Our recent Tuscany trip only happened because of a beautiful picturesque Tuscan wedding we attended near Castiglion Fiorentino. When the planning started, I immediately knew we had to revisit Florence while in the area. The first and last time I visited the city was around 2007, therefore I was looking forward to freshen my memory and to take in the atmosphere.
“We missed culture and the small pleasures of traveling: to sit outside and enjoy la dolce vita, to eat Italian food and people watching”
Due to the pandemic, this was the first trip in a long time, and we could not wait to explore and discover new places, soak in the Italian way of life – something we love so much and have not been able to do in a long time. We missed culture and the small pleasures of traveling: to sit outside and enjoy la dolce vita, to eat Italian food and people watching.
Our trip started near Castiglion Fiorentino, at a winery called Buccelletti where we spent a weekend celebrating our friends who were getting married in the most gorgeous surroundings, hanging out by the pool overlooking vineyards, cypress alleys and small hill towns in the distance.
It was magical and the perfect intimate start into a little Tuscan vacation. We did not want to leave the area without exploring the closest town, Castiglion Fiorentino. What a charming small-town up on a hill with hidden alleys, filled with locals instead of tourists, where I ate the best truffle pizza with a spectacular view – definitely worth a short stop.
Our next stopover was Arezzo, where we arrived early in the morning while the city was still asleep, welcomed by the warmest light. We wandered the empty hilly streets for a while, waiting for Italians to open up their cafés in order to enjoy our first “cappu” as the locals call their morning coffee. We found it at L'angolo del Fossombroni with the prettiest interior. Two highlights in Arezzo were the big park called Passeggio del Prato on top of the city and the Piazza Grande with its pretty historical buildings and cafés.
Finally arriving in Florence, the first impression was just wonderful. The first noticeable difference to my prior trip was the emptiness of the city. We went in late June right before the big summer holiday season started and were delighted about the openness and easiness of the city - not the massive tourist crowds that I feared.
We stayed in the neighborhood of San Frediano on the south side of the river. The view from our gorgeous high-ceilinged room was stunning: through big muntin windows, we were looking at a beautiful lush garden, first row by the river Arno. From my bedside, I was even able to see Brunelleschi’s dome.
As you already know, I am a big fan of sunrise walks and early morning adventures, therefore, those calm and magical hours were my favorite. The light is different, the streets and buildings are more noticeable because there is nothing that distracts your attention.
Every morning, we had our first coffee and cornetti (al cioccolato) at the same small local pastry shop called Pasticceria Marino. Even though it was not a hip or particularly beautiful place, we felt so welcomed there, the owner Marino knew our order by the second day and we could simply not start our day differently. Sometimes we had to wait a little until he had his own coffee first. These small moments make traveling so special to me.
“It’s fascinating that the dome is so present in the city from every viewpoint, and all the surrounding streets you can catch a glimpse of the city’s landmark. ”
Since we both have been to Florence before, we decided to skip the museums this time, but for someone visiting for the first time I would recommend seeing the Uffici, as well as Michelangelo’s David at Galleria dell’Accademia. However, we wanted to take advantage of the missing tourists and went inside the Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore to see the dome fresco, even though the cathedral fascinates more from the outside. It’s one of the biggest architectural treasures in Florence: the detailed, colorful, majestic façade, gorgeous details and impressive size – it surely became a renaissance masterpiece.
A visit in the early hours is just as wonderful as a night walk around Piazza del Duomo with its beautiful warm lights. It’s fascinating that the dome is so present in the city from every viewpoint, and all the surrounding streets you can catch a glimpse of the city’s landmark.
By simply wandering around without a fixed schedule, we discovered a local market called Mercato Sant’Ambrogio with its many food stalls inside the market hall, where we had our cappuccino and bought fresh fruits (the peaches!) from the farmer’s market outside. We found this local gem a little more charming than the famous Mercato Centrale with its many restaurants upstairs, which is also worth a look.
A few streets away, we also accidently discovered another favorite: the bakery Leonardo Firenze in Santa Croce. The amazingly looking chocolate croissants displayed in the window drew us inside and we ended up tasting all their handmade variations of cantuccini (biscotti) and had to buy a mixed bag as souvenirs.
After finishing some sightseeing, we tried out a rooftop café on the last floor of Ospedale degli Innocenti (the porticus is also created by Brunelleschi), which was a great recommendation from a dear friend who lived in Florence for a little while. We appreciated the calm atmosphere and gladly escaped the buzzing city for an hour to read and write some cards / take travel notes. It was a bit pricier but definitely worth the view of the cathedral dome.
“ ... get up very early at least one morning, in order to experience the magical atmosphere when the city slowly awakens”
Afterwards, we stepped outside to the Piazza della Santissima Annunziata and a lovely place simply called Un caffè facing the piazza caught my eye. Young people and students sat outside and ate those delicious looking paninis and drank wine.
After a short wait, we joined them and added another serendipitously discovered place to our Firenze favorites. This is a perfect spot for a lunch break or simply for listening to Italians and people watching. While in the area, we continued our walk to Il Papiro – one of my favorite stationery shops in Italy that I already knew well from Venice. It’s difficult not to spend hours there or buy all the gorgeous writing paper, cards and other stationery.
I love Italian Gardens so visiting one of the famous ones was already on my list. There is only a combination ticket for the Giardino di Boboli and Giardino Bardini (that needs to be visited on the same day). I liked the smaller size, the views and the enchanted structure of Giardino Bardini very much, therefore this one was my favorite. We went around late afternoon and watched the sun go down slowly until the garden closed. There is also a beautiful café in the middle overlooking the endless stairways and the city revealed in front of you, as well as a fancy restaurant called La Leggenda dei Frati.
Giardino di Boboli was also nice but significantly bigger and less winding. Nevertheless, the entrance through Pitti was nice, as well as the Botanical Gardens inside the garden.
Luckily, we ended up staying in a really fun and outgoing neighborhood on the south bank of the Arno, which was filled with all the hip bars and restaurants. Therefore, we didn’t have to look hard for a lovely dinner and drink spots. It was also fun to watch all the beautiful Italians walk by while sitting at one of the tables located on the sidewalk right in front of the restaurant, which is very typical in Florence.
Here are a few of our favorite places (or recommended) for dinner / drinks:
- Berberè San Frediano: craft pizza and beer, they offer special pizza dough variations and toppings with craft beer. I paired my pizza with fresh burrata with a local Chianti wine.
- Burro & Acciughe: amazing seafood
- Bulli & Balene: served great cicchetti and fancy drinks and perfect aperitivo
- The Antico Ristoro di Cambi: local cuisine
- B.O.r.G.O: modern Italian / Mediterranean cuisine
- L’Brindellone: authentic Italian restaurants, homemade pasta
- Gosh*: great place for drinks, we met here with my best friend who happened to be in Florence at the same time for a night.
“I was hardly ever less prepared while visiting a city but this trip taught me to discover things at a slower pace, to trust my instincts, and to enjoy the small pleasures of traveling ”
My advice to first time visitors is not to get overwhelmed by the historical sights and cultural offerings but rather to soak in the city's atmosphere, get lost in the beautiful streets and enjoy an aperol or a caffè along the way. It does not matter if you check off every sight or go to as many hip places but rather take time to wander, to get lost, to truly discover without a phone in your hands. And if you can, get up very early at least one morning, in order to experience the magical atmosphere when the city slowly awakens. Walk along the banksides of the Arno river that splits the city, then walk over the Ponte Vecchio while the many jewelry shops and goldsmiths are still closed and take in the view, the light and the extraordinary sentiment.
Another highlight was a winery close to Florence, which is a perfect stop along the way or a day trip destination. The winery is called Antinori nel Chianti Classico and fascinates from afar with its sculptural staircase and a horizontal building that’s built inside the hill. The winery is surrounded by the hills of Chianti, overlooking endless vineyards. We enjoyed a walk around the site and a little wine tasting within a beautiful landscape. This can also be combined with a lunch at their own restaurant located on the roof of the building or a tour of the wine cellars where you learn about Antinori family’s history, wine making and meanwhile experience its innovative architecture.
Our time was limited and I’d always rather leave a few things left for another visit instead of rushing through a city. Therefore, of course, we have a few places marked for our next Firenze trip. One of them is the San Miniato al Monte – a beautiful church upon a hill. We were given the recommendation to walk through the Giardino delle Rose up to the church, it’s supposed to be especially beautiful during the evening hours / sunset. Just as all the amazing viewpoints of Florence. Piazzale Michelangelo is also on our next agenda, which we skipped this time because we’ve already been there.
I was hardly ever less prepared while visiting a city but this trip taught me to discover things at a slower pace, to trust my instincts, and to enjoy the small pleasures of traveling such as all the amazing places and surprises we discovered accidentally. For example, if you look closely, you will discover the great street art around every corner. I especially liked the street signs by clet or other artists such as blubb or exit:enter. We also learned about the wine windows called “le buchette del vino”, which have an interesting history and can be found all over the city with a curious eye.
I am very much looking forward to the next visit that will hopefully not take another decade again.
