Florence Travel Guide
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FLORENCE TRAVEL GUIDE FIREFLIES TRAVEL GUIDES FLORENCE Florence is the beautiful regional capital of Tuscany, and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy. It is acknowledged by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, and stepping onto its historic cobbles it is easy to see why. Cradled between the surrounding hills, the city hosts some of the most famous works of art on the planet and the whole of the city centre is packed with stunning palaces, churches and monuments. The surrounding countryside is well- known for its rolling hills and its wine—particularly the Chianti area between Siena and Florence. DESTINATION: FLORENCE 1 FLORENCE TRAVEL GUIDE Via del Termine 11, Florence ESSENTIAL INFORMATION +39 055 30615 www.aeroporto.firenze.it PUBLIC TRANSPORT The best way to get around the city is on foot. The city centre is not very large and is full of monuments and things to see. The local transport companies are ATAF and LI-NEA. A ticket can be bought in bars, tobacconists or any shop with an "ATAF" sticker in the window and it is valid for 90 minutes. Always remember to validate your ticket by stamping it on board the bus. POST www.ataf.net Stamps can be bought from authorized TAXI tobacconists. Florence’s main post office is located: The main taxi companies are: Via Pellicceria 3, Florence +39 055 273 6481 CO.TA.FI. www.poste.it +39 055 4390 Monday-Saturday 08.15-19.00 www.4390.it PHARMACY SO.CO.TA. Florence’s chemists are open from Monday to +39 055 4242 Friday from 09.00 to 13.00 and from 15.30 to www.socota.it 20.00. Addresses of chemists open during +39 055 4390 weekends and evenings are posted on the www.4390.it pharmacies. TELEPHONE Country code: +39 There is no area code but in Florence all phone numbers start with 055. Do not omit the zero. ELECTRICITY 220 V PERETOLA - AIRPORT Florence’s airport Peretola, is around 5 km from the centre. A special bus called “Vola in bus” gets you into the city centre (S. Maria Novella railway station) in 20-25 min. from 06.00 to 23.30, every 30 minutes. Taxis from the airport to central Florence takes about 15 minutes. DESTINATION: FLORENCE 2 FLORENCE TRAVEL GUIDE CAFÉS CAFFÉ CONCERTO PASZKOWSKI With more than 150 years of history, this is one of the classiest cafés in the city. Declared a national monument in 1991, it is a must for a morning cappuccino and pastry, where you can dip into the bustling life of a Florentian at arms length. In the evening, it is noted for its piano music. Piazza della Repubblica 35, Florence +39 055 210 236 www.paszkowski.it PASTICCERIA MARCELLO Where better to enjoy a cappuccino and an Italian gelato than under the Tuscan sun? In the bustling At Pasticceria Marcello you find a wide range of city of Florence there is wide array of cafés to sit pastries and desserts. Try the schiacciata fiorentina down and relax on and if you have a sweet-tooth, and the yoghurt cake with fruits. Light lunch is Florence will not leave you disappointed. also available here. CAFFÈ PASTICCERIA RIVOIRE Viale Europa 169, Florence +39 055 653 1510 This elegant café is renowned for the most delicious chocolate in Florence. Both locals and tourist are frequent visitors and it has a perfect location at Piazza della Signoria. Piazza della Signoria 5, Florence +39 05 5214 412 www.rivoire.it GILLI Gilli is a liberty style café boasting Murano lamps, a frescoed ceiling and archs. This café is known for its good pastries and chocolates and all this can be enjoyed on the spacious terrace overlooking Piazza della Repubblica. Piazza della Repubblica 39, Florence +39 055 2138 96 www.gilli.it CAFFÈ GIACOSA-CAVALLI This is a historic café owned by the stylist Roberto Cavalli. Choose from a wide selction of pastries and cakes at breakfast and teatime. Via della Spada 10, Florence +39 055 277 6328 www.caffegiacosa.it DESTINATION: FLORENCE 3 FLORENCE TRAVEL GUIDE If your favourite painter is Michelangelo you DO &SEE shouldn't miss this basilica. This is probably the most exciting place associated with the famous artist in Florence. The Basilica di San Lorenzo is framed by the splendid, square-shaped Old Sacristy by Brunelleschi and the New Sacristy, by Michelangelo. Here you can find his sculptures for the tombs of Lorenzo and Giuliano Medici and fine examples of Mannerist architecture in the Biblioteca Laurenziana. Piazza San Lorenzo, Florence +39 055 216 634 To meet the spring in Florence is an obvious FLORENCE MARKET WALKING TOUR option, there are not many cities that beat it. In Sample food the way locals do – at the market. Florence there is so much to see and experience, Meander through Florence’s most vibrant market, and to alternate this with a good Italian ice cream sampling delicious local fare including Amalfi make your holiday unbeatable. The historic centre olives, cured Tuscan prosciutto, fresh bread, and a of Florence attracts millions of tourists each year, glass of wine. and it has been ranked as one of the world’s most visited by Euromonitor International. Tours run Monday to Saturday. More walking tours BASILICA OF SANTA CROCE are available from Urban Adventures. +39 345 088 2826 The church is located on the Piazza di Santa Croce www.urbanadventures.com and was rebuilt for the Franciscan order in 1294 by Holders of this guide receive 10% off. Book online Arnolfo di Cambio. Michelangelo is buried in Santa and use promo code AGEU at checkout. Croce among other great and good in Florence. Basilica di Santa Croce is the principal Franciscan CHAPEL BRANCACCI (SANTA MARIA DEL church in Florence, and a minor basilica of the CARMINE) Roman Catholic Church. The chapel is famous worldwide for its frescoes of Piazza Santa Croce 16, Florence Masaccio. They were a great inspiration for da +39 055 2466 105 Vinci and Michelangelo. The visit now includes an www.santacroceopera.it excellent interactive audio-visual tour. VILLA GAMBERAIA Piazza del Carmine, Florence +39 055 212 331 Villa Gamberaia is mostly famous for its sumptuous museicivicifiorentini.comune.fi.it Renaissance and Baroque gardens that is well- visited by gardeners and tourists from all over the TUSCAN WINE TOUR world. It is located 15 minutes from central Florence and surrounded by green hills. Via del Rossellino, 72, Settignano +39 05 569 7205 www.villagamberaia.com BASILICA DI SAN LORENZO DESTINATION: FLORENCE 4 FLORENCE TRAVEL GUIDE Chianti in Tuscany is one of the world’s most In addition to wine, coffee is one of the most famous wine districts and Florence is one of the important drinks to the Italian people. At these cities located right in this area. The landscape here courses, held by English speaking teachers with is unique with green hills and vineyards lying next years of coffee experience, everyone interested in to olive groves. You can hire a car and visit one of coffee can get their questions answered. the vineyards on your own or book one of the Via delle torri 55, Florence many wine tours organised from Florence. +39 055 7320 049 www.aprireunbar.com One company organising wine tour are Tuscan Wine Tours by Grape Tours: LEONARDO DA VINCI´S MUSEUM Via de' Bardi 23r, Florence +39 331 3583 823 The museum is situated in the historic heart of www.tuscan-wine-tours.com Florence and shows in full-scale the perfectly working machines designed by the Great Master UFFIZI GALLERY Leonardo Da Vinci. The visitors can see the large models of the Leonardian machines. He can This is one of the greatest museums of the world experiment their mechanism and can realize that with masterpieces from the 13th to 19th century. the Master had already designed in his time The Uffizi is the most important and visited machines and principle that the modern museum in Florence and its most famous works civilization would afford only several centuries include Botticelli’s "Birth of Venus". The name of later. the Uffizi means offices and the museum was Via dei Servi 66/R-68/R, Florence completed in 1581. Since the 17th century, it has +39 055 282 966 been open to visitors and in 1765 it was officially www.mostredileonardo.com opened to the public. From 1st of April to 31th October - From 10 am to Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6, Florence 7 pm From 1st of November to 31th March - From +39 055 238 8651 10 am to 6 pm www.uffizi.com Close to the Cathedral S. Maria del Fiore Tuesday - Sunday: 08.15- 18.50, Monday: Closed Piazza della Signoria DANTE'S HOUSE MUSEUM MUSEO GALILEO - INSTITUTE AND MUSEUM The Museum is located in a picturesque tower OF THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE house that illustrates the life of the poet and the Florence of his time through historical record and Florence, which has a long history of collecting art medieval finds. On the second floor it is also kept and artifacts of historical relevance, opened its the death mask of Dante. science museum in 2010. The exhibitions include Via Santa Margherita 1, Florence all kinds of inventions from history, with +39 055 219 416 (also fax) informative videos showing just how they worked. www.museocasadidante.it Galileo Galilei was one of the world's most [email protected] celebrated scientists and genius, and the Museo Galileo is a tribute to him and all the work he GALLERIA DELL’ACCADEMIA accomplished in Florence. The Galleria museum is one of the most popular Piazza dei Giudici 1, Florence museums in Florence.