Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and one of its main tourist destination. I bet this city is on your bucket list, if you haven't been there yet. After Cinque Terre, this was our next stop. We took the train from La Spezia to Florence with 1 transfer in Pisa. It took approx. 2 hours, so it wasn't too long actually. This was my second time in this vivid city, but it was the same great experience like first time. We saw the main sights within 3 days. My husband haven't been there before, so we discovered the main attractions together this time.
Day 1
Leaning Tower of Pisa
On the way to Florence, we changed train in Pisa. It was a great opportunity to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, what is a must-see sight in Tuscany. The tower was only half an hour far away from the main train station by foot. We spent only couple of hours in this town, but it was enough for us. The main attractions are located on the Piazza del Duomo square. The Leaning Tower is only one from the four buildings that make up the cathedral complex in Pisa. If you are interested to see inside of the buildings, you can buy a ticket to enter them.
Piazza del Duomo
The construction of the leaning Tower of Pisa started in 1173 and continued in the next 200 years. It was originally designated to a bell tower, but after the third floor was ready, it started to lean. The root cause of the leaning was to be found in the foundation. The ground was clay mixture and it wasn't strong enough to hold the tower. After the workers realized the issue, the construction stopped for the next 100 years. It was revived in the 14th century and continued with the 7th floor.
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Tower of Pisa and the Piazza del Duomo have been on a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. It is a must-see destination, if you are in Tuscany.
Day 2
The Uffizi Gallery
Next day, we bought a ticket to the famous Uffizi Gallery in Florence. If you are fan of the art, this is your place. We found marvelous collection of renaissance art from artists like Leonardo Da Vinci, Titian, Botticelli and Raphael. The paintings are located in 50 rooms and dated from the 13th to 18th century. I recommend to buy your ticket in advance or go to the gallery in the early morning hours to avoid the huge queue at the ticket office. We spent half a day to see all the collections, but you can easily spend more time there, because the museum is huge.
The Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore)
We discovered the downtown after the Uffizi Gallery. The main sights of Florence were in walking distance, so we didn't have to use public transport at all. The first sight was the amazing Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore).
The construction has began at the end of 13th century and the Cathedral is still operating. You can't enter with bare shoulders, bare knees or wearing hats. I have been inside of the Cathedral in 2015, but it wasn't a unique experience, so we skipped it this time. Personally, I think that the cathedral is more beautiful from the outside, than the inside.
Palazzo Vecchio
Palazzo Vecchio is located in the neighborhood of the Uffizi Gallery. Originally this building was built for the government organizations in 1299. Later it served as the residence of Cosimo I de Medici (after a proper reconstruction, of course). A couple years later Cosimo has built the Palazzo Pitti and moved there, so Palazzo Vecchio became the main locations of the government offices again.
Palazzo Vecchio
Ponte Vecchio
Ponte Vecchio is another symbol of Florence. This old bridge was the only one across the Arno river until 1218 and was rebuilt after the flood in 1345. There have been shops on the Ponte Vecchio since the 13th century. Initially there were all kind of shops like fishmongers, butchers. Nowadays it is packed with plenty of expensive jewelry shops.
Ponte Vecchio and the view from the bridge
Day 3
The Boboli Gardens
Next day we have visited the Boboli Gardens, what is the garden's of Palazzo Pitti. The garden is located at the other side of the river, but it was still so close to the downtown. In my memory the garden was maintained, greenery and beautiful, but this time, it was like a good experience, but nothing special.
Palazzo Pitti
The palace is still bear the first-owner's name, Luca Pitti, who was a Florentine merchant. After his death, Eleonora of Toledo, Cosimo I de Medici's wife purchased the palace as a ceremonial residence in 1549. Cosimo's main arthitect, Bartolomeo Ammannati extended the main front and created the Boboli Garden. The palace was still in good condition and it looked well-maintained.
Giardino delle Rose
Don't miss the Giardino delle Rose park, what we found on the way to the Piazzale Michelangelo square. This small park was amazing and the view to the city was so breathtaking. We liked this park more than the Boboli Gardens.
Piazzale Michelangelo
Piazzale Michelangelo is located on the highest point of Florence. Needless to say, the view to the city was so fascinating. There were restaurants and coffee place on the square. We had an Aperol Spitz at the top and admired the amazing view.
Piazzale Michelangelo
We really liked Florence, I have never had enough from this city. If you like going to museums, you can easier spend more days here than we did. Florence was a different experience for us than Cinque Terre, as this city is bigger than the fisherman villages. It was more crowded, vivid and nosier, but we really enjoyed that every corner of this city is full with history.
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