When you think of Italy, you probably think of Rome, Milan, Florence, and Naples if you’re a big pizza fan. Although all great cities, one stands above the rest to the traveler in a hurry: Florence. Rome and Milan are wonderful cities, but Florence is the perfect walkable Italian city if you’re looking to experience everything Florentine in 24 hours. How should you spend your day? Well, let’s get started.
Begin your day with a coffee
Italians are very social people, as seen in their town squares and piazzas. Start your day in Florence with an espresso and cornetto (an Italian croissant, not the ice cream!) in Piazza di Santa Croce, home to the largest Franciscan church in the world with 16 chaples in it!
- After you finish your colazione (that’s breakfast in Italian), make your way to Florence’s premier art museums: the Accademia delle Arti and the Uffizi Museum. The Uffizi houses a wide variety of art, including The Birth of Venus, which spans an entire wall when seen in person.
- If you’re only interested in seeing Michelangelo’s famous 17-foot tall “David,” you only need stop in the Accademia,
- Following an inspiring morning full of art, your appetite for food and Florence’s world-renowned leather goods needs to be appeased. At the Basilica di San Lorenzo, you can do just that. Leather shops and silk goods stands line the streets and welcome the fashionista in any traveler.
- While you’re there, take a risk and try a cow stomach sandwich. Rural Florentine farmers have mastered the flavorful sandwich and it makes for a good story to tell your friends.
- Now that your pockets are empty and your own stomach is full, venture into the Basilica di San Lorenzo along with a few other churches. But wait! Make sure you save time for the Florence Cathedral at the Piazza del Duomo. The Duomo tour shows guests up 480+ steps on the way to the basilica’s top, where you can overlook the entire city of Florence. Tourists rate it as one of the best experiences for the unique path the steps take throughout the dome of the church.
- Next, stroll along the Arno River and across its historical bridges. Each of the five major bridges might look old, but they were all destroyed during World War II. If you notice, Florence preserved some bridges like the Santa Trinita by reconstructing them from the rubble resting in the Arno.
- If you’re hungry for a nighttime meal, work your way to the Ponte Vecchio Bridge and enjoy another meal full of Florentine farmer heritage: beans and barley soup.
- Finally, after you’ve seen the city without the Duomo in it, it’s time to experience Florence in its night-time entirety. Just south of the Arno River sits a massive hill where another statue of David rests at Piazzale Michelangelo. Whether by bus or a quick hike, your trip is well rewarded with a gorgeous sunset view spanning the city.
- As for nightlife, it’s too difficult to choose just one thing for all visitors. Nightclubs, coffee bars, or even piazza people watching are all options sure to please. But if you’d rather retire to the hotel after an intense day of cultural immersion, that’s perfectly okay too. Whichever the case, enjoy your trip!
Bio: When he’s not writing about which Italy plug adapter you need for TravelProducts.com, Nate Schrader uses his study abroad experience in Rome of ’08 to help travelers get the most out of their trip. In his spare time, he loves to create art, and visit town squares to people watch & feel as close to Italy as he can.
