“Visiting Florence was like flipping the pages of Renaissance.”

“Why do you only put photos of Florence with a tag of “Throwback” – This is one of the most asked questions I received every time I posted a photograph from my last vacation. Whenever I replied with “I found Florence magical…” few of them disagreed as they found it “Tourist-y” and I had to promise to give short guide to the magic of Florence.

I have to apologize because it sat on my “draft” for some time…Finally, here is my experience!

Florence is magical, intriguing, pregnant with music, energy, and romance. It has everything that can make your vacation a beautiful one. Despite being a crowded “tourist” destination, Florence offers a unique blend of serenity and chaos. There is a historian in me that loves to uncover things that bring alive a new world. The trip to Florence was the best journey that unveiled the secrets of a revolution that started the Modern world.  I was seduced by the idea of taking a Florence Tour which takes you to all the attractions of the city and drops you back to your hotel. It was so mechanic that the beauty of the city was lost in sweat and plethora of information. We were dropped at Piazzale Michelangelo to enjoy the sunset and the overview of the city. My little girl was so exhausted that she decided to take a nap in her stroller and we decided to go back to Piazza della Republica to enjoy our meal and go back to the hotel. But it turned out to be a treasure hunting experience.

Florence was established by, the most famous, Roman King Julius Caesar in 59 BC for his military. “It was built in a style of an army camp with the main streets, the cardo and the decumanus, intersects at the present Piazza della Republica.” This is a place from where we started to explore Florence on foot ditching the tourist experience and cherishing the inner beauty of the city.  Florence has a feel of medieval history yet so modern. Every street has a different story and it invites you to live the magical era.

Here is a list of 10 things to do in Florence to get every drop of essence of the city.

1. Take a guiding tour or visit all the tourist attractions. Reserve tickets in advance, here.
2. Enjoy Morning Walk at the Ponte Vecchio
3. Walk along the Arno river and get the feel of “Inferno”- Dan Brown.
4. Don’t miss Pizza, Cappuccino, and Gelato. Guilt free indulgence is the must!
5. Enjoy sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo
6. Walk in the city at night – start with Piazza Della Republica
7. Don’t carry Maps, let the narrow lanes guide you. And some streets are so narrow that one vehicle can pass at one time.
8. Get mesmerized by street performers, musicians and carousel ride at Piazza Della Republica.
9. Capture the best view of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo. I was lucky enough to witness a man proposing her love with a melodious song.
10. Florence has remarkable red wine, don’t forget to enjoy a bottle of wine.

“Some beautiful paths can’t be discovered without getting lost.”― Erol Ozan

I hope you enjoyed this short guide to enjoying your visit to Florence. It is one place where you wish time would stand still.

Happy Travels!

xoxo