Get an eSIM →
🇮🇹 City · Italy
Florence: the Renaissance in the open air
✓ 100% secure payment ✓ eSIM · 2 min ✓ Reply within 24–48 h
Florence (Firenze) is compact and made for walking, which is one of its great pleasures. The historic core, centred on the Duomo with Brunelleschi's dome, packs in most of the city's Renaissance masterpieces. Piazza della Signoria and the Uffizi Gallery form the artistic heart, while the Ponte Vecchio spans the Arno with its row of goldsmiths' shops. Across the river, the Oltrarno district (San Niccolò, Santo Spirito) keeps a more artisanal, lived-in feel, full of workshops, trattorias and wine bars. To catch your breath, climb up to Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset or wander the Boboli Gardens. Florence rewards a slow pace, weaving between museums, markets and strolls through narrow cobbled lanes.
In 1985, James Ivory had Piazza della Signoria cleared to shoot “A Room with a View” with Helena Bonham Carter.
In 1817, Stendhal left the Santa Croce basilica dizzy before its frescoes, giving the overwhelmed-by-art faint its name.
On Via dei Neri, All'Antico Vinaio (going since the 60s) serves giant schiacciata sandwiches elbow-to-elbow with locals.
Spring (April-June) and early autumn (September-October) are the best seasons: mild temperatures and beautiful light. Summer is very hot and crowded. Florence is best explored almost entirely on foot, as the centre is compact and largely pedestrianised; the tram mainly serves the airport and outskirts. Tip: book your Uffizi and Accademia tickets online well in advance. As for connectivity, 4G/5G mobile coverage is excellent across the city, and many cafes, museums and hotels offer free wifi, handy for downloading maps and tickets.