On my first visit to Italy in 2016, someone told me that you either love Rome and hate Florence, or you love Florence and hate Rome. I love Rome. I don’t hate Florence, but…
My First Impression of Florence
When I visited Florence as a poor student on a backpacker budget, my first impression was “Wow, this place is crowded.” Florence is not a big city, yet it is crammed full of tourists to the point that you can’t even walk on the sidewalk without bumping into people. I remember thinking it was pretty, but too crowded and too expensive.
Some highlights from that trip include wandering the peaceful Boboli Gardens and admiring Michelangelo’s David. Plus we ate one really good meal. Overall though, I was not impressed.
My Second Impression of Florence
When I visited Florence six years later as less poor, more experienced traveler, my second impression of Florence was “Wow, this place is crowded.” Me and this city just don’t vibe, and I’m not sure why, since I love Italy, I love art, and I love history. But for all the things I don’t love about Florence, there are some silver linings, and it’s hard to deny that the city is beautiful. So here are my suggestions for how to make the most of your time in Florence.
We spent two days in Florence itself, which in my mind, is plenty. Spend your days in the beautiful Tuscan countryside instead of its crowded capital city. (How many times do you think I’m going to use the word ‘crowded’ in this blog post. I bet a lot.) If you’re determined to visit all the museums, or if you want to make Florence your home base while you explore other areas of Italy, you could spend more time. But for me, two days is good.
The Uffizi Gallery
The highlight for any art lover of a visit to Florence is the Uffizi Gallery. This is one of the top collections of Renaissance artwork in the world, and is a great art museum for art enthusiasts and casual travelers alike. I love going to art museums, but Renaissance art is generally not my thing. However, I loved this museum! Besides the artwork, the building itself is incredible. My main takeaway from our visit was that I really like Botticelli’s work. Some of his most famous paintings are on display in the Uffizi Gallery, and seeing them in person was really special.
Santa Maria del Fiore
Arguably the most significant building in the city, you can’t visit Florence without a trip to its spectacular cathedral. Santa Maria del Fiore (also known as Florence Cathedral) is a medieval cathedral that took nearly 200 years to complete. Everything about this church is stunning, but its most noteworthy feature is its dome, designed by Brunelleschi. Supposedly, the original architects were not sure how to build a dome of this size, but figured that by the time the rest of the building was done, someone would figure out how to do it. And he did!
As a side note, if you want to learn more about Florence in the Renaissance ahead of your trip, I recommend watching the show The Medici. This scene in the show is way overdramatized, but it was a lot of fun to watch ahead of our trip.
The Best Viewpoints in Florence
Florence is surrounded by hills, and there are tons of incredible viewpoints overlooking the city. For the best views, head up to Piazzale Michelangelo and the Rose Garden for sunset. These two viewpoints are right next to each other, and can easily be seen at the same time. After admiring the views from the Piazzale, we grabbed a couple of Aperol spritzes and sat on the grass at the rose garden. It seems like this jaunt up to this garden is popular with tourists and locals alike, and it was cool to see everyone lounging around in the grass, having a good time.
Florence City Center
Florence is chalk full of historic sites, and if you just wander around, you will certainly run into them. Some highlights include the Piazza della Signoria and the Palazzo Vecchio, the Piazza della Repubblica, the Ponte Vecchio, plus numerous churches and squares that are all stunning.
Boboli Gardens
One of my favorite spots in Florence in the Boboli Gardens, and it is well-worth the entrance fee, if only to escape the crowds of the city. From the minute you walk through the gates, you are surrounded by peaceful gardens, spectacular fountains, and truly lovely walking paths. This is an easy place to purposefully get lost and enjoy an oasis of green in the middle of a crowded city.
The Best Way to Experience Florence
So, I’ve listed out the highlights of our two days in Florence, but they all come with one huge caveat. I honestly feel like the only way to actually enjoy Florence is to see it very early in the morning. On our second day, we left out Airbnb around 6:00 to explore before all the other tourists woke up, and it was a completely different experience from walking around in the middle of the day. I am thrilled that so many people want to visit Italy, but at the same time, overtourism is a thing, and I cannot take the sheer volume of people that pack themselves into Florence during the middle of the day. Early in the morning is undoubtedly the best time to see the city, and I highly recommend doing all your sightseeing as early as possible, then save your afternoons for visiting museums and eating long, luxurious meals.
Well, that’s it for my mostly positive guide to Florence. Maybe one day I’ll understand what all the hype is about in this city, but in the meantime, I will happily go to the Tuscan countryside over and over and over again.
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