Florence is the capital of the Tuscany region of Italy. It houses some of the most iconic buildings from Renaissance and is admired widely for its architecture. You will love getting lost in its streets and its old world charm.
Towards the end, I will also talk about a day trip to Pisa. Read on!
How To Reach Florence
Venice was the city I first landed in, in Italy. After spending two days in Venice, I continued on to Florence, which is a 2.5 – 3 hour bus ride from Venice. You can choose to go by bus, train or even rent a car to drive down. I went by the Flix Bus.
Quick Tip: Flix Bus is very well connected and is light on the pocket.
Where To Stay
Staying in Florence is a slightly expensive affair. Hostel options are limited in the city area, there are mostly hotels. I found a very comfortable Airbnb in the Tuscan countryside. It was a large well furnished house with all the amenities. I got it for a very reasonable price.
Getting Around In Florence
Florence is a small city, so I rented a car to go around. ‘Santa Maria Novella’ is the major train station where all car rentals are located. There is also a good network of buses in the city.
Must See In Florence
It is a wonderful experience just being on foot and walking around the city. You will get a feeling of grandness that comes from being in a historic city.
The historic centre of Florence houses the Piazza del Duomo, the iconic red domed Florence Cathedral and Bapistry. It is one of Italy’s largest churches and the dome is among the largest in the world. The architecture is grand and majestic. The Bapistry is a minor basilica and has a very interesting octogonal shape. It is also one of the oldest buildings in Florence.
Next, I headed to Ponte Vecchio. It is a medieval stone arch bridge, and the area is lined with jewellery shops. While there also visit Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi gallery and Michelangelo’s David.
Once you have taken in the architectural marvels of Florence, there is no better way to end the day than watching the sun setting over a panoramic view of the city from Michelangelo’s Square. The view is truly breathtaking and left me speechless. It is one of the most beautiful sights.
Food and Shopping
In the plaza area of the Cathedral, the streets are lined with shops selling everything from bags to clothes to souvenirs. While you start looking around, enjoy Italian cuisine at a roadside bistro or listen to musicians playing on the streets.
Quick Tip: This is a pick-pocket prone area, watch out for your belongings.
Have wine and spaghetti and don’t forget to try the exotic gelato flavours at a gelateria; Italy will never leave you hungry.
Day Trip To Pisa
Pisa is a drive of about an hour and a half from Florence. Pisa is a city of churches but the most important attraction is the Leaning Tower.
Interestingly, Pisa lies very close to the coast. I decided to skip some of the other attractions in Pisa and drove down from the Leaning Tower to beach area. There I spent the rest of my evening watching the sun setting over the waves with some wine and food.
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