Florence, Firenze, birthplace of the Rennaissance, I will always remember this city as my first solo international trip. My first foray into the beauty and bliss that is solo travel, with zero expectations and zero schedule. Golden, stunning and host to the wine, pasta, gelato and history that dreams are made of. Wine is cheaper than water here and if you’re a wine snob, like me, you’ll understand what it means when I say that the city of Florence is situated right next to the wine region of Tuscany. This means that the wine you’ll be paying about 4 Euros (around $4.50 depending on the day) for some of Italy’s most beautiful reds. If you are like me and history is one of your tiny joys, the name Medici might also ring a bell. The Medici family was from the agricultural region north of Florence and rose to prominence during the first half of the 15th century. They were an ordinary family that started a bank in Florence, which eventually became the largest bank in Europe. In time, they also assumed almost full political power in Florence, produced four Popes, two queens of France and funded the arts so heavily (Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Machiavelli and Galileo are just a few of the artists that they enabled) that they are colloquially credited with inspiring the Rennaissance. Not to mention that almost every architectural marvel in this city was commissioned under their watch.

For all of the corruption and violence they inspired, it’s simultaneously wonderful that they left so much beauty to inspire us today. My trip guide for Florence is below…

IDEAL TRIP LENGTH:

4 days, but feel free to plan for a bit shorter if museums aren’t on your to-do list! As the birthplace of the renaissance, some of the most incredible art in the world is housed in Florence, including Michelangelo’s David, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Donatello’s David, so I encourage you take a peek at a few of the cities artistic gems, including the museums of Ospedale degli Innocenti, Uffizi Gallery and Galleria dell’Accademia, which house many of those masterpieces. This is not to mention the art that lives as a part of the city, including the Palazzo Vecchio and Cúpula de Santa María del Fiore. 

TRANSPORT:

This one is easy, because Florence is entirely walkable! 25 minutes or so will get you from one end to the other, across the Ponte Vecchio and up to the Piazzale Michelangelo, which overlooks the city. You will need to hire a car from the airport into town and back and also potentially if your trip includes a stint out in the Tuscan countryside, otherwise, walking is easily your best bet.

SEE:

This is one of the most stunning cities I’ve visited. It’s golden. Every turn involves a beautiful piece of art, architecture and history. While it’s very worth the trip to all of the usual famous spots, the Duomo di Firenze, Piazzale Michelangelo and Mercado Centrale to name a few, but also, those of lesser fame, such as the Cimitero delle Porte Sante (opposite, but very near to the Piazzale Michelangelo). It’s a trek uphill to get here, but as long as cemeteries and ornate gothic tombs don’t creep you out too much, this is a must visit. Take the time to wander around and admire the views from this incredible resting place.  

EAT:

Make the walk over to get gelato from locals favorite Gelateria la Carraia (my favorite flavors included mixing cheese, chocolate and orange…strange I know). Enjoy a traditional Florentinian dinner at La Buchetta Food and Wine, complete with their house made Tiramisu and finally make sure you don’t miss the chance to eat a Truffle sandwich and purchase a bottle of wine from All’Antico Vinaio market.

DRINK:

Wine. Wine. More Wine. Chianti Classico Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano are among wines coming from the nearby region of Tuscany, but in case you were scared you might choose wrong, you’re in Italy, so you are now family and the servers will help you find the perfect wine fit. 

STAY:

One of the primary reasons I chose this city for my first international solo excursion, was due to it’s safety + small city size. I stayed within a four minute walk of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (the fourth largest church in the world) and I would highly recommend you choose to do the same. The picture perfect location of my accommodations is laid out in the map as well, so please feel free to use as a guide to stay in a similar location!

Viaggi felici!