Florence

A lot of people use Florence as their gateway to Tuscany. We’ve been to Florence twice and we enjoyed it, but we both thought the smaller city of Siena was even more beautiful, was better located to visit the wineries and other Tuscan towns we wanted to see, and overall Siena turned out to be a much more memorable experience for us. Florence ranks 6th in all of Europe in terms of the number of tourists per local, according to statistia, and having been there I believe it! While there are plenty of pockets of Florence that still have that European magic, much of it can also feel like Disney World, especially in the summer.

While the main Florence squares are beautiful, much of the streets as you walk around are fairly dirty and didn’t have as much of that European romance or charm as we expected given Florence’s reputation. Florence is of course a runaway champion for the area in terms of famous and historical artwork and is a no-brainer for any rabid art fans. While we saw and appreciated all the famous sites and museums, those attractions are never what we find most memorable when we travel.

For us, walking the less crowded and more romantic streets of Siena was more enjoyable. Siena is like walking around on a Game of Thrones set. The main square at night in Siena, to us, was more beautiful and enjoyable than any square in Florence. Further, the interior design and architecture of the Cathedral in Siena was far more impressive than the Cathedral in Florence. Siena certainly also has it’s share of tourists during typical busy travel times, even in the summer months Siena becomes calm and very enjoyable at night as so many of its tourists are day trippers. Finally, in terms of location, Siena has faster and easier access – especially if you rented a car – to the incredible Tuscan villages and wine meccas you will want to see.

You can review our recommendations for Siena or Tuscan Villages by clicking here

FLORENCE

HOTEL

Hotel Lungarno: We stayed at the Hotel Lungarno the first time and the Villa Cora the second. The Lungarno will temp you with pictures of rooms overlooking the Arno river and Ponte Vecchio, but it’s also right in the center of a loud, tourist area, and the rooms are pretty small. We would not recommend it.

Villa Cora: Go!Go!Go! We stayed at the Villa Cora on our second trip to Florence, learning our lesson about staying right in the crowded, loud tourist center. The Villa Cora was one of our absolute favorite hotels across all of our travels. Nothing not to love, pure luxury but also with character, class and remarkable decor. You will feel like you are staying at one of the museums or are on set at a period piece romance movie. Just look at the pictures! It’s also only a 15-minute walk from central Florence but they have shuttles that run all day (we took Ubers when we didn’t walk). It’s extremely quiet, relatively small, the public rooms are breathtaking, the rooms themselves are beautiful, it has amazing rooftop deck views of the Duomo, breakfast was amazing, and there is even a chic pool overlooking the Florence skyline.

FOOD

Gelateria La Carraia: Go!Go!Go!

La Strega Nocciola Gelateria Artigianale: Go!Go!

Gelateria dei Neri: Go!Go!

Our last trip to Florence we completed a full gelato bracket, starting with 12 places and narrowing down to our favorite. If you can only get gelato in one place in Italy, get it at Gelateria La Carraia. Don’t just grab Gelato anywhere and assume it’s good – there are about 15 or so authentic gelato shops and the 5-6 best ones are worth seeking out. Other top ones are “Perche No!” (wasn’t our favorite but they are consistently one of the highest reviewed), “RivaReno” (A bit outside of town), “Venchi Cioccolato e Gelato” (one of the mainstays and most popular…will be crowded), “La Strega Nocciola Gelateria Artigianale” (another top 3 for us, right by Ponte Vecchio bridge), “Gelateria dei Neri (our other top 3 – famous for their crema flavor). The most famous flavors to try anywhere you go are pistachio, hazelnut, fig, crema and fiordilatte (“flower of milk”). We got a small crema at each stop as our baseline flavor.

Our strongest and most important food recommendation in Florence is to have a sandwich!!!

I’Girone De Ghiotti: Go!Go!Go!

Antica Porchetteria Granieri 1916: Go!Go!Go!

All’Antico Vinaio: Go!Go!Go!

Trattoria Dall’Oste: Go!Go!Go!

Mercado Central: Go!

I don’t know how to describe it in a way that does it justice, but their sandwiches are some of the best food (not just in the sandwich category) in the world. They are inexpensive, fast, and far better than any expensive, touristy restaurant you’ll go in Florence (or anywhere). Homemade Italian bread, the best quality cheeses and meats in the world, fresh garden vegetables and scratch-made sauces…they are handheld flavor bombs!! Try I’Girone De Ghiotti, our favorite. The other two famous ones are “Antica Porchetteria Granieri 1916” and All’Antico Vinaio. The Mercado Central is also a great lunch choice as you can sample from whatever looks best. One of Shea and my favorite things to do in Europe is to explore their markets, and the one in Florence is great. Not in our top 5 but still great.

Another Florence dining experience, if you’re up for it, is to go somewhere to try a Steak Florentine. Enormous, thick cut, rare, and amazing. My mouth waters thinking about it. It’s not for everyone I know, but it’s definitely an experience you won’t forget if you like steaks. We went to Trattoria Dall’Oste…they have 16,000 reviews on Google with 4.8 out of 5 average…can’t miss even if you don’t go with their steak Florentine. Their appetizers and sides were also incredible. Take your cholesterol pills and dive in, it’s a carnivore experience you’ll always remember!

THINGS TO DO

Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte: Go!Go!Go!

Climb the Duomo: Go!Go!Go!

Giardino Bardini: Go!Go!

The Pitti Palace, gardens and neighborhood: Go!Go!

Goccia Shoes: Go!Go!

Enoteca Pontevecchio: Go!

Ponte Vecchio at night: Go!

Signorvino: Go! (for wine and view, didn’t eat here)

Museo di Palazzo Davanzati: Go!

As for things to do, as always it depends on your interests. You don’t need me to try and explain or review all the top tourist attractions in Florence, there are better sources. However, one note about the Duomo, DO MAKE THE CLIMB!!! See the pictures, it’s a fun climb and the views are worth the effort!! I do have a few suggestions for less obvious things to do if you want to avoid crowds, just a bit, and still get those prized IG shots!

For example, EVERYONE goes to the Piazzale Michelangelo, especially at sunset. It’s the top rated thing to do on TripAdvisor. We did too, I admit. It does have a wonderful view, it’s a postcard, just be prepared for crowds and all the tourist crap (junk souvenirs, pickpockets, picture takers, tour busses parked everywhere, guided tours, scammers, etc…). Just go to Google Maps and take a look. We only spent about 5 minutes there. Note: if you go down the stairs from the main viewing platform, there is a smaller area that tends to be less crowded and doesn’t have all the vendors.

There are other viewing options. First, the Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte has even better views than the Piazzale Michelangelo –  It’s basically the same view but higher up. We even caught an amazing Monks chanting concert in the cellar of the Abby while we were up there. It’s by far a better and roomier experience than Piazzale Michelangelo and, again, it’s basically the same view.

Another option we highly recommend is the Giardino Bardini. They are gardens very close by the Piazzale Michelangelo – you can see them on Google Maps – but since there is an entry fee they are far less crowded, even empty at times, and do not have any solicitors. As a bonus, the gardens are beautiful in their own right and the Villa Bardini is a nice little museum with great views. It makes for a wonderful hike. You can start at ground level off of Via Bardi only 5 minutes walk from the Ponte Vecchio bridge and wind your way up to the Villa Bardini viewing area.

All of these other options will get you the IG picture of your dreams without all the crowds and touristy stuff.

Another recommendation is to visit the Ponte Vecchio bridge at night. In the early night hours it’s still crowded with street performers and tourists heading to/from dinner. However, later at night as the crowds leave you get to really soak in the incredible views from the bridge and the haunting yet romantic soft yellow lights of the city. Best of all, the little shops that are strung along the bridge are way cuter at night when they are closed!! Unlike most city shops that have large metal gates they pull down over their entrance overnight, the stores on the Ponte Vecchio are like little jewel boxes themselves. It’s really cute. One other note, while the general rule in Europe is to NEVER buy anything from the shops in the main tourist area, the shops on the Ponte Vecchio are actually legit and you don’t have to worry about buying an Italian souvenir made in China…

Another low key recommendation is to check out Signorvino right by the Ponte Vecchio. It’s a great wine shop in it’s own right but the reason to go is IF you can get a table on their patio. If you want that IG picture that will make everyone jealous, have a glass of wine on the Signorvino patio!

If you want to do some serious wine tasting from small producers that you can’t find in the US, we recommend Enoteca Pontevecchio. In addition to it being nearby our favorite square in Florence, the Piazza Santa (“Jim”) Croce, it has a great selection of wines you can’t experience back in the US.

As for the main tourist attractions chronicled in every guide book, there isn’t much you can do about avoiding crowds, other than the usual steps. Go very early or very late, not in the middle of the day. ALWAYS buy skip the link tickets online in advance. We also bought the FirenzeCard which covered some attractions but not all. I think we bought tickets to the Academia Gallery separately, in advance. We walked right in, saw David, sat for a minute, walked out. Easy.

If you do want to avoid the big crowds, take a look at the Pitti Palace. It’s a beautiful museum and kind of like Versailles in that you can walk through and see the bedrooms, ballrooms, etc. In any other city, it would be a top 5 attractions. The Pitti Palace has tremendous gardens that are perfect for a stroll and to get out of the crowds. It’s also located in the local section of the city which is far less crowded and better maintained. The whole area is nice to explore.

Another lesser-known attraction we enjoyed was the Museo do Pallazzo Davanzati. It was also in a less touristy area. We tend to like architecture and historical items/homes more than artwork, and the Davanzati was perfect for us in that regard. It felt a bit like walking around in an MC Escher painting.

Finally, DO splurge on a pair of handmade Italian shoes. BE CAREFUL not to get fooled, as there are way more illegitimate shoe stores than genuine ones!! We went to Goccia Shoes and we were very happy with them. Just know, these guys are amazing salesmen – if you go into the store, you are probably leaving with something!

As a general strategy for avoiding crowds, always walk one street over. Typically there are several routes to get somewhere, and taking a different route that avoids the main, central tourist areas may take a few minutes longer, but you’ll feel miles away from the crowds.

(C) GoGoGordon’s 6/2/2023