Florence
City Guide
Florence – Italy’s most enchanting city . . . and for good REASON!!! Home to renaissance architecture and some of THE most famous (and BEAUTIFUL) art in the world. The gorgeous Tuscan countryside is right at your fingertips, just an hour outside of the city. A romantic energy captures you from the moment you arrive – not to mention, the shopping is an absolute dream, and the food- D E L I C I O U S!!! You could truly eat your way through Italy, and Florence is no exception. So much pasta, pizza and – of course – wine ;).
Mad and I were only in Florence for a few days – wish we could have stayed longer – but we somehow snuck in a drive to Tuscany and visited the Poggio Amorelli vineyard. More on that below.
If you have the time, I recommend renting a car, packing a picnic, and hitting the road!!! There’s something so incredibly speical about driving, mile after mile, through the breathless landscape. Our time was short but very sweet :).
We’d love to return once our little lady is old enough to tag along!!! There’s never enough time to see all that Florence has to offer – but you’d be missing out if you didn’t try!! You MUST try!! My trip highlights are below – would love to see some of yours!
xx
M
But first, coffee!!! This place had AMAZING coffee, but we also indulged in their crepes ;). Highly recommend for a great breakfast spot.
A sneaky secret bar!! We spent almost 45 minutes searching (the address isn’t listed anywhere!) but once we found it, it was worth the wait. Great cocktails, intimate ambience, and fun activity post-dinner.
Osteria dell’Enoteca – a beautiful space with incredible food. The restaurant is set inside a historic townhouse and what I love most is that the menu really reflects the seasons and geography of Tuscany. Reasonably priced considering what you get!!
SO. GOOD. Gelato was an every day must for Mad and me. We bounced to a couple different places each afternoon, but this one was by far our favorite. Creamy and delicious!!!
THE best panini! You’ll be surprised how long the line is, but I promise it goes fast!!! And totally worth it. These guys are a well-oiled machine. My panini had mozzarella, balsamic, tomato and basil on it and WOW was it delicious. Perfect treat to eat by the river.
HIGHLIGHT of our trip. We stopped in a local market and grabbed a bottle of red wine, olives, prosciutto and burrata and walked up the steps to Piazza del Michelangelo. We watched the sunset and ate our charcuterie. A night I won’t forget for a while.
This walkable leather market will make all of your dreams come true. Mad bought a new backpack, and we picked up leather goods for our entire family – the perfect way to mark our time there.
The shoppable bridge across the river – you’d likely recognize pictures of this iconic spot, but see it for yourself in person!!! Most of the little shops are high-end jewelry – but great place to snap a pic!
The hotel we stayed at, The Belmond, also offers amazzzinggg cooking classes . Mad and I learned so much – we both love to cook – and had a BLAST!!! So fun to learn the cuisine of a new place!!
My No. 1 vineyard pick from the trip!!! The views were stunning and the atmosphere was so relaxed. We did a tasting and learned so much about the Chianti countryside!!! You can also schedule your own tour from Florence, but we really enjoyed having the freedom to drive to any vineyard we wanted.
Beautiful guest house near the historic Renaissance Central!!! This spot is a mix of boutique and bed and breakfast – and on my list of where to stay next!!! The price is amazing for what you get.
I can’t say enough about Belmond. The staff is SO friendly and the hotel overall is breathtaking!!! Mad and I took a cooking class here and it was one of my favorite things to do! Not to mention, their restaurant was fantastic – I recommend having dinner here if you can!!
For those who crave to stay in the action!! Hotel Spadai is just a few blocks from the iconic Duomo, and is walkable to most attractions. The rooms are spacious and perfect for a few nights to knock all of your tourist to-do’s off the list!