The cradle of Renaissance, an arena for some of the most outstanding names in art history and a home to fine culinary traditions, Florence is definitely a city where you can spend weeks and still not see everything. But what if you only have a day? How can you make the most out of it? And what are the best photo spots? Well, read below to find out.
Good to know in advance
Although Florence is one of the historically and culturally richest cities on the planet, there is still a lot you can cover for just one day if you have the right mindset and you plan in advance. Also, keep in mind that there is no subway and generally not many options for public transportations in the city centre, so you will have to do some walking. But rest assured, Florence is quite walkable and most of the places of interest that I’ve listed below are minutes away from one another. Or if you feel fancy, you can opt for a carriage ride- carriages are “parked” around the cathedral. On the Brightside, you don’t have to plan any additional budget for transportation and simply by walking from one sight to another, you might discover some unique little streets, beautiful buildings and amazing street artists.
As for museum visits, I strongly recommend buying all your tickets online. Only the queue for the ticket office on the cathedral square (Piazza del Duomo) would normally take no less than 40min waiting time (and that’s on a not so busy day). While for each sight you must wait on another individual line. I understand that if you are only visiting for a day, you might not be sure when you will arrive and leave the city or approximately at what time you’ll be at the spot. Plus, for some popular attractions you have to schedule a timeslot when you can enter.
So, here’s what I normally do when I don’t want to pay for something, which I am not sure I can make use of, but still want to avoid as many lines as possible. I go directly to the entry line and buy the tickets through my mobile phone while I am waiting to enter. It worked every time so far! So there you have it- your free pro- traveller tip.
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore
If you only can visit one thing in Florence, make it the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. It is one of the symbols of the city, a unique architectural masterpiece and simultaneously one of the largest churches in the world. In fact, it didn’t make it in the top 10 with mere 1 position and 18 m2 of modesty. If you arrive in Florence by train, chances are you’ll hop off at Firenze SMN (Santa Maria Novella) railway station, which is only 8 min walking from the cathedral. This is also a good starting point for your exploration tour of the city.
Now, when I say the cathedral, you must understand that in a broader sense- the main building, the bell tower, the baptistery and the museum. The inside of the cathedral is accessible for free. However, it is closed for visitors on Sundays as it is after all an active temple and a holy mass takes place then. Unfortunately, I so happened to visit exactly on Sunday. So initially my plan was to just go up the bell tower, but here’s the catch. There is no ticket only for the bell tower, but a variety of combo tickets, which include some or all of the other points of interest in the complex as well. So I opted for the Giotto pass, which costs 20€ and gives you the right to climb the tower, enter the baptistery, the Opera del Duomo Museum and Santa Reparata.
The bell tower itself gives you probably the most beautiful 360° view of the cathedral itself and the square beneath it that is publicly available. However, you must climb 414 narrow steps and there is no elevator. And all that yet at the beginning of your walking tour… oof! At least you don’t have to do it all at once. Before you reach the highest point, there are three other platforms where you can take a break and enjoy the view before you continue your ascent. And then there is the view- the view is worth all the efforts, as it is truly sublime.
As for the baptistery, the waiting lines at noon are relatively small and you don’t need to plan more than 10-15min for the visit itself. The building is one whole big hall, and the most impressive part is definitely the ceiling.
Piazza della Repubblica
Next on my list was the Piazza della Repubblica- one of the main squares of the city, which is literally 3 min walking from the cathedral. It's a beautiful place and a nice stop for pictures on your way to the other sights. The piazza is also where the roman forum was- the centre of the Ancient Roman city. The square has undergone numerous transformations through the years. Its current appearance was shaped at the end of the 19th century, when Florence was pronounced the capital of Italy. It was decided that the square must be extended, which led to the demolishing of many important medieval buildings that were situated there- churches, bell tower, the shops and residences of local craftsmen and the palaces of some noble families. Officially this decision was justified as necessary due to the bad sanitary conditions in the area, which needed modernization, but in fact the real reason was in fact a political decision of the emerging middle-class bourgeois.
If you want to catch a glimpse of the square from above, head to the Rinascente Firenze department store on the East side of the square. Through the windows on the top floor you can take some cool photos of the square right beneath you. And it costs you nothing!
Piazza della Signoria
Next stop before a well deserved lunch break- Piazza della Signoria. It is again mere 5 min away from the last place we've visited. The square is actually w-shaped and emerged in the first half of the 14th century. It was the gathering point of the local political elite and one of the most important places, connected to the once existing Florentine Republic. It is named after the Palazzo della Signoria (now called Palazzo Vecchio), which owes its name to the Signoria of Florence- the ruling body of the Florentine Republic.
Central point on the square takes the Palazzo Vecchio, in front of which you can see a copy of Michelangelo's David. The palace is open for visitors, but if you don't have the time, nor the money to visit, you can still sneak a peek of the first courtyard, which is open for visitors for free. Unlike most castles and palaces, which were home to noble families, the decision to build this one was met by the community and people of Florence. Its purpose was to serve the people and to protect them in times of turbulence. In fact Palazzo Vecchio was built on the ruins of palaces once owned by the Uberti family, in order to make sure that their noble heir would never rebuild them on the same place.
Right next to Palazzo Vecchio's main entrance is the Loggia dei Lanzi- an arched open-air sculpture gallery.
The best sandwiches in the world for lunch
If you do a little research about Florentine food and the best spots to try it, chances are you will come across All'Antico Vinaio almost immediately. No, do not expect a fancy restaurant! It is a sandwich shop, but the sandwiches that they make there are something else. The average price is €6.50 and they are really huge in size. Equally popular among tourists and locals, the place is a real hotspot. So expect waiting in line for quite some time. There are currently three counters open right next to each other, which serve hundreds if not thousands of people daily. In fact, it gets so busy that the queue goes around the corner and there is staff that organizes the lines and makes sure that nobody cuts it.
Locals tend to say that if you don't try the sandwiches there, it is like you've never been in Florence. There are a few choices from the menu with predetermined ingredients, but you can also choose what goes inside. Now, it's up to you to decide whether it's worth it to wait in line for sandwiches longer than for the cathedral or some of the museums in the downtown, but if you ask me, give it a try.
All sandwiches are made with schiacciata- a type of local Tuscan crispy flat bread. Inside goes a selection of fresh local salami, prosciutto, spreads and cheeses. A popular local flavor is truffles, so you can opt for truffle spread or truffle cheese. I got to try their best seller- La Favolosa, as well as Schiacciata del Mela, both of which I strongly recommend.
The shop is quite close to the Arno river and the Ponte Vecchio (3min on foot), so you can head that way to enjoy your lunch in peace, while enjoying the view.
Ponte Vecchio
Probably the second most famous construction in Florence after the cathedral is Ponte Vecchio. The name literally translates as "Old Bridge". The bridge spreads at the width of 32 metres over the Arno river and is famous for the shops built along it. Originally occupied by fishermen, local craftsmen, butchers and farmers, the shops are now displaying jewelry and luxury watch and accessories brands, but you can also find some souvenir shops and small art ateliers.
The bridge crosses the Arno river at its narrowest point. It is believed that in Ancient times a Roman bridge was erected at the same place. Ponte Vecchio was rebuilt multiple times as it was destroyed by floods on numerous occasions. The bridge as we know it today was constructed in 1345.
Piazzale Michelangelo
From the bridge head over to one of the hills on the South-Eastern bank of the river towards Piazzale Michelangelo. You have to walk uphill, of course, but it's not a long and tiresome hike. It takes about 15min, you'll pass by some picturesque areas of town and cozy cafes and the view is absolutely magnificent. In fact most of the famous panorama paintings of Florence are drawn from this angle. Although it is beautiful any time of the day, it's probably best to visit in the late afternoon or at sunset. You might also want to grab a refreshing drink at the cocktail bar on top- but be prepared for touristic rivalry, you will not be the only one to come up with this idea.
Depending on your plans and the time left, you might still have an hour or two to wander down the streets in the historic old- town and to have a delicious warm dinner and a taste of some local wines. It's a bit difficult to find a place on Sunday as even most of the restaurants are closed. But without much planning, we found this cozy restaurant in the city centre called Osteria Filetto d'Oro. The atmosphere is really intimate, the service is great and the food…well, you can't have bad food in Italy! It was amazing. An appropriate ending of one truly fantastic day
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