For July we decided to enjoy a romantic weekend to Florence Italy for a quick break away. This pretty renaissance city in Italy is perfect for a last minute trip full of things to do. Our romantic city break included walking and exploring the city center by foot, climbing towers to breathtaking views and enjoying lots of Italian delicacies.
Things To Do In Florence
Free Walking Tour
We can highly recommend to join a free walking tour on your very first day. This is what we did, with La Bussola for a 2 and a half hour walk through the city. As we did not know too much about Florence and the history, it was the perfect start. For a short weekend, this is a great opportunity to learn the city and see all the highlights along the way. And once you know your surroundings, you can always go back and visit the highlights for longer!
Duomo Tower Climb
For those in good health and fitness condition should take the time to climb the Duomo Tower. We booked in a few weeks in advance, and you totally should too as it sells out fast during the Summer months. We had chosen the time slot of 16:00 which was fitted to the rest of our weekend plans. It was a hot weekend so climbing the tower made everyone super sweaty. However the views at the top were worth it.
You can also climb the bell tower with the same ticket too!
Avoid the crowds with an early walk
By early we mean before 7:00am. This is something we did on our Sunday and last day of our romantic weekend in Florence. We were told before we arrived in Florence that it was basically as busy as Disneyland without the rides. And sure did we experience this! So an early morning walk (as in getting up at 06:30am) was perfect. We could see most of the main areas and full beauty of the buildings without the crowds.
Ponte Vecchio Bridge
No trip to Florence would be complete without visiting the Ponte Vecchio bridge. We walked across it with our free walking tour during the day time, which was extremely busy and full of tourists. During our 7am walk we enjoyed the bridge while it was closed, since we did not want to buy any jewellery from the shops anyway. It was peaceful, empty and you could truly enjoy the bridge and it’s full design.
Of course you just need the willpower to get up early while on a weekend away. For us it worked out great, as we could get up for 6:30am and walk the historic city center as everything was close by. By 9:30am we were back the hotel where we enjoyed breakfast and packed up our things for check out time.
Extra Things Do To In Florence
There were some things we did not do, based on choice rather than lack of time. These extra things include;
- Seeing Florence from the viewpoint Piazzale Michelangelo
- Uffizi Palace and Gallery
- Seeing the original Statue of David
- Palazzo Pitti Museum
- Wander the beautiful Boboli Gardens
- Visit the Basilica of Santa Croce
- Galleria dell’Accademia
Where To Eat On A Romantic Weekend To Florence
Since we were only there for a weekend, we dont have too many recommendations. Our hotel included breakfast so for lunches and dinner we were in the city. However we love eating in Italy and always head to the best places no matter how much time we have. Below we have the top ice cream parlour, a delicious less touristic pizza restaurant and the best focaccia place you just have to try!
Gelateria Dei Neri Ice Cream
During our walking tour we had 30 mins for a bite to eat or an ice cream. Well our guide recommended this place, however we had already done our research and knew that this was the top place to go for the best Italian ice cream in Florence. The reason it’s one of the best is because the counters are inside of the store and all freshly made. If you see an ice cream place outside with the ice cream counter sitting in the sun all day, you know this is not the best Italian ice cream as it is made with ingredients to allow it to be in the sun all day.
From all the choices I had chocolate and strawberry (most delicious!) and my partner had caramel (second most delicious!) and banana.
La Grotta di Leo Restaurant
Find yourself on a table at the La Grotta di Leo restaurant for dinner. This place was full of locals, with delicious food and cheap! They had a very large menu and everything we see that came out of the kitchen looked great. We enjoyed two pizzas and half a bottle of white wine for only €22.00 euros. It was close to our hotel and the train station, so check it out if you are nearby!
All’Antico Vinaio
A trip to Florence must include waiting in line to eat one of these delicious panini/focaccia sandwiches. This is the top and best location in the city, and you sure will notice it! They have three little stores all on the same street. Inside they have a small menu to choose from. We ended up picking prosciutto ham with truffles and cheese – delicious!
Don’t be hesitant of the queues at lunch time, they are pretty quick as they make them in larger quantities and cut when you are there. By 1pm on a weekend, you will see ONLY locals and tourists eating these around the city center. Maybe hyped? but totally worth treating your tastebuds for!
Where To Stay In Florence
The hotel we stayed at was the C-hotels Ambasciatori hotel was the perfect location with walking distances of only 10minutes to the Duomo Tower and the Ponte Vecchio Bridge. Our room with private bathroom was the perfect size and plenty of room for our luggage too. We had a balcony looking straight to the historic center which was lovely to wake up and open our blinds to. As for the breakfast, it was really nice with lots of choice, perfect for those with dietary needs too.
Our Other Posts About Italy
Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius Day Trip From Rome
Romantic Weekend To Florence Summary
A romantic weekend to Florence was perfect for us to have a quick weekend away from the Netherlands. The weather was very hot but that didn’t stop us from exploring the city by foot. A weekend was the perfect amount of time to visit everything we wanted to do, as well as some well earned relaxation. As for the Italian food, we would go back in a heartbeat just to eat everything we did again!
Tips:
- Go for a walk at 7:00am when all the rest of the tourists are sleeping
- Dress appropriately for the weather and the buildings you are visiting
- Enjoy all the ice cream flavours!
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Have you ever enjoyed a Romantic Weekend To Florence? Let us know in the comments!
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