Florence: art, museums and ways through the city

Florence combines an exceptionally rich cultural experience with routes through the city, cycle paths and markets. If you want to choose your accommodation according to the interests of your travel group, the city offers many clearly distinguishable points of interest, especially for art, history and walks.

Historic Centre and the Arno

Florence’s historic centre covers 505 hectares. It is considered a unique social and urban work, shaped by long-lasting creativity. Its influence on the development of architecture and the visual arts was initially decisive in Italy and subsequently in Europe. The old town is therefore not merely a collection of individual attractions, but a historically evolved urban space with significance of its own. The Arno flows from east to west through Florence and forms an important geographical line within the city. For orientation between different parts of the city, Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station is also a specific reference point: it is located in the city centre, a five-minute walk from the cathedral. From there, you can reach Santa Croce through the historic centre in about 20 minutes on foot. This should be understood as an approximate walking time.

Museums, Churches and Garden Art

Santa Croce offers guided tours with its own staff as well as an audio guide for individual visits. You can therefore experience the visit either in an accompanied format or at your own pace. At the Galleria dell’Accademia, Florence displays Michelangelo’s four Prigioni. Michelangelo’s David was moved from Piazza della Signoria to the Galleria dell’Accademia in August 1873. The Musei del Bargello comprise five independent institutions. Together, they form a multifaceted museum complex dedicated to Florentine art and history before, during and after the Renaissance. The Museo dell’Opera del Duomo complements this range with more than 750 works spanning over 720 years of history. Those who want to trace the city’s development across different periods will therefore find several distinct historical approaches to its museums here, rather than just a single collection. The Boboli Gardens are an open-air museum containing ancient and Renaissance sculptures. The Medici shaped their design, creating the Italian garden style that served as a model for many European courts. There are four access points: at Piazza Pitti, via the Annalena entrance at Via Romana 37/A, at Forte Belvedere and at Porta Romana. These four entrances are useful for orientation when incorporating a visit to the gardens into your exploration of the city.

Walks, Cycle Paths and Local Markets

Parco delle Cascine is used by locals and visitors for sports, walking and relaxation. Florence’s Bicipolitana helps visitors discover cycle paths in the city, in parks and along the riverbanks. Florence thus complements its art-historical destinations with opportunities for exercise and quieter periods outdoors. Markets are also part of the cityscape. Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio opened in 1873. The covered Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio houses food shops. At the small trattorias in Mercato Centrale, you can sample various typical dishes. In this way, museum and city visits can be supplemented with specific places for food and traditional cuisine without abandoning the cultural focus of the trip. For further orientation in the area on this page, you can continue to the following places: [Pian De' Cerri](Pian De' Cerri), [Le Vedute](Le Vedute), [Sant'Ansano](Sant'Ansano), [Pastine](Pastine), [Antella](Antella), [Rignano Sull'arno](Rignano Sull'arno), [Rufina](Rufina), [San Casciano In Val Di Pesa](San Casciano In Val Di Pesa), [Scandicci](Scandicci), [Sesto Fiorentino](Sesto Fiorentino), [Barberino Di Mugello](Barberino Di Mugello), [Signa](Signa), [Campi Bisenzio](Campi Bisenzio), [Incisa In Val D'arno](Incisa In Val D'arno), [Capraia E Limite](Capraia E Limite), [Castelfiorentino](Castelfiorentino), [Cerreto Guidi](Cerreto Guidi), [Empoli](Empoli), [Firenzuola](Firenzuola), [Fucecchio](Fucecchio), [Gambassi Terme](Gambassi Terme), [San Piero a Sieve](San Piero a Sieve), [Paterno](Paterno), [Fontanella](Fontanella), [Reggello](Reggello), [Barberino Val D'elsa](Barberino Val D'elsa), [Palazzuolo Sul Senio](Palazzuolo Sul Senio), [Montespertoli](Montespertoli), [Vinci](Vinci), [Impruneta](Impruneta), [Montelupo Fiorentino](Montelupo Fiorentino), [Pelago](Pelago), [Certaldo](Certaldo), [Figline Valdarno](Figline Valdarno), [Montefioralle](Montefioralle), [Massarella](Massarella), [Monterappoli](Monterappoli), [San Mauro](San Mauro), [Pinete](Pinete), [Gaville](Gaville), [Romita](Romita), [Le Quattro Strade](Le Quattro Strade), [Vicchio](Vicchio), [Fiesole](Fiesole), [Lastra A Signa](Lastra A Signa), [Tavarnelle Val Di Pesa](Tavarnelle Val Di Pesa), [Londa](Londa), [Marradi](Marradi), [Montaione](Montaione), [Montecarelli](Montecarelli), [Petrognano](Petrognano), [Il Castagno D'Andrea](Il Castagno D'Andrea), [Leccio](Leccio), [Scarperia](Scarperia), [San Godenzo](San Godenzo), [Dicomano](Dicomano), [Florence](Florence), [Borgo San Lorenzo](Borgo San Lorenzo), [Calenzano](Calenzano), [Turignano](Turignano), [Gavena](Gavena), [Legri](Legri), [Marcignana](Marcignana), [Polcanto](Polcanto), [Marcoiano](Marcoiano), [San Pierino](San Pierino), [Meleto](Meleto), [Marliano](Marliano), [Spedaletto](Spedaletto), [Linari](Linari), [Bassa](Bassa), [Limite](Limite), [Lazzeretto](Lazzeretto), [Gigliola](Gigliola), [Chiocchio](Chiocchio), [Polvereto](Polvereto), [Sambuca](Sambuca), [Bagno A Ripoli](Bagno A Ripoli), [Ostina](Ostina), [Greve In Chianti](Greve In Chianti), [Vaglia](Vaglia), [Pontassieve](Pontassieve)