How do you spend a weekend in the Italian city of Florence? With my insider tips - perfect! From the best located hotel, to the tastiest restaurant, most beautiful walk and museums without queuing. Here you will find everything you need to know!
He's the perfect man as he stands there - cool, muscular with his slingshot casually thrown over his shoulder, his gaze thoughtfully directed into the distance...
For over 500 years it has given Florentines the courage to defy various opponents and to call themselves “Firenze–la Bella” (Florence–the Beautiful) with a proudly swollen chest. It's high time to spend a weekend with the good-looking and the beautiful.
But the traveler be warned: he will not be the only one who has this idea. Florence is busy with tourists at any time of year or day.
But here's the trick: with a little planning you can cleverly avoid the rush
A centrally located, but still beautiful accommodation has many advantages - especially that you can relax from the hustle and bustle for an hour in a beautiful ambience at lunchtime and then recharge with newfound energy to plunge back into life.
The Casa Howard Guest House (18 , Via della Scala) is a well-hidden treasure among the Bed & Breakfast accommodation in Florence. The atmosphere is great, the service is very personal and with the original decor of the guest rooms it would be difficult to leave the room if you weren't in Florence.
Click on the first picture to start the photo series:
1. Day: See the Highlights
9:00 – Whether you start your day with espresso and cornetto (croissant) or with a typical Florentine tripe roll is up to you. Just around the corner from Casa Howard is the Mercato Centrale (Piazza dell Mercato, open Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.). The large market hall, built in 1784, is an Eldorado for culinary connoisseurs. Heinrich Heine already wrote in 1828 that the displays in the stands were "... the most wonderful sight that only a person can find." be.
10:00 – The day can begin so strengthened. To avoid the long queues in front of the sights, we recommend purchasing the Firenze Card in the tourist information office (Piazza Stazione 4 ) opposite the main train station. It is valid for 72 hours and includes (one-time) entry to the most important state museums, as well as free travel on public transport. It costs €85, but two children up to the age of 18 can come along for free and they only need to make a reservation at the major museums.
10:30 – So prepared, the queues of visitors in front of the Cathedral (Duomo S. Maria del Fiore) are no problem. The mighty building, whose facade is clad in green, white and delicate pink stone, was begun in 1296 but was not finally completed until 1887. The large, eight-sided, 114.4m high dome was built by Brunelleschi between 1420 and 1434 - at that time a static and architectural masterpiece that still characterizes the city's dreamlike backdrop today. Reason enough to climb the 463 steps all the way up to the lantern. You get very close to Vasari's fresco of the Last Judgment and wind your way between the double walls to the lantern platform to be rewarded with a spectacular view over the campanile and the terracotta roofs all the way to the nearby Tuscan hills.
1:00 p.m. – After this high, it's time for a down-to-earth lunch: There are a few traditional eateries hidden in the nearby market district. The most rustic of them is the “Trattoria da Mario”. Before you actually sit down, you already have the plate of pasta in front of you. Open only for lunch (Via Rosina 2r).
You are very close to David at the Piazza della Signoria
2:30 p.m. - The light in the Piazza della Signoria is at its most beautiful in the afternoon, when the sun creeps out of the shadows of the high palaces and reveals the best-looking man in the world bright light bathes. Here David (now a copy; the original is in the Accademia) has stood in the same place for more than 500 years, guarding the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio. Over time, Michelangelo's masterpiece has been pelted with stones, damaged by a bench thrown out of a window, showered with flowers and admired in its nakedness by millions of people - but a real hero like David is left unaffected by all of this.
In the Loggia dei Lanzi right next door there are other famous sculptures such as “Perseus with the Head of Medusa” by Cellini, or the “Rape of the Sabine Women” by Giambologna. You can enjoy the atmosphere to the fullest with a cappuccino in one of the many cafés around the square.
15:30 - Thanks to the Firenze Card, you can also skip the queue at the Galleria dell'Accademia (Via Ricasoli, Tel. 055 2388609, open Tuesday to Sunday 8 :3-6:50 p.m.) over. Here you can marvel at the original David, who was brought here in 1873 from his place at the Palazzo Vecchio for his protection and sits enthroned under a dome specially built for him. Other highlights include Michelangelo's prisoners intended for the tomb of Pope Julius II; Giambologna's original sculptures for the Rape of the Sabine Women; as well as outstanding paintings from the 13th to 16th centuries. Century.
18:00 – In the setting sun, we recommend a walk along the Arno to the Trattoria Sostanza (Via della Porcellana, 25/R 50123 Firenze, +39 055 212691 ). Chagall and Steinbeck have eaten in the restaurant, which looks inconspicuous from the outside, and it is very popular with locals and tourists alike. So be sure to reserve!
Welcome to Florence's most famous museum: the Uffizi!
2. Day in Florence - Uffizi Gallery and my favourite stroll up to S. Miniato al Monte
9:00 – Put on the most comfortable shoes you have in your luggage, because we start the second day with a visit to the Uffizi Gallery (Piazzale degli Uffizi 6, Tel. 055 2388651, open Tuesday to Sunday 8:15 a.m. - 6:50 p.m.), one of the most famous art museums in the world. In 1559, Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, began implementing a long-standing plan to combine the most important ministries and offices (the so-called uffici) in one building. The third floor now houses the Galleria degli Uffizi painting collection, which focuses on works from the Italian Renaissance. You can spend hours or even days here... no matter how long you stay, don't miss the Botticelli Room with "Spring" and "Birth of Venus".
1:00 p.m. – After so much culture, you deserve a break. Just around the corner is All'Antico Vinaio (Via dei Neri 74, Tel +39 055 238 2723) a small, original shop with the best focaccia in Florence. Fresh bread and delicious ingredients such as salami, rocket, eggplant, tomatoes, mozzarella, pecorino cream or truffles. Get your sandwich packed, buy a bottle of wine and head to the Giardino di Boboli (open 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in winter). You will pass the Ponte Vecchio. The Ladenbrücke is world famous for its goldsmith shops. To save time, we leave the Palazzo Pitti on the left and go straight into the adjacent garden - it is one of the most beautiful city parks in Europe. Here in the shady avenues, between the refreshing fountains, the green meadows invite you to a well-deserved picnic.
My favorite walk to the monastery church of S. Miniato al Monte
5:30 p.m. - Stroll up the mountain to Fort Belvedere, which unfortunately is no longer open. From there you walk along the city walls to the monastery church of S. Miniato al Monte (open daily 8:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m., shorter in winter). The mosaic in the white marble facade shines from afar - one of the most beautiful of the Tuscan Romanesque. Plan your visit so that you reach the slightly lower Piazzale Michelangelo shortly before sunset. Here you can admire David cast in bronze.
Shortly before sunset – At the left end a staircase leads to a terrace decorated with flowers. Here, the Vip's Bar is the perfect location for a drink with a view of the sunset about Florence. Anyone who hasn't yet fallen in love with the beautiful man (David) and the beautiful woman (Florence) can't be helped.
Further information:
Email: info@firenzeturismo.it
Internet: www.firenzeturismo.it (English and German)
Arrival:
Lufthansa flies directly from Frankfurt to Florence several times a day.
Cheaper offers are usually available from Ryanair (www.ryanair.com/de) to Pisa and then take the shuttle train directly to Florence city center. The train runs every hour and takes 70 minutes
Sleeping:
Casa Howard
18, Via della Scala, +39 06 6992 4555, email: info@casahoward.it, www. casahoward.com, Tel +39 06 6992 4555
Double room from 150€, breakfast 8€
Food:
For locals and tourists, Trattoria Sostanza (Via della Porcellana, 25/R 50123 Firenze, +39 055 212691) very popular, so be sure to reserve.
All'Antico Vinaio ( Via dei Neri 74, Tel +39 055 238 2723) a small, original shop with the best focaccia in Florence. Fresh bread and delicious ingredients such as salami, rocket, eggplant, tomatoes, mozzarella, pecorino cream or truffles. There is also a glass of wine for €2 - but almost no seating. That's why it's best to take the sandwich with you as a picnic...