In these trying Covid times we find ourselves in, even the thought of travel can seem like a distant dream. That being said it’s more important than ever we keep our spirits up and hold on to things we can look forward to when all this ends and with that in mind, we bring you a post on one of our most favorite cities in the world- FLORENCE!
Now I know what you’re thinking “of course Florence is going to be amazing,it’s in Tuscany” and every romantic movie about this magical city. While yes, there are countless amazing things to talk about, this city has so much to offer. Because there are so many magical things in the city to do, we’re going to focus this post on some of the lesser known wonders first and THEN get to the more traditional big draws (the Duomo, the Uffizi etc).
One plea we will make is….don’t do what so many tourists do and pack all of Florence into just 2 days. The greatest joys and magical moments we experienced there happened when we weren’t “doing anything” and just let the city surprise us. From a sunset picnic in a hillside rose garden to practicing our Italian on the steps of Santo Spirito Cathedral- Florence shines brightest when you give it room to breathe.
Food Experiences
Unsurprisingly, Italy has one of the most influential and vibrant food cultures in the world and Florence definitely shows this off in so many truly unique ways. From small hole in the wall cheese shops to gelaterias to pasta making classes- this city wakes your senses up and shakes your perceptions of what Italian can be.
Since our apartment was in the less tourist overrun Santo Spirito Neighborhood we fell in love with its quirky shopkeepers. One of our favorite characters was Marzio – the proprietor of Grocery Pirgher Marzio whose selection of cheeses, salumi and hilariously inappropriate jokes (in Italian) always made us laugh. This is THE PLACE to get a picnic lunch made to take to either the rose gardens or the boboli gardens. We highly recommend the spicy salamis and Tiffany’s favorite- their truffle cheeses!
Just a block down the street is Sbrino – gelatificio contadino-makers of the best gelato we’ve ever had. Yes, that’s a tall statement but Sbrino backs it up. The creaminess of the gelato is unreal and they change their flavors on the daily. We loved it so much we went there every single day of our month living in Florence. It’s that good. And yes, they did joke about us needing to pay them rent 😉
Another magical Italian invention that needs to make it stateside is Appertivo- essentially a happy hour with WAY better snacks. Many of the restaurants and bars offer some pretty incredible deals, especially in Santo Spirito. You typically have little foccaia’s, tasty olives, crackers, cheese and all manner of spreads. We would love to sit and watch the world go by at a table at Volume (or one of its neighbors) on Piazza Santa Spirito with an Aperol spritz or a nice glass of Chianti and take it all in. It’s truly one of life’s many pleasures.
Looking for an entire world of foods, cheeses, pastas, pastries, meats and more….all in one place? Then look no further than the Mercato Centrale Firenze. This incredible food market rivals any other we’ve seen (and we’ve seen A LOT). Upstairs you have an incredible food court packed with all sorts of unique cuisine from all over Italy and beyond. Looking for crispy Arancini? You got it. Tasty crispy pizza fresh from a wood burning oven? You got it. Sushi? Ya…if you’ve been eating too much pasta and need a break, then they got that too. When you’re done snacking, go downstairs where you can find a seemingly endless amount of vendors selling spices, cheeses, pastas, cured meats and more. Many will pack and/or ship it for you so you can bring some of those amazing memories home.
Want to slow it down a bit and just watch the world go by? One of my favoritest things to do was to buy a piping hot pizza from Gusta Pizza and then walk across to the street to the questionably named Asia Market (a glorified liquor store) that serves huge “to go” tumblers of Aperol Spritz. Then i’d just plunk down on the steps of Basilica Santo Spirito with my own personal happy meal and just watch the world go by. So many fantastic adventures started right there talking to locals and tourists alike.
Another unforgettable way to experience Florence that’s food related is to take a cooking class. One of the best in Florence is Majla Paoli’s pasta class at The Accidental Tourist. Majla is a passionate, hilarious lover of all things Tuscan and her class on pasta making will shatter any question of whether homemade pasta is better than store bought pasta. I met Majla swing dancing and when she invited me to take one of her classes, I jumped at the opportunity. The class begins by you being whisked by van to her family’s gorgeous home in the Tuscan hills just outside of Florence. There – over generous pours of wine- she breaks down how pasta is made, how to enhance its flavors and of course, how to make it yourself. Oh, did I mention there’s snacks too? Yup! After an afternoon cooking, you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor and take in the gorgeous farm that surrounds you. When you get home, I assure you that every time you make pasta, you’ll remember this amazing experience.
Tired of eating and drinking those amazing Italian wines? Amazing cocktails are a bit harder to find in Florence than you would expect but worry not- there are some secret hideaways that create some truly amazing craft cocktails. Our favorite hands down was Rasputin. If you’ve been a speakeasy in SF or any big city, you know the drill. Walk down an unassuming street, open up an unmarked door and you’re whisked into a sensually lit, underground palace of fancy drinking. The cocktails were hands down the best we found in Florence and is definitely worth checking out late night. Like so many speakeasies stateside, reservations are recommended.
Expat Adventures
Florence is a city that calls artists, dreamers, writers and adventures from all over the planet, so it’s not too surprising that there are a multitude of amazing expats groups in Florence. When you travel to a foreign city, connecting with other expats might not seem the first thing you want to do, we HIGHLY recommend it in Florence because it can truly change your experience. When you connect with people who live in a city, they can share with you what makes it truly magical to them and they can show you things you’d never find otherwise. During our time in Florence, we met with several groups and can highly recommend ALL of them!
The biggest is the “Foreigners in Florence” group. They meet for a happy hour each Wednesday and its a great place to meet folks, practice your Italian and get a whole new window into this amazing city. Miriam hails from Astoria Oregon and has more than enough stories about Florence to keep you entertained forever. Also if you’re staying a while, the Foreigners in Florence FB group is an awesome place to find a place or get other city specific questions answered.
Another awesome organization is the Chatroom. Basically the way it work is several nights a week they open. Their doors and whoever comes through the door, they help create an awesome chat with. Since their location is on the main drag of Santo Spirito, there’s ALWAYS people coming in and so many fun nights of adventure started with a chat with a stranger (soon to be friend) at the chatroom.
The Big Attractions
We couldn’t have a post on Florence without mentioning some of the most famous draws to Florence- The Uffizi and the Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore) and the Accademia Gallery (where the statue of David is). Now the most important thing you can do to visit ANY of these famous locations is BUY YOUR TICKETS FAR IN ADVANCE. Like, weeks before you actually set foot in Florence. The lines for any of these locations for walk ups is CRAZYPANTS. Since we were in Florence for over a month, I thought we could just waltz in when things were “quiet”- well, things really never got quiet and the average line wait for walk up is 5 HOURS. Not how you want to be spending your trip so make sure to get your tickets early!
Santa Maria del Fiore
This stunning cathedral is immediately recognizable in any picture of Florence. It’s gorgeous brick dome rises like a faberge egg above the city. It’s a true marvel of engineering that has stood the test of time (construction began in 1296!) It can easily take more than a day to explore all its recesses and as such, there are whole variety of ticket options you can buy. We HIGHLY recommend you buy a ticket for Brunelleschi’s dome. It gives you an incredible view of the cathedral from high, high up (both inside the church as well as outside). When you get to the top of the dome, you’re treated to one of the best views in the city- a truly unforgettable experience. Entrance to the cathedral is free and we highly recommend checking it out. On the optional side, If you feel like you need to hike some stairs, take a trip up Giotto’s bell tower or if you’d just like to awe at some incredible doors, check out Ghiberti’s doors to the baptistery.
The Uffizi
The one place in the world where trickle down economics actually worked….or in this case, where one family bankrolled some of the most revolutionary art the world has ever seen. Fortunately for us, you can find it in one, convenient location. I mean, you get almost all the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in one place. Ok, the whole “best of” list for the Uffizi includes Raffaello, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, and Giotto… but I digress. No matter how you approach it, the Uffizi has an incomparable amount of Renaissance art. Depending how much you love it, plan to spend at least 3-4 hours there and of course, bring comfortable shoes (you’ll be walking/standing a lot). It’s fully worth it though to finally get to see paintings you’ve probably seen a billion times in movies- only in real life. One reminder again- lines here are INSANE- don’t think you can get here early to “beat the crowds” (I tried multiple times and it was like black friday times 10 each time). Buy your tickets early.
Off the Beaten Track Things to Do
Some of our favorite memories from Florence were just wandering around the city and looking for cute stores, live music concerts and other unexpected adventures. Life can be better unplanned and Florence certainly represents in this area. Wandering around Santo Spirito during the day is an excellent way to stumble on something interesting. Later in the evening, street bands play on Ponte Vecchio and all number of adventures spill out onto the Piazza della Rupublica. Or, just try one of our favorite travelling gambits- wander though Piazza Santo Spirito, listen for someone speaking English who seems interesting and strike up a conversation. You really can’t go wrong!
In terms of museums you might not have heard of, if you’re a fan of medieval armor (or absolutely bonkers reproductions of famous historical battles), I HIGHLY recommend the Stibbert Museum. The museum is the collection of Frederick Stibbert who took his extreme inherited wealth and collected hands down one of the most over the top collections of antique armor, weapons and costumes and put them in one place. He bought two palaces and turned them into this unique museum where fully clothed mannequins wearing ancient armor re enact famous battles. Crusaders vs. Moors? You got that. Japanese Samurai battling it out? Yup, got that too. Enough swords to put your standard RPG video game to shame? You bet. It’s a museum the likes I’ve never seen before…..but only if the above sounds awesome to you 😉
PHEW! We could probably go on about Florence for many, many more pages but let’s just say, it truly is one of the most amazing cities on the planet. If you have any other questions, please let us know, we’re happy to connect you with friends and suggestions of things to check out!