I didn’t know when I was planning the Italy portion of my trip in May, but I wish I would have known to plan an extra day in Florence! This city is totally walkable and there were so many more places I wanted to fit in that we just didn’t have time to see. In true Heidi fashion, I still managed to pick out a few places to check out and had an amazing time!
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore
Piazza del Duomo, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy
This is the obvious spot in Florence! It takes up a few blocks right in the center of town. I remember the first time we walked out of a side alley and saw this first time. It felt like an out of body experience. It arguably is one of the most extravagant and detailed cathedrals I have ever seen! It is crazy to me that it opened back in the 1400’s. During peak travel months (June – September), be sure to pre-purchase tour tickets. We didn’t plan ahead to see the inside so we weren’t able to go in! We made sure to go around 8AM to wander around the building and get some shots with less people!
BrewDog Firenze
Via Faenza, 21r, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
If you have been following me on Instagram (or know me in real life), then you know I love me a good beer. I joke that breweries have become my second home. On my trip to Scotland back in September 2017, I went to my first BrewDog. They actually started in Scotland in 2007! This is the best brewery I have found in Europe so far that makes the IPA style beer that I love here in the States.
Walk the Markets
Did you know that the leather goods (as long as they are real leather) are some of the best leather goods made in the world? If you are in the market for a leather jacket or purse or sandals then this is the place to purchase them. There are a few street markets filled with leather goods. Don’t pay the first price they offer you, be sure to bargain a bit. I wonder how much these items are marked up, a vendor went from $800 for a jacket and as we walked away quickly dropped his price to $120. Be sure to bargain a bit or simply walk away. Each stall has almost the same items.
Trattoria Za Za
Piazza del Mercato Centrale, 26r, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
Do you love truffle? Then you HAVE to eat here! Make sure to make a reservation as everyone else knows about this restaurant too. Luckily the indoor restaurant is HUGE and they even have an outside tent for additional seats where we sat. There are about 10 pages of food, two of which are dedicated to their truffle dishes. Traveling in a group of 4 has its advantages. We each ordered a truffle dish and shared family style! it was one of the best meals we had on the trip!
Beer House Club
Corso dei Tintori, 34, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy
We may have come on a weird night. We walked past it on the way back to our hotel and it seemed like they were getting to set up for a rave type party that night. We grabbed a drink and enjoyed the atmosphere before the 21 year olds started showing up! I would say it is worth it to stop for a beer. It’s a cool spot!
Airbnb
We stayed two nights in this Airbnb, which ended up being in an AMAZING location! super close to the cathedral, BrewDog, Trattoria Za Za and a few markets!
A Few Spots I Wanted to See, But Didn’t Make it To
Secret Bakery
50122 Florence, Metropolitan City of Florence, Italy
I wish we were able to stay up until 2AM to see this for ourselves! I found a few blog posts that talked about these secret bakeries that pop up at 2AM selling freshly baked croissants and other pastries. I don’t have an exact location, but start in the linked address!
Ponte Vecchio Bridge
Ponte Vecchio, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy
I am so bummed that I didn’t make it to see this bridge in person. This is a unique bridge in the fact that there are houses and souvenir shops built on the bridge! There are a few bars and restaurants on the river’s edge that also have roof tops that over look the bridge!
Those were the places we visited in just 18 hours in Florence! As i mentioned, i wish I had another day here to explore the city and see just a few more spots! Are there any more spots you recommend we check out? Let me know in the comments!
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