Florence is the city that gave the world the Renaissance, and it still feels like an open-air museum threaded with the everyday life of Tuscany. Wander from the cobbled banks of the Arno to the hilltop views of Piazzale Michelangelo and you pass, almost incidentally, some of the most important art and architecture ever created — Brunelleschi's dome, Ghiberti's bronze doors, Botticelli's canvases, Michelangelo's David. Away from the museums, Florence is a living city of leather workshops, family-run trattorias, and piazzas that have hosted markets and political dramas since the Medici ruled.
Part of Florence's romance is arriving properly. The legendary Venice Simplon-Orient-Express threads through Italy on select itineraries, delivering guests to Tuscany in the style of a bygone golden age of travel — polished wood-panelled carriages, white-glove dining, and the anticipation of the city unfolding beyond the window. It is a fitting overture to a destination built on beauty and craftsmanship.
Florence rewards travellers who slow down: a few unhurried days allow time for the great museums, a passeggiata through the Oltrarno artisan quarter, and long Tuscan lunches that stretch into the afternoon. Combined with a journey aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, a visit here becomes as much about the getting there as the destination itself.
- ✦Michelangelo's David at the Accademia
- ✦Brunelleschi's dome atop the Duomo
- ✦Botticelli and Renaissance masters at the Uffizi
- ✦Sunset views from Piazzale Michelangelo
- ✦Bistecca alla fiorentina and Chianti Classico
- ✦Artisan workshops of the Oltrarno
- ✦Arrival aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
Places to See in Florence
Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo)
Brunelleschi's engineering marvel of a dome crowns Florence's cathedral complex, which also includes Giotto's bell tower and the octagonal Baptistery with Ghiberti's gilded bronze doors, the "Gates of Paradise." Climbing to the top of the dome rewards visitors with sweeping views over the terracotta rooftops.
Galleria dell'Accademia
Home to Michelangelo's David, the original marble masterpiece carved in the early 1500s, along with his unfinished "Prisoners" sculptures straining to emerge from the stone.
Uffizi Gallery
One of the world's great art museums, holding an unparalleled collection of Italian Renaissance painting, including Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus" and "Primavera," alongside works by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Titian.
Ponte Vecchio
The medieval stone bridge spanning the Arno, famously lined with jewellers' and goldsmiths' shops, a tradition dating back to the 16th century when the Medici moved out the butchers and tanners.
Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens
The vast Renaissance palace once home to the Medici grand dukes now houses several museums, while the adjoining Boboli Gardens offer manicured terraces, grottoes, and fountains ideal for a leisurely stroll.
Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio
Florence's civic heart, an open-air sculpture gallery featuring a replica of David and the Loggia dei Lanzi, overlooked by the fortress-like town hall, Palazzo Vecchio.
Basilica di Santa Croce
The burial place of Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli, this Franciscan church is also notable for its Giotto frescoes and leather school in the adjoining cloisters.
Piazzale Michelangelo
A hilltop terrace across the Arno offering the postcard panorama of Florence's skyline, especially memorable at sunset.
Oltrarno district
The artisan quarter south of the river, where leather workers, gilders, and furniture restorers still practise traditional crafts in small workshops along narrow streets.
Food & Gastronomy
Florentine cuisine is Tuscan cooking at its heartiest — built on simple, high-quality ingredients, good olive oil, and centuries-old rustic tradition. The signature dish is the bistecca alla fiorentina, a thick T-bone steak from Chianina cattle, grilled rare over a wood or charcoal fire and served unadorned except for a drizzle of oil and a wedge of lemon.
Markets and bakeries reveal the everyday side of the city's food culture. The Mercato Centrale in San Lorenzo is the place to sample fresh pasta, cured meats, and regional cheeses, while street stalls sell lampredotto, a Florentine classic of stewed tripe served in a crusty roll, and panino con porchetta, herb-roasted pork.
- Ribollita — a thick Tuscan bread and vegetable soup, traditionally made with cannellini beans, kale, and stale bread.
- Pappa al pomodoro — a rustic tomato and bread soup flavoured with garlic and basil.
- Crostini di fegatini — toasted bread topped with a Tuscan chicken liver pâté, a classic starter.
- Pappardelle al cinghiale — wide ribbon pasta in a rich wild boar ragù, a nod to Tuscany's hunting traditions.
- Chianti Classico — the region's celebrated Sangiovese-based red wine, the natural pairing for a Florentine steak.
- Gelato — Florence claims a hand in gelato's origins, and artisanal gelaterie around the centro storico still churn it by hand.
- Schiacciata — Tuscany's flatbread, eaten plain with oil and salt or filled as a sandwich.
Dining in Florence tends to be unhurried, with trattorias serving multi-course meals meant to be lingered over — the perfect complement to a day spent among the city's art and architecture.
