FLORENCE Economic Travel Guide
Get ready for the “Poisoning of Art”..
If you want to describe Florence in a single sentence, it would not be wrong to say that it is just the center of art history.
Florence, also known as Firenze, is the capital of the Tuscany region in Northern Italy.. This city, which was founded around the Arno River that flows through it, is known as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. This is an important place where Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, Botticelli, Michelangelo and many more important artists grew up.. Opera was found here for the first time. Florence makes a name for itself as an open-air museum with its architectural beauties, galleries, bridges, squares and museums that you will encounter every step of the way in its narrow streets.. So much so that the concept we call ‘Stendhal syndrome’, ‘Florence syndrome’ or ‘art poisoning’ was also put forward in this city.. Florence is the home of the Medici family, one of the most important families that changed the world and ever lived.
The history of Florence dates back to 59 BC, so let’s not go that far back and tire you. Let’s continue to provide useful information on your trip.. If you plan to go to Florence just to see it, 1 day will be enough for you.. However, if you want to visit galleries, museums and get lost in the depths of art history, you should spend at least 3-4 days here.
TO REACH TO FLORENCE: HOW TO BRUGGE TO GO?
To go to Florence, you must first have a valid Schengen Visa, as for all EU member states.. Those residing in Istanbul can get their transactions done from the Harbiye branch of VFS Global.. You can click here for more detailed information about Schengen visa.
By plane: 10 km from Florence city center. away from Peretola Airport, the closest airports to Florence are Pisa and Bologna Airports.
By car: By road, take the highway (A1) over Bologna from the north, and the airports of Bologna from the south. You can choose the motorway (A1) over Rome.. We strongly recommend you to experience the pleasure of making a tour of Italy by renting a car.. We had a Tuscany tour that included Pisa, Siena, Rome, Florence, Cinque-Terre and Venice in Italy with the car we rented from a German company called holidayautos.com and we were incredibly impressed both by the trip and what we saw and experienced during the trip.. You can reach our blog post that we have prepared to share our experience with you about renting a car in Europe.. We also recommend you to take a look at our special article about our Tuscany trip.
By train: ”Eurostar” or ”Intercity” trains from many European cities to Florence city center. You can reach Santa Maria Novella train station easily and with a low budget.
INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORTATION IN FLORENCE
Florence old city center is closed to vehicle entrance. It is almost impossible to find parking in the streets around the old city center.. Many places have parking restrictions and your vehicle can be towed immediately. Florence is a city with almost the narrowest streets compared to other cities in Europe.. Therefore, driving in the city will be torture for yourself anyway.. For this reason, if you do not prefer to tour the city on foot or by bike, we recommend that you get the Firenze Card, which is valid for 72 hours and can be used in public transport, as well as providing free entry to more than 30 museums.
Walk: Florence is a small place that you can easily walk from one end to the other.. All the touristic buildings, monuments, museums and churches you need to see in the city are listed on your way.. just a little warning. While navigating the streets of Florence, be very careful with electric scooters, as these very quiet vehicles are frequently used by many Florentines, and careless tourists can cause an accident with their heads in the air.
By bike: The city of Florence is ideal for cycling and exploring. Even if the hotel you are staying at does not provide bike rental service, you can choose rental bikes that you will notice at many points in the city center.. With the bikecitizens application, which you can download for free on your phone, you can either move on your own or participate in bike tours organized by companies such as bajabikes.
By public buses or trams: It is cold, rainy and either you are very tired or you are traveling with your child and they started to whine.. In such cases, you can also travel within the city by choosing public buses or using the tram.. You can reach the ATAF website where you can get information about bus routes, times and stops.. You can also use your ATAF ticket on trams.. You can find detailed information about tram services here.. Also, let’s not forget that, unlike in other cities, you may not find ATAF tickets in every newsagents and monopolies (tobacco) in Florence.
ACCOMMODATION IN FLORENCE: FLORENCE’ WHERE TO STAY ALSO?
Hotel prices in Florence are slightly more expensive than other cities. If you want to have a lower budget stay, you should stay away from the hotels around the old city center.. Hotels outside the city center will be more convenient than others. You can also get incredible discounts at some luxury 5-star hotels.. We usually track such discounts on the voyageprivee.com website. We also recommend you. Another hotel search site is of course booking.com or airbnb.com.. But the closer the Piazzale to Michelangelo, the more expensive.
THINGS TO DO IN FLORENCE
Wander through the Boboli Gardens: You’ll feel timeless as you stroll through the vast backyards of the Pitti Palace.
Street performances to your Uffizi: Don’t miss the street performers who perform their shows in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in the evenings.
Piazzale Michelangelo View: Enjoy the view of Florence in this square, which is slightly outside the classical touristic area. .
WHAT TO EAT IN FLORENCE? WHAT TO DRINK?
To eat cheaply in Florence, you should stay away from touristic areas like everywhere else. Especially in places where there are a lot of tourists, such as Mercato di San Lorenzo, prices are almost 3-4 times more expensive than in areas outside the old city center.. You can find both affordable and quality dinner in the Santa Croce area, and you can eat local and delicious pizzas in the small restaurants around the Duomo.
This is unique to the region, a must-taste. don’t skip ice creams, namely gelato. Also, if you’re a carnivore, this huge T-Bone steak they call Bistecca alla fiorentina is for you.
By the way, a small warning for those who want to take a coffee break during the day let’s do. The price of Cappuccino al banco, which you will order at the table in a restaurant, may be 3 times more expensive than the cappuccino you will buy as a package, which they call “to-go”.. Do not forget to look at the prices and get information from the waiter before you sit down in the restaurant, otherwise you will be sad Also, we will not learn how to eat pizza from you shshsh
Finally, after dinner, we have biscotti di Prato. It is traditional to eat with Vin Santo (i.e. Holy Wine, that is, holy wine). Don’t be surprised if you see it.
If you are very sensitive about food and insist on eating the most typical dishes in the right place, we recommend you to check the Bonappetour website.
SHOPPING IN FLORENCE
You will not have any trouble finding souvenirs in Florence, because on every street Guaranteed that you will come across at least one gift shop. Products that identify with art, and therefore Florence, such as books, leather goods, handmade notepads, frames and pens are, of course, among the most preferred gifts.
FLORENCE CITY TOUR
You can click here to access the google map of this half-day city tour we have prepared for you. The main places you will see on your Florence tour: Piazza della Signoria, Palazzio Vecchio, Loggia dei Lanzi, Basilica of Santa Croce, Galleria dell’Accademia, San Lorenzo, Santa Maria Novella, Santa Maria del Fiore (Piazza Duomo), The Baptistery of. John, Uffizi Gallery, Ponte Vecchio, Pitti Palace, Michelangelo Hill.
Palazzo della Signoria: This square, which also includes the Vecchio Palace, is considered the center of Florence. We thought it appropriate to start our tour from here.. The statues and fountains in this square will make you feel like you are in an open-air museum.. The Neptune statue in the square is one of the important works that you cannot miss.
Palazzio Vecchio: This is the house of the Majidi family.. As you walk through the rooms and corridors inside the palace, you will see not only how rich but also how powerful it is.
In the Loggia dei Lanzi sculpture gallery on the Uffizi wall at one end of the square, The Statue of Perseus with the head of Medusa, Benvenuto Cellini’s best-known work, is on display.
Basilica of Santa Croce: Donatello’s Crucifixion of Christ, Taddeo Gaddi’s most famous work The frescoes in Cappella Baroncelli, which is considered one of his great works, the famous Cimabuen’s “Magnificent Cross”, which is the first example of the transition from the Byzantine style to the natural Renaissance style, as well as the geometric Tuscan tombstones of Michelangelo, Galileo, Ghiberti, Composer Rossini and Machiavelli. You should definitely visit this basilica with a marble façade.
Galleria dell’ Academia: The long column at the entrance of this museum, where the original of David, the most important work of Michelangelo, is located. We recommend that you wait calmly, not minding the queue.. If you wish, you can make your reservation in advance.
San Lorenzo: The Medici family used Brunellesch for the construction of the family church and Michelangelo for the cemetery chapel. commissioned. However, although the church, one of the buildings left unfinished due to the death of both, was completed later in accordance with the plan, Michelangelo’s chapel bearing the name “New Sacred” was never completed.
Santa Maria Novella: Although it looks similar to other structures when viewed from the outside, you can see the marble pulpit designed by Brunelleschi, the Rosary Madonna of Vasarî, and the bronze of Lorenzo Ghiberti with its wooden cross, apart from the frescoes in the church, which is considered to be the best Italian art works of the 14th century.. Do not forget to visit the historical pharmacy of the monastery and examine the herbal medicines and flower lotions sold here.
Santa Maria del Fiore (Piazza Duomo): In short, Florence Cathedral. In the cathedral complex, you can visit the baptistery, bell tower, cathedral and museum. The ceiling of the cathedral is planned to have a dome on the intersection of the arms of the cross, made by Brunelleschi.. The depiction of the “Gates of Heaven” on the door of the baptistery, first made by Ghiberti and later by Michelangelo, is a chilling piece of work.
Uffizi Palace and Gallery: The workspace of the Mecidi family and The art collections of this family are on display. One of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world. World-famous paintings exhibited in the Uffizi can cause you to get Stendhal Syndrome. Beware
Ponte Vecchio: Florence’s most famous landmark, the Arno River Located over the bridge, this bridge is one of the most beautiful places in the city, which hosts many souvenir and jewelery shops with its elegant arches.
Pitti Palace: It is an example of a renaissance palace and a gallery where paintings belonging to the Medici family, jewelry, as well as different art collections are exhibited. The Boboli Gardens, which lie behind the palace, is a royal garden that sets an example for the whole of Europe.. You can enjoy a whole day just in the palace and its gardens.
Michelangelo Hill: Yes. Finally a place where you can digest the amazing works of art you see all day and enjoy the stunning cityscape.
FUN AND NIGHTLIFE IN FLORENCE
The museum is yours, this gallery is mine.. To be honest, we could not experience Florence nightlife because we continued to tour the city even at night lights and at the end we were very tired, so we cannot give advice, but of course we have a suggestion for a drink.. Chianti is a regional and very affordable wine.. We definitely recommend wine lovers to try it.
OTHER PLACES TO VISIT CLOSE TO FLORENCE: ALTERNATIVE TOURS
Take a day tour that covers cities strictly in Tuscany. These tours are usually the day tours covering Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano.. An ideal option to spend a pleasant and entertaining day.
Go to at least Lucca, Siena and Pisa from the nearest cities. You won’t regret it..
Tournament to Tuscany is definitely among our recommendations.
FLORENCE TRAVELLING NOTES
- Don’t forget to fill your wallet before you go to Florence.
- You should definitely visit art galleries and museums while you’re here.. Otherwise, you’re really missing out on a lot.
- Free your camera and cell phones memory because you won’t believe how many photos you’ll be able to take just walking on the streets.
- Wiki Travel
RESOURCES
