Location: Florence
Top Things to do in Florence
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What to do and see in Florence, Tuscany: The Best Things to do Good for Kids
Florence is an art historian’s dream. The Galleria dell'Accademia bursts with works by Michelangelo, who is entombed within the frescoed walls of the Basilica di Santa Croce. Budding photographers can snap pics of the Ponte Vecchio bridge, and serious shoppers can spend a blissful afternoon wandering the shops of Piazza Santo Spirito. Tuscan cuisine pays homage to the region’s bounty. Swipe a hunk of crusty bread across a pool of local olive oil and you’ll be instantly transported to your happiest place.
Restaurants in Florence
1. Ars et Fides Firenze
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 380 reviews
Reviewed By N4156PHbillb - Pueblo, United States
This was our first stop after departing the train station and it was truly impressive. There is an entrance fee but it was very reasonable. The crowds head to the Duomo so we spent a significant amount of time viewing the paintings and art. The museum is small but nice. The alter is incredible. They have some restoration underway and it appears they had already completed many areas making the pieces incredibly vivid. A place we would return as the Gothic design is incredible and the pieces are more impressive than the Duomo.
2. Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,355 reviews
For preservation purposes, many significant works have been moved from the Duomo to this nearby museum.
Reviewed By PRS48 - Brisbane, Australia
Not to be missed! The main room on the ground floor contains Ghiberti's original bronze doors of the baptistery as well as the statues which adorned the medieval facade of the cathedral. A visit here is a logical step after seeing the interior of the Duomo and the museum has relatively short queues, especially as it opens at 9 a.m.
3. Ponte Vecchio
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 20,586 reviews
Erected during Roman times, this is the most ancient and photographed bridge in Florence, which is characterized by three arches and two wide arcades on each side housing the famous and unusual "botteghe" or shops.
Reviewed By MaggieBtravels
The Ponte Vecchio is a must see when in Florence. Crossing the bridge itself is interesting, if only for the crowds of people, the history, and the path that leads to new streets to explore. The real beauty of the old bridge though is in a stroll along the Arno, especially at night to take advantage of the incredible reflections, to view the bridge from along the river.
4. Mercato Centrale
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 15,896 reviews
Open-air market that has a cast-iron structure dating back to 1874, which offers a variety of food shops catering to local residents and restaurants.
Reviewed By ZahidMalti - London, United Kingdom
Amazing space with a vibrant market in the ground floor with a wonderful range foods and a foodie heaven on the first floor with a fabulous range of cafes, restaurants and bars. Definitely worth visiting for the market treats and the fantastic food outlets.
5. Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 271 reviews
Historical center of Florence features Sant'Ambrogio, one of the first religious buildings to be built in Florence.
Reviewed By GathererHunter - Menlo Park, United States
We came to the indoor market to eat lunch at Trattoria da Rocco, which was great! After our meal we walked through the indoor and outdoor markets, full of shops selling fresh meat, cheese, seafood, pasta, and produce. We bought some excellent fresh ravioli from Botteghina Dell’Agusta, and had a wonderful experience here. The ravioli of buffalo mozzarella and porcini mushrooms was fantastic and we fixed this for dinner the same day we purchased it. A very friendly lady helped us easily, between our mediocre Italian and her broken English, it was an easy transaction. Outside there was lots to walk through and around- a wonderful break from touristy Florence, and just far enough off the beaten path.
6. Museo Galileo - Institute and Museum of the History of Science
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,280 reviews
Housed in an old palace that was restored in the mid-1800s, this science museum houses an impressive collection of scientific instruments dating from the 13th century.
Reviewed By SelinaF_01 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
What a fascinating museum and welcome respite from art gallery overdose! The videos that further elaborated some of the exhibits were really interesting and educational (not to mention hypnotic)... we sat and watched quite a few. Amazing telescopes, Galileo’s actual middle finger, Peter Leopold’s chemistry cabinet, ancient globes, anatomical models - a dizzying array of exhibits that ensure this museum really packs a punch!
7. Piazza del Duomo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 22,224 reviews
This large city square contains the Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore, the third largest cathedral in the world after St. Peter's in Rome and St. Paul's in London.
Reviewed By andrewjA7047IT - Newark, United States
This was a simply breathtaking stop on our tour of northern Italy. I had seen pictures of the cathedral of Florence and knew a bit of the history, but nothing could have prepared me for seeing it in person. The structure is simply massive and incredibly ornate. The detail of marble on the outside is magnificent and the fresco on the grand dome on the inside is awe-inspiring. This is a must see!
8. Piazza della Signoria
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 16,857 reviews
Since its beginning during the Middle Ages, the Piazza della Signoria has been the political heart of the city.
Reviewed By asiyahnoemik - Pula, Croatia
The Piazza della Signoria is the main political center of the former Florence Republic, and today one of the two most famous squares in Florence. It is surrounded by sights such as Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi Gallery, Loggia dei Lanzi, which houses a statue of Perseus holding Medusa's head in his hand, and several city palaces like the Palace of the Tribunale della Mercanzia (1359) (now the Bureau of Agriculture), and the Palazzo Uguccioni (1550, with a facade attributed to Raphael). The Piazza della Signoria was the scene of great triumphs, such as the return of the Medici in 1530 as well as the Bonfire of the Vanities instigated by Savonarola, who was then himself burned at the stake here in 1498 after he was denounced by the Inquisition as a heretic. A marble circle inscription on the piazza shows the location where he was burned. There is also a monument to the Duke of Florence, Cosimo I.(Giambologna's equestrian statue of Duke Cosimo I (1595) is an elegant portrait of the man who brought all of Tuscany under Medici military rule), the Neptune Fountain, and a magnificent sculpture of Michelangelo's David (which is become one of the most recognized works of Renaissance sculpture, a symbol of strength and youthful beauty), which is actually a copy, while the original is kept in the Academy (Galleria dell'Accademia), Bandinelli's sculptures of Hercules and Cacus (1534) to the right of the David was appropriated by the Medici to show their physical power after their return from exile. The square is named after the Palazzo della Signoria, which is another name for the Palazzo Vecchio, the 'old palace', which is also the city hall. The construction of the palace began at the end of the 13th century, and was adorned with the shape of a real fortress with a prominent tower, which wanted to show the importance and power of the then Republic. In the past, the bell inside the tower called for citizens to gather when threatened by fire, flood or enemy attack. The feeling is wonderful when we look at these wonderful palaces, sculptures and when we know the history of this beautiful square.
9. Centro Storico
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5,165 reviews
That part of Florence situated between Piazza San Marco, Piazza Santa Maria Novella, Santa Croce, and Santo Spirito, filled with up-scale and expensive shops.
Reviewed By asiyahnoemik - Pula, Croatia
Dante Alighieri's fantastic verses describe all the beauty of Florence. “E come l’volger del ciel della luna / cuopre e riscopre i liti sanza posa, / così fa di Fiorenza la Fortuna: / per che non dee parer mirabil cosa / ciò ch’io dirò delli alti Fiorentini / onde è la fama nel tempo nascosa.” (Dante Alighieri). "And as he loved the moonlit sky / covering and rediscovering it, he doesn't argue / so does Fortune's Fiorenza: / for which it doesn't seem miraculous / what shall I say about the high Florentines / waves of hidden time." (Dante Alighieri). The fantastic Florence was built at an Etruscan settlement and at the subsequent ancient Roman colony, Florentia (founded in 59 BC). This Tuscan city became one of the symbols of the Renaissance during the early Medici period (between the 15th and 16th centuries), reaching extraordinary levels of economic and cultural development. The Historic Center of Florence brings an exceptional testimony, both as a merchant city of the Middle Ages and as a Renaissance city. The 700 years of extraordinary cultural and artistic flourishing in Florence are clearly visible in the fourteenth-century cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, in the Church of Santa Croce, in the Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi Gallery and the Pitti Palace.The history of the city is even more evident in the works of art of great masters such as Giotto, Brunelleschi, Botticelli and Michelangelo. The historic center of Florence can be perceived as a center of singular social and urban relevance, the result of a persistent and lasting creativity that affects museums, churches, palaces and works of art of immeasurable value. Florence has preserved intact streets, fortified buildings ( Palazzo Strozzi, Palazzo Spini, Palazzo del Podestà, Palazzo della Signoria), loggias (Loggia del Bigallo, Loggia dei Lanzi, Loggia degli Innocenti and Mercato Nuovo), fountains and Ponte Vecchio, the wonderful 14th century bridge century lined with shops. The trades, organized in guilds, have left exceptional monuments such as Orsanmichele. From the fourteenth to the seventeenth century Florence exercised strong economic and political power in Europe. During this period, prestigious buildings were built that testify to the magnificence of its bankers and its principles: Palazzo Rucellai, Palazzo Strozzi, Palazzo Gondi, Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, Palazzo Pandolfini, Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens, not to mention the Sacristy of San Lorenzo, the Medici funeral chapels, the Laurentian Library and others.
10. Battistero di San Giovanni
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,408 reviews
A beautiful building best known for its elaborately sculpted doors by Lorenzo Ghiberti.
Reviewed By the_Devilyn - Surrey, United Kingdom
Get the combined ticket for the 4 main attractions and take some time to appreciate the atmosphere in the Battisterio. There's currently some restoration work going on so quite a bit of the walls is covered but you can still see the golden mosaic ceiling and also get a rare glimpse into the restoration work.
