you will find purses, belts, jackets, shoes and anything else you can imagine leather being made into (garbage pail, anyone?) in the city’s shops and the outdoor leather market. In the markets, prices are flexible, so do not be afraid to haggle a bit. For the regular shops, sale periods are scheduled and happen a few times a year - thankfully, one of them is right in the middle of the peak summer season, so you might see the word “Saldi” in many a store window. That just means “Sale,” so have fun.
Florence might also be the pinnacle of the gelato world - and if not, it is close enough for most people. Some of the gelato shops in this city have flavors you could never imagine (spinach or carrot), but even if you stick to the tried-and-true fruits or sweets, you would be missing out if you did not sample from many different shops. My advice is to have gelato twice a day, every day, and keep track of all the flavors you try.
For those of you who prefer to eat something other than gelato sometimes (what is wrong with you people?!?), Florence has a wide variety of incredible restaurants to tempt you. While there are many upscale places which are not necessarily budget-friendly, you can also eat well in Florence for very little money as well. Ask the locals what their favorite places are, and you are likely to be directed far from the tourist center.
And if you’re looking for day trips from Florence, you can choose nearby Tuscan destinations like Siena, Pisa, or Lucca - or you can go a bit further afield with a day trip to the Cinque Terre.
While I doubt that Florence would make anyone feel faint these days, there is no question that this city can overwhelm even the most prepared traveler with the sheer number of “must-see” sights. Will you be able to fit it all in? Probably not. In fact, if you do, and you are only in the city for a few days, I want to know your secret. No, the vast majority of you will either have to be content with what you have time to see, or plan a return trip. I vote for the latter.
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