Luxury hotels in Florence

Florence guide

Florence: the Uffizi, the Duomo and David

Book Brunelleschi's dome and the great museums ahead, then cross the Ponte Vecchio at dusk.

The Uffizi Gallery, with Botticelli's Birth of Venus, and the Duomo, crowned by Brunelleschi's dome, are the most cited sights in Florence, and Michelangelo's David waits at the Accademia. All use timed tickets, and the climb up the dome must be booked in advance, ideally first thing in the morning.

Cross the Ponte Vecchio at dusk, climb to Piazzale Michelangelo for the view and explore the Oltrarno's artisan workshops and the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens. The historic centre is a UNESCO site, and the Chianti hills are a short drive away.

The Pitti Palace, Boboli and the Oltrarno

The Pitti Palace, the grand residence of the Medici across the Arno, holds the Palatine Gallery with works by Raphael and Titian, and its Boboli Gardens are one of the most cited sights in Florence, with fountains, grottoes and views over the city.

The Oltrarno, the district around the palace, is home to Florence's artisans: goldsmiths, bookbinders, leather workers and frame-makers, whose workshops can be visited by appointment. Santo Spirito and its piazza are the heart of the neighbourhood.

Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato

Piazzale Michelangelo, a terrace above the Oltrarno, gives the most cited view of Florence: the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio and the bridges over the Arno, golden at sunset. The walk up through the Rose Garden or the San Niccolò steps takes about twenty minutes.

A little higher, the Romanesque basilica of San Miniato al Monte has an even quieter view, and its Olivetan monks sing Gregorian vespers in the late afternoon. Dinner in San Niccolò, below, completes the evening.