48 hours in Florence: A travel guide through the "small cosmopolitan city"
These are the most important hotspots!
There is hardly any other place where so many world-famous artists have lived as Florence. Anyone who visits the "small cosmopolitan city" will encounter their works at every turn. CC author Kiki Baron went in search of traces for us.
Day 1
9:00: If you stay at the NH Collection Porta Rossa , the oldest hotel in Italy, you will be enveloped by 700 years of city history - regardless of whether you leave the hotel through the front or back portal after an opulent breakfast. Both Via Porta Rossa and Via delle Terme , both characterized by magnificent Renaissance architecture, are lined with pretty boutiques.
10:00: Before the crowds roll over the famous Ponte Vecchio with its jewel stores, you can still take a leisurely stroll at this time of day. At the end of the bridge on the right is Mannelli , a store with high-quality bags made by master Florentine craftsmen. Continue straight on to the colossal Palazzo Pitti with its seven museums. For fashion fans, I recommend the Museo della Moda e del Costume . The amazing collection includes fashion and accessories from the 18th century to the present day, as well as film and theater costumes.
11:00: Cross the Ponte Vecchio back to the San Giovanni district and the Museo Ferragamo . The wonderfully curated exhibition showcases the career of the legendary shoe manufacturer through his creations. Every single pair is to fall in love with. Large-format photos show which film star wore the magnificent pieces for which occasion. Before you faint with excitement: Marilyn Monroe's red sequin pumps are currently experiencing a renaissance in the Ferragamo Boutique and can be purchased there.
12:00: The Piazza della Signoria is perhaps the most impressive square in Florence. Here stands the Palazzo Vecchio with its 94-metre-high tower and in front of it the larger-than-life David by Michelangelo. It is also home to the headquarters of the luxury label Gucci , which today has its own museum spread over three floors.
13:00: Need some refreshment? In Via dei Neri, All'Antico Vinaio tempts you with three sandwich stores. These are crispy panini, which can be topped to your liking and taste delicious. No less famous are the food stalls on Piazza San Martino . Prefer to eat lunch in peace and quiet? The classy Degusteria Italiana specializes in first-class cheese, game and truffles.
14:00: A few steps away are the Uffizi Gallery . Built in the 16th century by order of Cosimo I de' Medici as an office building, his son filled the enormous complex with an art collection. Everything that Italy has to offer in terms of Renaissance artists is represented here: Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Veronese, Tintoretto and Caravaggio, to name but a few. Tickets should definitely be booked online in advance. And take a breather with a coffee on the roof terrace in between.
16:00: Via dei Calzaiuoli takes you to the Duomo di Santa Maria del Fiore . The cathedral is the fourth largest church in Christendom and was built between the 13th and 15th centuries. The monumental marble dome is particularly impressive thanks to its white façades interspersed with dark green stripes, which at first glance look like symmetrical paintings on canvas.
17:00: Perhaps pop into Bottega Veneta opposite Palazzo Strozzi before entering the colorful fantasy world of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella (Via de' Tornabuoni 71R). The flagship store of the traditional company is located at Via della Scala 16 and is even more charming. The former monastery complex is now a museum, perfumery and herb store all in one. Incidentally, Caterina de' Medici had the "Acqua della Regina" fragrance created back in 1533.
' 18:00: ' A glass of wine while standing? The "Buchette del Vino" is making a comeback. These are inconspicuous, arched openings in aristocratic houses, behind which large wooden barrels were hidden. Winegrowers in Tuscany were already pouring wine through these bulbous holes in the Middle Ages. Nowadays there are pretty wine bars behind them. For example, in Piazza degli Strozzi 2 at the Caffè Odeon .
20:00: Dinner at Brandolino . The chic restaurant within historic walls serves contemporary Tuscan cuisine in a class of its own, be it burrata with truffles, handmade ravioli with pecorino or hearty dry-aged steak on the bone.
2nd tag
9:00: Out of the tourist hustle and bustle, into the Santa Croce district, and off to the Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio in Piazza Lorenzo Ghiberti. All the fine products of Tuscany are on offer in the hall built in 1873. In the morning, you can still experience authentic Florentine life here. And the traders are happy to offer samples. There is also a cafeteria and a trattoria.
10:00: Just around the corner is the Casa Buonarotti , a magnificent town house that Michelangelo bought for his family. On display are early works by the brilliant artist as well as drawings, sketches and models.
11:00: Two streets away on Piazza di Santa Croce are the Michelangelo leather workshops , a charming place to browse for high-quality souvenirs
12:00: Across the Arno bridge Ponte alle Grazie , the Museo Stefano Bardini beckons. This little-visited palace with its ornately crafted wooden ceilings is home to a collection that the eponymous art dealer, restorer and photographer collected over the course of his life and bequeathed to the city in 1922. There are works by Tiepolo and Donatello as well as early Christian baptismal fonts, icons, antique chests and unique leather wallpaper.
13:30: Back across the river to the Pasticcerica & Bistro Melaleuca . Homemade pastries, salads and egg dishes, all lovingly prepared, are a hit here. Alternatively, the hyped Caffè dell'Oro in the Hotel Portrait offers exquisite tapas and a view of the Ponte Vecchio.
15:00: Time for the Museo Galileo , one of the most important of its kind in the world. The exhibition is dedicated to Galileo Galilei, the incomparable polymath (1564 - 1642) and mortal enemy of the Catholic Church. Optical, astronomical and surgical instruments can be admired in the collection. These include planetary models, the first telescope and telescopes with which the physicist and astronomer made his discoveries. His most famous saying after being condemned by the Inquisition: "And yet it moves". The earth orbits the sun.
16:30: Santa Croce: The Franciscan church in the district of the same name is famous for its tombs. Galileo, Dante, Michelangelo, Machiavelli and Rossini, among others, rest here. The semi-circular street at the western end surrounded an amphitheater in Roman times. One of the old wine windows can still be found at the entrance to the Osteria San Fiorenzo on Via Borgo dei Greci.
17:00: Almost an insider tip: the Fondazione Franco Zeffirelli . The Italian director was famous for his elaborate productions. Permanent and changing exhibitions take visitors into Zeffirelli's artistic and artificial worlds. Now even with augmented reality, which guides visitors into previously unseen archives.
18:00: On the way to an aperitif in the romantic and casual La Ménagère , it's worth taking a look at the courtyard garden of the Palazzo
Medici Riccardi.
19:00: Dinner at the Cantinetta Antinori . Wine lovers will be familiar with the name. The food is also top class. Whether scampi, mandilli pasta with homemade pesto or fresh fish, everything is delicious! Not forgetting the warm pear tart with mascarpone. Count the calories later.
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