Florence Guide, map and photos. boo.com members recommend hotels, restaurants and attractions in Florence

If you visit Florence do not forget: -tasting a glass of Tuscan wine, -riding in Vespa around Florence\'s streets, -eating a gelato (Italian ice-cream) at Santa Croce Square, -climbing the Duomo in a sunny day, - visiting at Galeria dell\'Accademia and admiring the original David...more If you visit Florence do not forget: -tasting a glass of Tuscan wine, -riding in Vespa around Florence\'s streets, -eating a gelato (Italian ice-cream) at Santa Croce Square, -climbing the Duomo in a sunny day, - visiting at Galeria dell\'Accademia and admiring the original David if Michelangeloclose

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by alanrom – posted on May 10, 2008

2

Amaaaaaazing i have never felt so satisfied like this before. perfer this than any hotel ever!.. first class treatment.. The man you meet that helps you with the reservations is extremely helpful and will always be there to help. Breakfast is delicious!.. location is amazing, cannot stress how...more Amaaaaaazing i have never felt so satisfied like this before. perfer this than any hotel ever!.. first class treatment.. The man you meet that helps you with the reservations is extremely helpful and will always be there to help. Breakfast is delicious!.. location is amazing, cannot stress how much my friends and i enjoyed this hostel we cannot stop raving about our amazing stay!.. more than just a stay it truely felt like home. close

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by moroojalwazir6493 – posted on Mar 7, 2008

2

The craddle of Reinassaince, full of museums and churches, BUT you have to pay a lot for visiting them. Go to Uffizi Museum, you\'ll see beautiful works of Boticelli and Caravaggio. Duomo (cathedral) is beautiful outside nad very conservative inside (you have to pay for watching the...more The craddle of Reinassaince, full of museums and churches, BUT you have to pay a lot for visiting them. Go to Uffizi Museum, you\'ll see beautiful works of Boticelli and Caravaggio. Duomo (cathedral) is beautiful outside nad very conservative inside (you have to pay for watching the paintings in the roof). Santa croce was beautiful long time ago, now you can only see paintings in few chapels inside, but it worths. If you love eating be carefuil with Fiorentine Roast-beef, because the price you see is for 100grs, but you get a piece of meat almost of 1kg and it\'s very expensive!!. Try the paninos of Lampredotto outside piazza San Ambrogio, ask for Sergio and PierPaolo. it\'s on the street and taste really good!! (and it\'s cheap) Enjoy Florence but go with your wallet full of money, because it\'s an expensive cityclose

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by coolcasti – posted on Feb 5, 2008

7

I was surprised at how much I liked this hostel, given the low price. The rooms were clean, the internet free, the kitchen decent (microwave, a plug in pot, a fridge, and utensils), the tourist spots within walking distance, and staff friendly. The people who work there are very knowledgeable...more I was surprised at how much I liked this hostel, given the low price. The rooms were clean, the internet free, the kitchen decent (microwave, a plug in pot, a fridge, and utensils), the tourist spots within walking distance, and staff friendly. The people who work there are very knowledgeable about attractions in and around Florence and are happy to give suggestions and mark up a map with the good sights. This hostel is a fantastic deal. close

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by shmvii5497 – posted on Dec 16, 2007

3

Do not be put off by the title. It feels really authentic and is more like staying in someones house, only nobody is home. We had the run of the place for a good 36hours before anyone else showed up. Still, it doesnt really feel like a Hostel. I\'d sum it up in one word...Strange. Still, id...more Do not be put off by the title. It feels really authentic and is more like staying in someones house, only nobody is home. We had the run of the place for a good 36hours before anyone else showed up. Still, it doesnt really feel like a Hostel. I\'d sum it up in one word...Strange. Still, id recommend it coz if everywhere was the same then life would be a bit boring wouldnt it?close

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by garyleepritchard8599 – posted on Dec 5, 2007

4

...or you will easily end up spending all of your money here!!! The shopping is absolutely fabulous!! Pay special attention to the leather, which is a great buy in Florence, and check out the Market Square by the Cappelle Medici, I got 9 pashminas there for 35 euro, and they are the ones actually...more ...or you will easily end up spending all of your money here!!! The shopping is absolutely fabulous!! Pay special attention to the leather, which is a great buy in Florence, and check out the Market Square by the Cappelle Medici, I got 9 pashminas there for 35 euro, and they are the ones actually made in Italy and 70% cashmere. Florence definitely ties for my favorite city in Italy.close

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by singingisfun4every1979 – posted on Nov 16, 2007

4

Florence was very reasonable, much more so than Rome. It was very easy to get around and the weather was gorgeous. I prefered Florence and the Tuscan area to Rome for sure. Some of the prices of the museums were a little out of reach, but there are ways around it, an example would be seeing the...more Florence was very reasonable, much more so than Rome. It was very easy to get around and the weather was gorgeous. I prefered Florence and the Tuscan area to Rome for sure. Some of the prices of the museums were a little out of reach, but there are ways around it, an example would be seeing the large David statue in the piazza near the Uffizi. It is a gorgeous city that has an incredible market where you can get many beautiful objects.close

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by chmanton1191 – posted on Nov 8, 2007

2

As the so-called birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence is truly one of the cultural capitals of Italy, and the world. For art lovers, the museums are as good as you have heard them to be. And David really is the most amazing sculpture ever. The Duomo is incredible, with Giotto\'s bell...more As the so-called birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence is truly one of the cultural capitals of Italy, and the world. For art lovers, the museums are as good as you have heard them to be. And David really is the most amazing sculpture ever. The Duomo is incredible, with Giotto\'s bell tower and the Dome that can be seen from practically everywhere. The reds and greens of the facade will stay in your mind long after you leave. A plus to Florence is its small size - everything can be covered on foot. Now, for the negatives. First, the museums are ridiculously expensive - at 10 euros each for the Uffizi and the Accademia. And if you\'re not an EU citizen, forget about the student discount (which is fast becoming the thing I hate the most about Italy - no other EU country has such a stupid policy clearly designed to wring as much money as possible from tourists). And the other downside is that, aside from the Duomo, the art on the piazza near the Uffizi (forget the name), and the Ponte Vecchio (charming bridge!), Florence is really not that attractive of a city. For the birthplace of the Renaissance, it sure is very medievalesque and pretty bland at times. Strolling around gets dull. Thus, unless you are the type who can visit art museums every single day without getting bored, you don\'t really need more than 2 days here as an intro.close

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by jfainz587 – posted on Nov 3, 2007

2

Art, culture and history lovers will probably not want to leave anymore once they visit Firenze. The capital of Tuscany (Toscana) and of the Italian Renaissance (Rinascimento) is a big art gallery. I have always enjoyed my stays in Florence. The centro storico is compact and easy to explore on...more Art, culture and history lovers will probably not want to leave anymore once they visit Firenze. The capital of Tuscany (Toscana) and of the Italian Renaissance (Rinascimento) is a big art gallery. I have always enjoyed my stays in Florence. The centro storico is compact and easy to explore on foot. There are many pedestrian areas, so you can wander around, eat in the open air, chat, have fun and admire the sights. You will see works of art by Michelangelo (“David” is the most famous, in the Galleria dell’Accademia, there’s a copy in Piazza della Signoria), Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci (who was born in Vinci, a small town west of Florence), Brunelleschi, Botticelli, Caravaggio, Tiziano, Raffaello, etc. Dante Alighieri (the author of “La Divina Commedia”, “The Divine Comedy”) and other Tuscan poets and writers used Tuscan dialect in literature in their works to replace Latin and gave birth to the Italian language. Florence and Tuscany have top quality food and wines. You will notice that the ingredients are very simple (i.e. “ribollita”) but the final results are good. “Bistecca alla Fiorentina” is a big and thick steak served rare, the locals usually eat it with a bottle of red Chianti wine. Florence is a great destination for fashion and shopping as well. Take a walk in Via de’ Tornabuoni. People in Florence and in Tuscany in general are easy-going, laid-back and very funny, I really like their dialect. Florence is quite different from Rome, but they have one thing in common: no matter how many times you go, there will always be something to discover, so go more than once. You will appreciate it more if you give it more time. Forget July and August. Don’t get confused with street numbers, the red ones are for commercial addresses, the blue and black ones for residential addresses.close

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by Antonio3 – posted on Jun 25, 2007

38

It was my first visit to Italy and I think I found the best city. Florence is fantastic, great sites, food and very friendly people not to mention the shopping. You can spend all day just walking around and taking in the vibe of the place, restaurants and cafes everywhere, so something to suit...more It was my first visit to Italy and I think I found the best city. Florence is fantastic, great sites, food and very friendly people not to mention the shopping. You can spend all day just walking around and taking in the vibe of the place, restaurants and cafes everywhere, so something to suit all tastes. You will be planning you next trip before you leave!!close

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by SallyAnn – posted on May 1, 2007

66