Experience Florence: art, history and Italian city life

Florence: historic centre and lively routes

The historic centre of Florence covers 505 hectares and is considered a unique social and urban work, shaped by long-lasting creativity. At the same time, it had a major influence on the development of architecture and the visual arts, first in Italy and subsequently in Europe. If you choose Florence for a cultural trip, you will therefore encounter not only individual sights, but also a historic urban space with its own distinctive design impact.

Art between the Renaissance and the present day in the collections

The Galleria dell’Accademia displays Michelangelo’s four Prigioni. Michelangelo’s David was moved from Piazza della Signoria to the Galleria dell’Accademia in August 1873. The Musei del Bargello comprise five independent institutions and together form a multifaceted museum complex dedicated to Florentine art and history before, during and after the Renaissance. At the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, more than 750 works spanning over 720 years of history await you. These different institutions offer several ways to approach Florence: through individual masterpieces, through a wide-ranging museum history or through the development of architecture and the visual arts.

Boboli Gardens, the Arno and finding your way around the city

The Boboli Gardens are an open-air museum with ancient and Renaissance sculptures. The Medici shaped their design and thereby created the Italian garden style that served as a model for many European courts. Four entrances are available for orientation: at Piazza Pitti, via the Annalena entrance at Via Romana 37/A, at Forte Belvedere and at Porta Romana.

On foot, by bike and among greenery

Santa Croce offers guided tours with its own staff as well as an audio guide for independent visits. From Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station, Santa Croce can be reached on foot through the historic centre in around 20 minutes. The station is located in the city centre, five minutes’ walk from the cathedral. For active breaks, Parco delle Cascine is used by locals and visitors for sports, walking and relaxation. Florence’s Bicipolitana helps visitors discover cycle paths in the city, in parks and along the riverbanks.

Markets and typical dishes

The covered Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio houses food shops and opened in 1873. At the small trattorias at Mercato Centrale, you can sample various typical dishes.

Planning Florence to suit your trip

When choosing your accommodation in Florence, you can focus on your personal interests: art and history, gardens and movement, or markets and typical dishes. For practical orientation, Feel Florence is the official tourism website and app of the city of Florence and the Metropolitan City of Florence. This allows you to incorporate the city’s different facets into your individual travel plans in a targeted way.

Further places for planning your regional Florence trip

Castelfiorentino, Cerreto Guidi, Empoli, Firenzuola, Fucecchio, Gambassi Terme, Londa, Marradi, Montaione, Palazzuolo Sul Senio, Reggello, Montespertoli, Vinci, Barberino Val D'elsa, Certaldo, Figline Valdarno, Greve In Chianti, Bagno A Ripoli, Borgo San Lorenzo, Calenzano, Dicomano, Florence, Impruneta, Montelupo Fiorentino, Pelago, Pontassieve, Rignano Sull'arno, Rufina, San Casciano In Val Di Pesa, Scandicci, Sesto Fiorentino, Barberino Di Mugello, San Godenzo, Scarperia, Vicchio, Fiesole, Lastra A Signa, Tavarnelle Val Di Pesa, Signa, Campi Bisenzio, Incisa In Val D'arno, Capraia E Limite, Vaglia, Montecarelli, Petrognano, Il Castagno D'Andrea, Marliano, San Pierino, Meleto, Spedaletto, Linari, Bassa, Limite, Lazzeretto, Polcanto, Pian De' Cerri, Le Vedute, Sant'Ansano, Pastine, Antella, Monterappoli, San Mauro, Pinete, Gaville, Ostina, Fontanella, Leccio, Gavena, Turignano, Chiocchio, Polvereto, Marcoiano, San Piero a Sieve, Paterno, Legri, Marcignana, Romita, Le Quattro Strade, Sambuca, Gigliola, Montefioralle, Massarella.

To the overarching travel overview: Tuscany.