Out of all the Big 3 cities in Italy I collectively walked the most steps in Florence. Not only is…read morethe city pedestrian-friendly (small city plus a huge car-free zone around the Duomo), some of the best views are rewarded if you work hard for it. I was very fortunate to be able to do the main 3 climbs of the city: the cupola (dome) climb, Giotto's Campanile (bell tower) climb and the Arnolfo tower climb. Spread out over the course of the entire Florence leg of my trip this is how I justified eating whatever I wanted. The Arnolfo Tower is 95 meters high and is erected atop the Palazzo Vecchio. It is named after the architect of the palace, Arnolfo di Cambio. During construction he decided to incorporate an ancient tower formerly located at the site - hence why the tower itself is off-center. The purpose of the tower was for defense of the city. - The clock built into the tower serves as the city's first public clock. Only one hand tells the hour while increments in the hours themselves denote the minute by 15-minute increments. - There's a "alberghetto" inside the tower, which in reality is a small prison. Famous inhabitants included Cosimo the Elder (first member of the Medici family dynasty) and Savonarola (a devout Dominican monk) before their exile and executions, respectively. The tower can be accessed via its own separate admission fee (€10) or as part of a combo-ticket with the Palazzo Vecchio (€14) and the archaeological site (€18). It also keeps separate hours from Palazzo Vecchio itself; check the website for exact hours as they differ depending on the season. Remember that last entry is an hour to close. Difficulty: in the middle between the harder Cupola climb and the easier Campanile climb. While 418 is the official step count, the actual number of steps of the tower climb itself is a bit over 200. This is because you have to climb some steps in order to reach the starting point of the Palazzo Vecchio rooms open to the public, which is the same floor as the entrance to the tower. On busy days there is also a waiting period to climb the tower as only 20ish people can access the tower at any given period with a maximum time of 30 minutes per group. This provides ample opportunity to "rest" halfway, though on actual tower climb itself there are fewer opportunities to rest than the Campanile. The tower climb shows its reward when you reach the top. It is the single best view inside the city of the entire Duomo cathedral, including Giotto's Campanile. You can photograph the entire cathedral within one frame. The best view is specifically marked as such and highly encourages people to take the best view/selfie shots. I enjoyed this view as it did give me the best shot of the Duomo. I was not able to go to Piazzale Michelangelo for my chance to take a picture of "the best shot of Florence". PS: In retrospect I'm glad that I paid for the separate €10 admission. Had I done the combo-ticket on the same day I visited Palazzo Vecchio it would've been a challenge to tackle *both* the cupola and this climb several hours after.

Literally towering over Florence is the Tower of Palazzo Vecchio. It stands 311 feet tall and is…read morethe city's most recognizable symbol and focal point. The oldest parts of the building were built between 1299 and the early 14th century, possibly to a design by Arnolfo di Cambio, as the seat of the city's government. For a fee, (€ 6.50 for the tour or € 10 for the tour and museum), you can climb the tower. We are from Baltimore where we have The Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower, which was modeled after the Palazzo Vecchio. It has been a Baltimore landmark since its construction in 1911. So we have always felt a connection to this tower.