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Every guide on this site, each one a written page with the places attached. Pick what you actually want to do.
Nice places to eat in Florence
Small, good-looking places to eat in Florence that are worth the walk. Bakeries, bistrots and gardens, all visited in person.
do some outdoor activitiesOutdoor things to do in Florence
Rafting, kayaking, running and walking routes in and around Florence, on the river and in the hills.
places with an old soulOld trattorias in Florence that have not changed
Family-run trattorias and wine counters in Florence, most of them decades old, where the room and the menu have stayed as they were.
hide from the crowdWhere to escape the crowds in Florence
The quietest places in central Florence are the hillside gardens on the south bank and the courtyards attached to churches. Giardino Bardini, Giardino delle Rose and San Miniato al Monte all sit within a twenty minute walk of Ponte Vecchio and hold a fraction of the crowd.
enjoy the viewEvery viewpoint in Florence, ranked by the climb
San Miniato al Monte has the best view in Florence and it is free. The Giardino delle Rose, one terrace below Piazzale Michelangelo, is the quietest. The Piazzale itself has the postcard version and the crowd that goes with it.
night heart of the cityWhere the city actually goes at night in Florence
Bars and squares in Santo Spirito, Sant'Ambrogio and around Via Gioberti where the crowd after ten is mostly Florentine.
aperitivoWhere to have an aperitivo in Florence
Aperitivo in Florence runs roughly from six to nine. It ranges from a three euro glass of wine drunk standing in the street to a rooftop with a view of the Duomo, and the good versions are rarely the ones with a buffet.
pizza worth crossing town forThe best pizza in Florence, and which one to choose
Neapolitan, sourdough and by the slice. Which pizzeria fits which kind of evening in Florence.
real gelato, not the coloured stuffHow to tell real gelato in Florence from the tourist stuff
Real gelato sits flat in covered metal tins, not piled into pink and green mountains. The banana is grey, not yellow. The pistachio is dull khaki, not mint green. Anything mounded up and glowing has been stabilised to hold that shape.
eat like a local for under 10 euroWhere Florentines eat in Florence for under 10 euro
Street carts, market counters and window bars where lunch costs less than a museum ticket.
drink wine somewhere realWhere to drink wine in Florence without the tourist markup
Small wine bars in Florence pouring producers you will not find in the centre, including two minutes from Ponte Vecchio.
see art without queueingHow to see art in Florence without queueing
Museums, cloisters and painted refectories in Florence that hold major work and almost no visitors.
by the riverThe Arno, and everything worth doing along it
River beaches, riverside clubs, bridges and parks along the Arno in Florence.
pools in the citySwimming pools in Florence, and which one to pick
Municipal and park pools in Florence, what each one is for, and where to go when it hits thirty eight degrees.
to do with kidsWhat to do in Florence with children
Museums that were built for children rather than adapted for them, the gardens Florentine families actually use, and the stretch of the Arno you can get onto.
a bit out of the cityDay trips a bit out of Florence
Hills, waterfalls, farmhouse kitchens and hillside trattorias within an easy trip from Florence.
modern cafes to work atWhich cafes in Florence let you work on a laptop
In most Florentine bars, no. Laptops are tolerated in a small set of places, and outside them expect to be asked to close it at lunch. Power sockets are the real constraint: almost nowhere has enough, so arrive charged.