Around Florence in One Day

Our much-anticipated trip to Italy started off with a day trip to Florence; the cradle of the Renaissance. I have been dreaming of visiting this magnificent city since forever and I finally ticked it off my bucket list!

Below I’ll go through all the activities you can fit into just one day in this stunning Italian city.

Stopping at Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station, our first stop was the church of Santa Maria Novella (big surprise!) which is considered as the first great basilica in Florence. Considering the train station is named after it, this basilica is only a 5-minute walk away. It is not as grand as Florence’s well-known duomo but its architecture is as exquisite and as elegant.

Next, we made our way to inarguably Florence’s symbol: the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore whose exterior is so highly-decorated and full of little details that it leaves you absolutely speechless. From whichever point in Piazza del Duomo you’re admiring it from, I can guarantee you that it’s going to be super hard to take your eyes off it. Right next to it lies Giotto’s Bell Tower which blends perfectly with the cathedral.

 

If you have the luxury of spending more than a day in Florence, I suggest going up either the duomo’s dome or Giotto’s Bell Tower (right next to the duomo) for spectacular views of the city. However, just as I mentioned in my Roma blog post about the dome of the Vatican(https://thegirlontheplaneweb.wordpress.com/2016/12/01/how-to-fit-all-of-romes-major-attractions-in-48-hours/) , think twice before going up if 1) you’re claustrophobic, 2) afraid of heights or 3) suffer from a heart condition (at least that’s what I read online!).

Before you leave Piazza del Duomo, if you feel like satisfying your sweet tooth, pay a visit to Magnum’s official store and get your own personalised ice-cream!

The next piazza on our agenda was Piazza della Repubblica which is distinguished from other Florentine squares by its huge arch and surrounding restaurants and cafeterias. A beautiful carousel was situated in the middle of the square whilst we were there, which made the square the more magical and prettier.

A place worth visiting in this square is the fifth floor of La Rinascente department store which is home to a casual restaurant situated on a terrace overlooking a stunning view of Florence’s duomo. Up there we enjoyed an Aperol Spritz until the duomo’s bells started to chime reminding us it’s time for lunch!

For lunch, we ate at a cute little restaurant called Dante e Beatrice (who doesn’t love a little bit of Dante?!), where I enjoyed a delicious dish of spaghetti alla carbonara. However, if you’re into meat, you shouldn’t leave Florence without trying out a traditional bistecca fiorentina. Anyways, after lunch, we made our way to Piazza della Signoria, which is home to Palazzo Vecchio and also to a replica of Michelangelo’s David.

My favourite part of every major European city is the part through which the river flows because I am always urged to stop for a moment and reflect on the city’s greatness and with this regard, Florence is no exception. The River Arno flows through Florence and Florence’s most famous bridge is undoubtedly Ponte Vecchio. Interestingly enough (and thankfully!), during World War II, this was the only bridge which was not destroyed by the Germans. This bridge is well-known for being home to various jewellers’ shops, which historically were shops of all kinds, from butchers to fishmongers to tanners. However, it was in 1593 that only jewellers’ shop were allowed on the bridge; a decision which undoubtedly gave birth to the bridge’s prestige.

After crossing the bridge, after a 20 minutes’ walk (and a hell lot of cardio), we arrived in Piazzale Michelangelo, which is an elevated square allowing visitors to enjoy breath-taking panoramic views of Florence and its bridges.

This area is the perfect place to have some rest after all that walking around the city. Indeed, we couldn’t have found a more peaceful bench!

Our last stop, on our way back to the city centre, was the Uffizi Gallery, which is situated right next to Ponte Vecchio. Having had the time to refresh our minds at Piazzale Michelangelo, this was the perfect afternoon activity and probably going there at 5pm was ideal as it was not very crowded. The masterpiece everyone seeks when in this gallery is Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. However, other painters whose artworks may be found here are Giotto, Titian, Michelangelo, Raphael and Caravaggio.

Take note that the gallery is not open on Mondays and opening hours for Tuesday to Sunday are 08.15-18.50. For information regarding ticket prices, you can visit the official website where you can buy tickets from: http://www.b-ticket.com/b-ticket/uffizi/venue.aspx

 

So get your comfty shoes on and get ready for a day of fascinating history, rich culture, impressive architecture and above all, timeless beauty. That’s Florence for you!

 

All photos belong to me 🙂