Italy · City Guide
Florence
Florence is one of the world's great cities of art, the birthplace of the Renaissance and a UNESCO World Heritage Site of extraordinary concentrated beauty. From the Uffizi Gallery, the Duomo and Michelangelo's David to the Ponte Vecchio, the Oltrarno neighbourhood and the Chianti wine country of the surrounding hills, Florence offers an experience of Italian art, architecture, food and culture at its most magnificent.
Elect's take
"Florence is the city that changed how I look at painting. The concentration of masterpieces is genuinely overwhelming and the combination of world class art, outstanding food, beautiful architecture and the surrounding Tuscan landscape creates a destination I find consistently extraordinary."
The Uffizi Gallery houses one of the world's great art collections, with the finest assembly of Italian Renaissance paintings anywhere in the world including Botticelli's Birth of Venus, Leonardo da Vinci's Annunciation and works by Raphael, Titian and Michelangelo. The Accademia houses Michelangelo's original David. The Duomo with Brunelleschi's dome remains one of the most extraordinary feats of engineering in architectural history. The Oltrarno on the south bank of the Arno is Florence's most authentic neighbourhood with outstanding restaurants, artisan workshops and the magnificent Palazzo Pitti. The Chianti wine country of the surrounding hills is outstanding.
Best time to visit
How to get there
What to expect
Uffizi Gallery
One of the world's great art collections with the finest assembly of Renaissance masterpieces.
Brunelleschi's Dome
One of the most extraordinary feats of engineering in architectural history.
Michelangelo's David
The most celebrated sculpture in the world in the Accademia Gallery.
Ponte Vecchio
Florence's most iconic medieval bridge lined with goldsmiths above the Arno.
Florentine Cuisine
Outstanding Tuscan food from bistecca fiorentina to ribollita and Chianti wine.
Tuscan Hills
Beautiful Chianti countryside with vineyards, olive groves and hilltop villages.
