Things to do in Florence
Finding the best shops, bars, restaurants, amenities and other secrets
The historic centre of Florence is compact, traffic free and easy to navigate. For this reason our walk starts and finishes in the centre but focuses on the beautiful but less visited outer quarters. It has been carefully designed to quickly orientate you to the best amenities, shops, bars, sights and monuments. Like all of our walks it includes viewing points, coffee and ice cream stops, restaurants and food markets. The walk takes about three hours including the stunning viewing point at Piazzale Michelangelo.
The walk begins in Piazza della Signoria, Florence's main civic square. Centre stage is the fortress-like town hall, Palazzo Vecchio (fourteenth century). Facing the Palazzo, to your right is the elegant Loggia dei Lanzi filled with statues. In one corner of the Loggia is the bronze Perseus by Cellini, holding Medusa's severed head. In the other corner is Giambologna's The Rape of the Sabine Woman. The Uffizi gallery is between the town hall and the River Arno. In the centre of the piazza is the equestrian statue of Cosimo I, next to Neptune 's fountain.
Leave the piazza via the narrow street Calimaruzza. This street is straight ahead of you if you stand in front of the Cosimo statue facing the same way as the horse. This leads to the sixteenth century loggia in Piazza del Mercato. Cross the road and walk over to the bronze statue of the wild boar Il Porcellino on your right. Sliding a coin down its shiny tongue is thought to bring good luck. Continue past this statue and down the narrow Vicolo della Seta, which is unmarked at this end. There is a small public library (Biblioteca di Palagio di Parte Guelfa) housed in a quiet eleventh century church at the end of the road on the left. The library has a selection of English books, magazines and newspapers.
Turn left out of the library. At the T-junction with Via di Terme turn right, soon passing the popular Trattoria Nella at number 19r. The road ends at Piazza di Santa Trinith with its tall Column of Justice. The road to your right is Via Tomabuoni which has Florence 's exclusive designer shops. Cross over the road to the Chiesa di Santa Trinita which has interesting fif teenth century frescoes.
Turn right out of the church and cross over Ponte Santa Trinith into the old Oltrarno district. Oltrarno refers to the districts of Florence on the south side (other = altro) of the river.
The Ponte Santa Trinita was rebuilt after being blown up in the Second World War. It has sixteenth Century statues of the four seasons on its corners and one of the best views of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence . There are also views of the tower of Piazza della Signoria and, on the other side of the river, the pretty seventeenth century bell tower of Chiesa di San Jacopo Sopr'Arno. If you want to visit the British Institute Library (via L. Guicciardini 9r) turn immediately right on the other side of the bridge. Otherwise take the next right into Via S. Spirito, opposite a corner mask fountain of an old man with bushy eyebrows and matching beard.
The high-tech delicatessen and restaurant Olio and Convivium is at number 4r. This sells a good selection of cheese and prosciutto including the excellent Cinta Senese (a rare white collared pig). There is a print shop L'Ippgrifo at number 5 which specialises in hand-made prints from engraved copperplates. At the end of the road at number 42r there is an Internet cafe. Unless you wish to visit any of these shops take the first left into Via D. Prestodi S. Martino. This leads into the pretty Piazza S. Spirito.
Piazza S. Spirito is a peaceful, tree-lined square with outdoor cafes, a fountain and a lively antique market on the second Sunday of the month (09.00-19.00). When the market it open try the necci, a chestnut flour pancake served with fresh ricotta and made by an elderly husband and wife team on a portable stove. The excellent Eurocentres language school is at number 9. If you walk to the far end of the Piazza by the statue of Cosimo and turn left into Via Mazzetta, there is another tiny public library (biblioteca pubblica) at number 10. Walk back to the church.
The big fifteenth century church of Santo Spirito looks rather plain from the outside with its eighteenth century plastered facade. Inside, however, it has 38 side altars decorated with fifteenth century paintings and sculptures and a colonnaded aisle. Turn left out of the church. There is a bespoke men's shoe maker (Roberto Ugolini) at number 17r. Walk straight into Via dei Michelozzi, cross the busy Via Maggio and continue into the sloping forecourt of Piazza dei Pitti.
Palazzo Pitti is the largest Palazzo in Florence and was started in the fifteenth century for the banker Luca Pitti in a failed attempt to top the Medici family. It houses several museums and an excellent art collection. Behind the Palazzo is the Giardino di Boboli, a large formal hillside garden. There are views across Florence from its shady avenues and it is a good place to bring a picnic. The ticket office is on the right as you face the palazzo. Entrance is free to EU citizens under 18 or over 65 and there are discounts for those 18-25 and teachers (proof is required). The excellent Accademia language school is at number 15r and the Internet café Internet Pitti is at number 7.
Coming out of the Palazzo Pitti turn right and walk along Via del Guicciardini towards Ponte Vecchio, passing tourist shops which smell of leather. Before reaching the Ponte Vecchio turn right into Piazza Santa Felicita. Pass under the Vasari Corridor (Corridoio Vasariano) which here runs from the Chiesa di Santa Felicith to Ponte Vecchio.
The Vasari Corridor links the Palazzo Pitti with Palazzo Vecchio. It was built by Vasari in the sixteenth century to allow the Medici family to move about without mixing with the public. The corridor also gave access to the Chiesa di Santa Felicita, via a grate at the back of the church, enabling them to attend mass. It is possible to access the corridor via the Uffizi Gallery but this should be booked in advance. The exact opening dates are at the discretion of the sovrintendenza (part of the Ministry of Culture) who keep everyone guessing. Coming up with a good reason to visit can increase your chances of getting in. It is usually open from June-December.
On the other side of the corridor is the secluded Piazza dei Rossi. The Le Volpi e L'Uva enoteca has a good selection of wines by the glass and plates of local cheese and salami. Turn left out of the enoteca and walk up Via Stracciatella. Turn left at the end of the road into Costa del Pozza and first right into Vicolo del Canneto. This road bends around to the river with views across to the Ufizzi. Turn right and walk along the river on Lungarno Torrigiani. There are views through the arches of the Uffizi to the copy of Michelangelo's David in the Piazza della Signori where the walk started. To the left there are views of the Ponte Vecchio.
Just before the first bridge, Ponte alle Grazie, you pass a small shaded piazza on the right which overlooks the river. This has a pretty church, Chiesa Evangelica Luterana (1901) which was founded by the first German speaking Lutheran community in Florence . About 20 metres beyond the bridge on the right-hand side of the road there is a bus stop from which the number 13 goes to the viewing point, Piazzale Michelangelo. If you are walking (worth the effort) turn right at the bridge into Piazza de Mozzi and then first left into Via de'Renai. Just beyond the tree-lined park turn right into Via dell'olmo and walk alongside the church of San Niccolo Oltramo . At the bottom of the road turn left into Via S. Niccolo. On the wall of the church above the small wooden door on the left is a plaque showing the water level from the devastating 1966 flood. Continue along Via S. Niccolo, which has a number of interesting shops. At number 60r is the award winning osteria Antica Mescita San Niccolo, there is a butcher at number 56r, a dry cleaners at number 50r, a baker at number 43r and a nail bar at number 35r. At the far end of the road is Piazza Poggi with its fortified tower. From here bear right and walk up the hill. Follow this road which becomes a path and zigzags through a shady park to Piazzale Michelangelo. This is the best viewpoint of Florence.
Retrace your steps to the Ponte alle Grazie Bridge, cross over and turn right to walk along the river on the other side. There are views up to Piazzale Michaelangelo on the hill. Take the second left into Piazza dei Cavalleggeri and turn left again to walk around the National Library, Biblioteca Nazionale, with its carved white marble faces. Take the first right into Via Antonio Magliabech which soon leads into Piazza Santa Croce. Here, the heated football match Gioco del Calcio Storico is played in the last week in June (St Johns week). Teams representing the four quartieri of Florence dress up in medieval costume. The church of Santa Croce contains frescoes by Giotto and the tombs of many famous Florentines including Galileo and Michaelangelo.
Turn right out of the church and right again past the statue of Dante Alighieri into Largo Bargellini which merges with Via Giuseppe. Passing the Baldovino Trattoria and enoteca, turn left when you reach the church of San Giuseppe into Via delle Conce. Walk right to the end of this long narrow road, over several crossroads. Although it is rather gloomy there is a pretty garden (giardino) on the right just before the T-junction, Giardino del Palazzo Vivarelli Colonna. This is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10.00-18.00 from 1 April to 30 September. Turn left at the T junction into Via dell'Agnolo and before reaching the Wash and Dry laundrette at number 21r, take the first right into Via defMacci. Take the first right into Via Mino, which takes you into Piazza Lorenzo Ghiberti and the excellent daily covered food market of Sant Ambrogio. On the left is the teashop, La Via del te, which has a selection of teas and fresh cakes.
Turn left out of the teashop, walk to the end of the Piazza and turn left again into Via Andrea del Verrocchio. At the end of this short road turn right into Via de' Macci, passing the expensive Il Cibreo restaurant. The road comes out to Piazza S. Ambrogio. If you turned right here, along Borgo la Croce, you would pass the wood burning (forno a legna) pizza restaurant Le Campane at 85r, Dr Vranje's shop at 44r selling handmade perfumes and fragrances, a cobblers at 14r and then the large Piazza C. Beccaria with its cinema and ice cream shop (gelateria). There is a large COOP supermarket and UPIM department store on the other side of the Piazza Beccaria, in Via Vincenzo. Unless you want to walk to any of these shops, turn left into Borgo la Croce and walk straight into Via Pietra Piana and then into Piazza Ciompi.
This piazza has a daily flea market and an elegant Loggia del Pesce, with fish (pesce) carved above the arches. Continue along Via Pietra Piana, passing a post office on your left at number 53r and a Standa supermarket opposite at number 94r. Walk into Piazza Gaetano Salvemini and then down Borgo degli Albizi in the far left-hand corner. The Vestri gelateria sells reasonably priced delicious ice creams and hot chocolate. Turn left out of the gelateria and continue along Borgo degli Albizi for several rninutes. After passing Piazza Maggiore take the third left turn into Canto del Proconsolo. The Barge110 Museum, housed in an old prison, is on the left at number 4r. This museum contains Italy 's best collection of Renaissance sculpture, including Donatello's David. Turn right out of the museum onto Canto del Proconsolo and take the first left into the unmarked, narrow Via Dante Alighieri. Continue past the tenth century Badia Fiorentina abbey on your left and turn right into Via Margherita to visit the tiny church of Santa Margherita. This is where Dante first met Beatrice Portinari who inspired his poetry. Despite the piped music the church and the street have a timeless quality. After visiting the church walk back to Via Alighieri and turn right soon passing Dante's birthplace, the Casa di Dante on the left. Via Dante Alighieri becomes Via dei Tavolini. Walk straight on until you come out into the wide Via dei Calzaiuoli, turn right to walk up to the Duomo and the end of the walk.
If you still have energy it is worth walking a couple of streets north of the Duomo to the San Lorenzo district and the Mercato centrale. This is a large covered food market (open Monday to Saturday mornings). Surrounding the covered market is a bustling street market selling clothes and leather good. Try the bars around the market for a cheap coffee or lunch with the Florentines.
