Florence Tourism

Florence definitely sports a lot when it comes to art, shopping, palaces, and food. But it is important to realize that Florence is a city that also comes with an amazing nightlife. You won’t be returning to your hotel, villa, farmhouse, or hostel early. You may as well make plans to stay out late.

How do you discover this night life when it isn’t really that evident during the day?

Well, all you have to do is take a walk after dark.

The first place to head to is the Santa Novella Maria area. La Rotonda may seem like just a pizzeria, but what you will find is that it is a hangout and a place for live music.

Cappocaccia is another hot spot when you want some amazing cocktails. You’ll find it in the Duomo right along the river. This is a place where you can dress to impress and take a look at some of the best looking locals you can lay your eyes on. Overall, however, it is rather laid back.

If you want something with more of a Moroccan fusion style, Sesamie is a great place to go. You can lounge around and have a great time. The Rex Café is also a great place to hang out and enjoy its mosaic walls.

But if you really want to get into the contemporary nightlife of Florence, you will have to visit the area of the city where tourists don’t tend to go. This means going to an area where famous attractions such as the Uffizi are not around. If you go further down the river, you will find such hotspots as the Rifrullo Terrace bar. Club Montecarla is also a hot spot that consists of three whole floors.

So make sure you take advantage of all that Florence has to offer during the day and night.

When traveling to Florence there are plenty of sites to see, but there are four that you should pay special attention to…unless they are not your cup of tea, but they are hard to not visit.

Here are those sites:

• The Duomo – You will find the Duomo in the Piazza Dumono. This is an area that is younger than some of the other areas of Florence because it was founded in 1891. You’ll be able to come to the Duomo and see the many changes that the city has gone through throughout the years. The changes are quite vast in some areas but not so much in others. These are portrayed in the way of sculptures. You may find that this is quite fascinating because that is the point when you really realize what sort of city you are visiting.

• The Ponte Vecchio – This medieval bridge can be found expanding over the Arno River. A lot of activities take place along the river and around this bridge. You can find gardens where you can picnic, as well as other activities. You’ll also find shops built into the bridge. This is something that was common in the old days. The bridge also has an interesting history that starts in 1117 and consists of rebuilds in 1333 and the last rebuild being in 1345.

• The Uffizi gallery – The Uffizi is the most popular gallery in Florence and is one that comes with long lines. It is best that you make reservations in advance so that you can see the great works by Michelangelo and many other Renaissance artists.

• The Palazzo Pitti – The Medici family once lived in this giant home. It is now the entrance to the Boboli Gardens and has give museums within it. You’ll find that many of the rooms have the original furniture owned by the Medici family. This is fascinating, considering the Medicis are responsible for a lot of things that occurred during the Renaissance era.

Planning on visiting Florence? Or maybe you have thought about it and you’re not so sure about seeing the Renaissance capital of Italy.

Either way, the Uffizi Gallery enables you to travel back to the 13th century to see artwork done by the masters of Italy. You can stand within the auras of works created by Michelangelo, Raphael, Giotto, and Bernini. It is literally like traveling through time. It is very gothic and very medieval all at the same time, which is great. This just shows how Florence has stayed with its roots.

So what can you expect?

Expect to get up early. You may want to be at the gallery at around 8:30 on your first day in Florence. However, make sure you make a reservation because if you don’t you will not see what the gallery has to hold. You can expect the line to get into the Uffizi gallery to be a mile long and not everyone gets to go in. Without a reservation, being in the line can consume 2 to 3 hours of your day. With a reservation, you don’t have to mess with all of that. You could find yourself inside in less than 5 minutes.

So what makes the Uffizi Gallery special, other than the artwork? Well, this is a gallery that was established by the Medici in 1581. However, it was originally commissioned in 1560 by Cosimo I. The design was by Georgio Vasari. However, despite all of this, it wasn’t until 1765 that the gallery was opened to the public.

So when you step inside, you have to climb three staircases where you are greeted by the busts of the prominent members of the Medici family. This is your first taste of how influential the Medicis were in the Tuscan region. From there, you will begin your tour and your breath will be taken away. Even if you don’t have an appreciation for art, you will be amazed at how well this place takes you back in time and educates you on how incredibly amazing it is that you are there.

Florence, Italy is also called the “Rome Light” because of the art and the fact that it was the ruling ground of the Medicis. At the same time, the city is modernly influenced.

When looking at Florence, you will see the great architecture. There are many places in the world with great architecture, but Florence takes the cake because it is unique and the history behind it is rather incredible. There are buildings that are to this day still being worked on. They have been in the building process for centuries. Not only does this mean the buildings change in appearance, but they are going to be around for many more years to come.

But something that may bring the “light” to your life is the shopping.

When you head over to the Santa Maria Novella Church, you have hit the ritzy part of the city. If you’re ready to pay the big bucks, you will find that this is where to do it. The high end shops are here and so are the big name fashion houses that you hear a lot about. If you’re a Versace fan, then this is where you are going to see it all first hand.

You also need to take a look at the Basso Fortress. This is an antique structure that has been turned into a modern convention center. It is quite amazing a transformation.

For when you don’t want to spend a lot of cash, you’ll need to head the direction of the Santo Spirito Oltrarano. There are many cafes located in this area and you’ll also find the Boboli Gardens, which are very beautiful. You can spend some quiet time here, enjoying the scenery. The walkways, the gardens, and the fountains make for an incredible sight.

So make sure you do these things and that you enjoy the “Rome Light” to its fullest.

The entire country of Italy is known for its incredible culture. That is why you need to get out of your comfortable hotel or apartment and check out the sites while visiting Florence. It can be rather tempting to stay in and enjoy the wonderful accommodations, but there is so much to Florence that you won’t know what to do with yourself.

You will find palaces, castles, cathedrals, museums, and so much more when you are walking around Florence. There is no need for a car when everything you need to see is close to one another. Take off on foot, get some exercise, and see some great things. You can go back to your hotel or apartment and rest a while before going and seeing even more of the city.

But something you will find about the many attractions in Florence…they are very, very old. This means you are literally looking at the past. And some of the structures are still under construction in a way. You’ll find that there are buildings that have been in the construction process for almost 1,000 years or more.

And make sure you stay more than just a weekend or a few days. Although everything is within walking distance, there is plenty of food and shops for you to check out. You will get to see artwork by Michelangelo, such as his famous “David.”

And you can even go outside the city into the rest of the Tuscan region so that you can experience even more of Italy. For instance, you can go on a wine tour in Chianti. You can even head over to Pisa and see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. You can then head over to Siena and see some great sights there as well. And don’t forget that you can have a panoramic view of Florence right outside the city in a beautiful park. That is always worth taking your camera for a gander.