Most of you will probably be going into Florence for the day by train and the station is less than a 15 minutes walking northwest of the historic centre.

With some planning it’s feasible to experience the main highlights of this glorious city in a day.

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Most of the main points of interest lie within a Traffic Free Zone on the north back of the River Arno, an area split by the Via dei Calzaiuoli which is lined with some of the very best designer shops the city has to offer along with Via Tournabuoni. The Via dei Calzaiuoli runs south from the stunning Duomo, which is well worth a climb for the stunning views over the city to the Piazza della Signoria.

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Here you will find a copy of Michelangelo’s David (the original is located in the Gallery of Accademia).

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The Uffizi Gallery is also in this area which is one of the world’s most famous galleries, while south lays the famous Ponte Vecchio. Vasari, the one who designed and built it, also designed the corridor that links the Palazzo Vecchio and the Palazzo Pitti through the Uffizi and across the Ponte Vecchio it’s known as the Corridoio Vasariano.

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North of the Duomo is San Lorenzo, the Medici church which is famous for the Cappelle Medicee (the Medici Chapel) the door is located at the rear of the church.

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East from the Piazza della Signoria is Santa Croce, burial place of the city’s great and good; it’s walls and nave floors are lined with the monuments to more than 200 illustrious Italians including Michelangelo, Machiavelli and Galileo.

Crossing the river, you’ll come to the Oltrarno district; where the major draws are the Palazzo Pitti which houses important museums such as the Modern and Contemporary art display.

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The famous Boboli Gardens is just a 5 minutes walk from the Palace. This area in our opinion is

"quintessentially  Italian” and has a very beguiling mix of artisan shops.

On a final note, for who is not completely exhausted, a walk up to the Piazza Michelangelo is highly recommended for a stunning “room with a view” panorama of the city.

 

• Visiting the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia

To avoid any inconveniences, we suggest you to book in advance through this recommended website https://bit.ly/3cMiSia

The second Sunday of every month, the museums are open to the public free of charge.

 

• Parking

We do highly recommend go by train from Pontedera to the main train station Santa Maria Novella (NOT Firenze Rifredi). 

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