AMAZING singer - music started at 10:30 on Saturday and we were a bit concerned at first because…read morethe place was a bit empty, but after the music started the place filled up and after 3 songs people started signing along and making recs! So so fun :)

Italian below Such a beautiful place! It was a dressing shop…read moreand now it's a really good place to listen music and drink almost everything you want. Absolutely go for it!!! Da quando ha aperto al posto di un negozio di vestiti non sono mai riuscito a entrarci. Ieri è stata la volta buona e credo di essere stato super fortunato. Suonavano gli "Strangefaces", una cover band della madonna con gli ACDC loro punto di forza. La gran musica pompata a dovere ha sicuramente contribuito al mio voto comunque positivo. Bell'arredamento "legnoso" e minimal q.b., barman (barwoman?) brava e veloce, disposizione dello spazio intelligente con un'area lontano sufficientemente dalla musica per chi vuole anche parlare senza sgolarsi. Il palco in vetrina poi credo sia la vera chicca. Della serie "volete sapere come suonano e cosa suonano? ENTRATE!"

As a general rule, I don't do a lot of touristy things when I'm traveling. In my older age, and…read moreinfinite wisdom, I've learned that I don't need to go into all the old churches in Europe (especially if there's a line). I'll be happier sipping wine in the sunshine outside a cafe. Having said that, I still highly recommend the Boboli Gardens. My friends all wanted to go and it was a winner that I'm glad they dragged me along to visit. The grounds are gorgeous, and Florence is oddly devoid of anything green, so it's a breath of fresh air (literally) to wander around, walk up the Bowling Green, and gawk at the flowers, the trees, and one of the biggest and best stone heads I've ever seen. As a bonus, after touring the gardens we were somehow able to bypass the lines to get into the Pitti Palace, and skipping lines is my favorite. Also, the palace is just room after room of incredible paintings, gorgeous ceilings, and (my wife's favorite) some of the most intricately beautiful tables you've ever seen.

We visited the Boboli Gardens and the Palazzo Pitti on our first afternoon in Florence, and what…read morewith the Duomo views and the Medici glamor, it was a nice introduction to the city. The palace was originally commissioned in 1458 by a Florentine banker named Pitti. The Medicis picked it up in 1549, and it remained a ruling class residence until 1919, when it was gifted to the nation and turned into a museum. It's a giant place, literally palatial, with a kind of forbidding, fortress-like aesthetic. Seems like a weird place to live, but what do I know. We walked in on a Wednesday afternoon, and neither the gardens nor the museum were crowded. We started with the Boboli Gardens, which were quite attractive, even in mid-November with nothing in bloom. It felt like a large, inclined park, pleasant to walk, with impressive fountains and tremendous views. There was an empty amphitheater and an ancient Egyptian obelisk. Tons of old statues, including a fenced-off 17th century work called "The Abundance," where we saw a weird lady sneak in to molest the base. We wandered up the garden's main axis and reached the Giardino del Cavaliere, an intricately landscaped walled garden with truly fantastic views. We spent about an hour in the gardens and another hour in the Palatine Gallery, Palazzo Pitti's primary museum space. The gallery contains over 500 paintings, most of them from the Renaissance, a collection that once belonged to the Medicis and their successors. I'm sure we would've gotten more out of the visit had we taken a guided tour, but we did pretty well walking through those endless rooms on our own. We had a good time at the Palazzo Pitti and would recommend it to anyone visiting Florence. Less mandatory than the Uffizi or the Accademia, but a great place to absorb the lavish splendor of the Medicis.

This theatre turned bookstore is the coolest tourist destination in Florence! If you love books and…read moretheatres. It's beautiful inside. It's a great spot to rest your feet and use the restroom with a purchase. Moulin Rouge was playing while I picked up a new book! Prices are very reasonable for new books too. Even better than in the USA.

This place is amazing!!…read more Not only is it a phenomenal book store with tons of selections, it's an entire experience. Upstairs has seating like a movie theater with tons of comfy seats. They are constantly showing a movie and have a whole lineup listed for upcoming showings. They hold cool events too. There's seating with tables available to do work upstairs. Multiple people were there studying and doing work. Cafe available downstairs during certain hours. Gotchic revival mixed with art deco feel. There is an elevator to access the upstairs for anyone with mobility needs.

it was terrible. The staff is rude. I was treated with poor customer service. its over priced and…read moremuggy. it even smells like mildew by the wooden "coffee" section.

I love this place!!! Over my past semester studying abroad Todo Modo has been my go to study spot…read more It is the perfect place to go to do school work, read a book, or catch up with friends. You can order coffee, drinks, or snacks while studying for a good refreshment. It's also a really cute book store that sells both Italian and English books. The aesthetic is very calming and one of my favorite places in Florence! Definitely a must place to check out!

Such a charming shop!…read more This unique gift store in Oltrarno in Florence is packed with delightful curiosities and lifestyle objects. From espresso cups and saucers with drawings of Florence, to whimsical place mats and cushions, each item is crafted with panache. Great for one of a kind souvenirs from Florence, or distinct decorative item for one's own home. One of my new favourite places.

It's a curious shop owned by the renown calligrapher and packaging designer - Betty Soldi. It is…read moreone of the most interesting retail space / cross media studio to check out in the Oltrarno area. Betty's curated home decor items, jewelries and artisanal hand crafted gifts are as unique and whimsical as her calligraphy works. When I was walking through her paper cut filled store, I felt like I was entering Betty's creative mind. I found a lot of unique gifts designed by Betty for myself and friends in the store. Packaging was awesome. Betty personally put the item in the box and sprinkled with confetti for me. She is such a sweet person. All retail shops and art galleries on Via Maggio close between 1 to 3pm. If you got there after 3pm but it's still not open yet, hang around.... Betty or her husband may be just across the street chatting with friends.

The Accademia Gallery in Florence offers a focused, more intimate, and ultimately defined by a…read moresingle, overwhelming masterpiece, Michelangelo's David. Founded in the late 18th century as a teaching collection, it evolved into one of Italy's most important art institutions You slowly move through the gallery of Renaissance paintings and plaster models. You curiosity begins to build as you anticipate viewing this famous David. Quite impressive...the statue's size, precision details, and sculpture expertise lives you in awe. The Accademia's smaller size allows for a more intimate experience. It highlights Michelangelo's works as well as adding meaningful context.

You cannot visit Florence without visiting Galleria dell'Accademia to see Michelangelo's David…read more Though I had a tour guide, I felt like the pace was too slow. It's a great museum, don't get me wrong, but I'd rather beat the crowds to see David, and then take my time strolling through all the other works of art. Seeing 17' of David in person is unreal-- a human made this out of rejected marble. The magnitude of David's height and attention to detail is incredible and the lighting under a skylight highlights every vein and definition of muscle even more so. If you're looking for a deep dive art history lesson, I'd recommend using AI. Note: try to book skip-the-line tickets in advance. If you're unable to, you can try to book through a third party booking system such as Viator, but you'll be paying more.

In ancient times, to know the time, people used the sundial, a measurement tool based on the…read moredetection of the position of the sun. Sundials had a gnomon, the bar whose shadow marked the time on the dial. Standing outside the Museo Galileo near the Uffizi Gallery at the Palazzo Castellani in Florence, my partner, our friends, family member, and I stumbled on the Monumental Sundial on our way to find an establishment for lunch in September. Originally built in 2007, a tall bronze obelisk constitutes the gnomon of a modern sundial, which casts its shadow on the lines of travertine marble and brass flanked by the signs of the zodiac in glass and marble placed on the ground, indicating time and date. It was visually stunning.

Florence is like the birthplace of STEM, so when visiting here, going to the Galileo Museum is a…read moreMUST! Learning of not only Galileo, but his followers who came after him and the benefactors - the Medici family, was inspirational. It made me realize how bravery is foundational to how science evolves a society, and how essential loyal benefactors are to helping with the change. Truly amazing.

CHOCOLATE! If you…read morelove chocolate or anything sweet, the annual chocolate festival in Firenze is almost a dream come true! Every year for a week - typically Valentine's Day week - Firenze will host an open market that features chocolate artisans that sell delicious and tempting sweets. Hot chocolate, chocolate fruits, chocolate of every sort - Every booth has an eye-popping amount of different kind of chocolate that you may not even know existed! This is also where I discover this heavenly chocolate called "cremino veneziano" (Venetian cream) which is a multi-layer chocolate that quickly melts in your hand if you don't pop it in your mouth soon and literally melts instantly in your mouth. Oh why don't they make this in the US... In case you can't get enough sweets though, the festival also includes a chocolate cooking show and the booths also sell other non-chocolate sweets like €1 macaron! Sadly (and maybe fortunately), many chocolate items here are extremely pricey, although that's to be expected as artisan goods. For example, my new love "cremino veneziano" is a costly €4.5 for a mere 100 grams... Nonetheless, even if you don't intend to splurge on sweets, definitely swing by here to at least feast your eyes upon the sweets! You can even get a sample or two like how I met my cremino veneziano. While I would not intentionally fly into Firenze for this festival, I would recommend making a detour to witness sweetness if you are in Italy during this time! --- DOVE? WHERE? Typically, this festival is held in Piazza Santa Maria Novella, the church piazza in front of the train station. However, check the website or ask your hotel staff. We nearly missed the festival because it was moved in the last minute to Piazza della Santissima Annunziata, the northern piazza that is a bit out of the way from the typical tourist route. --- tl;dr version 1) CHOCOLATE! 2) Various sorts of chocolate and sweets to feast your eyes (and even sample) 3) Pricey so don't expect to going home in bags without splurging 4) Recommended detour if you're already in Italy

This place just blew my mind. I am so surprised it's not on people's "must-see" lists for Florence…read more There was only a couple other people here when we were here. It is across the bridge, not too far if you are staying anywhere near the Uffuzi Museum. If you are a medical professional the human anatomy exhibits will blow your mind. Art meets human anatomy. Some of the wax models are in very interesting poses as their organs are displayed. If I correctly recall, most of these wax models are from the late 1700s. Then there's the animals, tons and tons of animals, from a wide array of birds, bears, lions, alligators. It's a zoo of stuffed , once alive animals. It's kind of creepy but very interesting, nothing like I've ever seen before. Something to definitely experience if in Italy. Pictures don't do this place justice. 6Euro per person.

Expect to go back in time to a period of collecting animal specimens when the animals were regarded…read morelike stamps or coins. The massive 20-or-so rooms of taxidermized animals in the zoology section doesn't look as if anyone has messed with it in some 150 years and there is no air conditioning. You'll notice the eyes on that shark were replaced with very standard stuffed animal eyes. A few of the creatures are not taxidermized, but are models, though it's difficult to tell what's what. Then there's the wax model section, which is air conditioned, and may freak you out. We also saw the Medici mineral collection, while other sections were closed on the day we visited. This place is for the biologist, the goth and perhaps the young historian/scientist, but having been to innumerable natural history museums because my daughter is considering going into that field, this one wasn't for me.

AVOID AVOID AVOID…read more The garden is all around beautiful. But I went to the bathroom right above it, and basically paid to be assaulted. I was groped and forced into the bathroom by the man working there while waiting for my friend. Had to scream to get away. Truly traumatized. I've been living in Florence for 6 months and never felt that un safe. The sad truth I have to leave reviews to warn people because I don't know what the staff will do after I informed them. Be safe.

Everyone hypes about Piazzale Michelangelo or the San Miniato church, but this rose garden is…read moreliterally right behind these tourist magnets and yet offers the same stunning view of Florence except in a much more lovelier setting! Welcome to Florence's city rose garden! Located downhill of Piazzale Michelangelo, this is an easy walk down to quickly escape the crowd. In fact, if you are hardcore and are trekking to the Piazzale on foot from the San Niccolo neighborhood, why not take the more scenic route through this rose garden. Sure it's not well-manicured like a palace garden but it's free to enter and is still decently maintained enough to have roses blossom around you! Most likely, Piazzale Michelangelo that you are heading or coming from is filled with a huge crowd, so take a quick breather here and experience the Florence skyline in a less-stressful and more floral way! --- tl;dr version: 1) Located downhill of Piazzale Michelangelo with almost equal skyline view 2) Perfect scenic route if you are trekking to the Piazzale 3) Much less crowded and more beautiful than the Piazzale