Florence is like walking into a painting that has never dried. The streets are paved in stone, and the roofs are terracotta. The Arno River slides between banks. Here, the light is different. Softer and Golden. Every corner of the city is a place where memories are etched. Michelangelo walked on these stones. Dante wrote here. Botticelli painted in this place. These palaces are still standing. It’s there, in the names and the echo. Florence’s past isn’t a prison. It is alive. Students gathered in piazzas to use laptops and drink coffee. Children run after pigeons in squares. The markets smell of bread and truffles. Late at night, the buzz of conversations in cafes is a constant. Florence is not only a museum but also a city that has never stopped. Visit Florence for the art, food, history, or just to stroll slowly through the town.
These are 15 things to do in Florence. Each has a unique story. Together, they make up the whole city.
1. Florence Cathedral (Duomo).
The Duomo is a towering structure. It draws your attention from the streets below. The dome is red, contrasting with the sky. Its marble stripes are white, green, and pink. The dome dominates every angle. The silence is palpable as soon as you enter. The air is cooler inside than outside. The dome is covered in frescoes, heaven, and hell are painted above you. Angels and demons are moving. People are hunching their necks and opening their mouths wide.
Climb the dome. Stairs spiral tight, stone pressing close. The air becomes thinner, and footsteps echo through the small space. You pass other people on small landings. Everyone is pressed up against the wall and laughing nervously. The city explodes at the top. The terracotta roofs are arranged in waves. The Arno winds its way through. Hills roll on. The sound of bells is like the wind itself. The view is worth the effort.
2. Uffizi Gallery
The Uffizi is a treasure trove of art that has shaped the entire world. The corridors are lined with paintings that have reshaped how people perceive beauty. Venus by Botticelli, with her hair curled like a gold wave. Leonardo’s sketches – figures in motion captured in faint lines. Caravaggio’s dark and violent shadows bring light to drama. The gallery is filled with whispers. The crowds move slowly. Some stare for long periods of time, while others rush with cameras in hand. Children pull at their parents, asking them who these people were, why they look so serious, and why the colors are so vibrant. The Arno is visible from the windows. The light reflects off the marble floor. The art remains. It clings to you when you leave. Images are sharper and more vivid than memories.
3. Ponte Vecchio
The Arno bridge is long and heavy. The shops cling to the sides of the bridge, with windows brimming with jewelry and gold rings glinting under lamps. The air is filled with the smell of metal and polish. The crowds push forward. Voices from all languages are heard. Musicians strumming guitars in corners float their notes into the air. A couple stops to argue about prices. Another sits silently against the rail and watches the water below. Look out from the middle. The river reflects the palaces, arches, and towers. The glow at sunset is intense, and the water turns into liquid fire. Cameras click endlessly. The noise will fade if you stand still for a few minutes. The bridge is full of history. The bridge has been through war, floods, and fires. The smoothed stones carry the memories of centuries.
4. Accademia Gallery
At first, the Accademia seems modest. The Accademia is smaller, quieter, and simpler than the Uffizi. Then you turn the corner and he is there. The marble is bigger than you expected. 17 feet of perfection. The face is calm and fierce, but the muscles are alive. People are circling slowly, whispering. Cameras are raised, but the hands tremble a bit. The silence is thick.
The gallery is filled with other works. Paintings hang in steady rows. Michelangelo carved unfinished Slaves, half-formed bodies that twist and strain to escape from the stone. David is the one who eclipses all. You can’t leave without one final look back.
5. Piazza della Signoria
The square opens up like a theatre. The edges are lined with statues. Neptune rising above the water in white. Perseus raising Medusa’s head. Hercules is tensely clenched in stone. Lions crouched, watching. Palazzo Vecchio towers above. Its weight is still felt in the thick walls and sharp clock. Florence was the site of important decisions. The crowds are always gathering. Children laugh as pigeons scatter. Street performers sing. Sketch artists quickly draw portraits. The air is buzzing, but the statues are still. The statues have witnessed hundreds of people come and go. Piazza della Signoria feels eternal.
6. Palazzo Vecchio
Artists adorn the palace walls with frescoes, while painters fill the ceilings with scenes of gods, battles, and victories. The Hall of the Five Hundred is vast, and the paintings are alive with movement. Here, the Medici ruled, and these rooms are a reminder. Climb the tower. Voices echoing as people pass by each other on the narrow steps and rough stone. Florence is spread out below. Massive and close to the Duomo. Arno bends. Bridges strung across like ribbons. The palace is a fortress as well as a museum. The palace is a building of memory and power. The stone is carved with authority.
7. Boboli Gardens
Green opens up behind the palace. Boboli is more than a garden. Boboli is a work of art. Around every corner, statues are waiting, paths curve, hedges grow. Cypress trees line the path, fountains quietly bubble, and long shadows stretch. Families move slowly. As pigeons scatter, children run and shout. Couples rest on benches with their hands intertwined and gazes lost to the skyline. The terraces are open, and Florence is framed by trees. Every step feels deliberate. Nature arranged, sculpted, and guided. The garden is a place of order. Chaos also lives within. Birds circle and leaves rustle. Children laugh. Renaissance vision meets everyday life.
8. Pitti Palace
The palace is imposing. The palace is a massive structure with high windows and a broad, unbending face. It is a rich, opulent interior. Raphael and Titian adorn the corridors with their works, and Rubens also contributes. Velvet, chandeliers, and gold are all over the rooms.
The Palatine Gallery is a sight to behold. The detail in the royal apartments is overwhelming. Ceilings alive with frescoes. Each step takes you further into the opulence. The palace is not a gentle place. They constructed it to show off power and make people bow down in reverence. It still succeeds.
9. Basilica of Santa Croce
The façade is white and green. As you enter, chapels surround you. Walls are alive with frescoes, and altars flicker with candles. The basilica is lined with tombs. Michelangelo is buried here. Galileo too. Machiavelli. Rossini. People remember names carved in stone and legends under one roof.. It feels heavy to walk amongst them. Silence is a great place to gather genius. Santa Croce, however, is more than just a church. Florence is honoring the greatest voices.
10. Mercato Centrale
The hall is filled with noise. Vendors shout out prices. Around the tables, groups laugh. Color and scent fill the stalls. The cheese wheels are stacked high. Red and ripe tomatoes. Hot loaves of bread straight from the oven. Smoke from grills mixes with salt from cured meats and sweetness from pastries. A second world is found upstairs. Long tables filled with strangers. Pasta steamed, rich truffle sandwiches, and wide pizza slices. Chianti glasses raised high and conversations in a dozen different languages. A child spills some sauce on his shirt. His mother sighs. Strangers laugh. It’s chaotic. Alive. Not polished, not quiet. Florence and her friends are eating together.
11. Piazzale Michelangelo
Climb up the hill. Steps rise, legs ache, sweat beads. Take the bus to avoid the climb. The view is waiting for you at the top. Florence is spread out below. The Arno is glowing, and the Duomo rises tall. The terracotta roofs are arranged in waves. The hills are soft in the distance. Crowds gather at sunset. Cameras up, music low, wine bottles uncorked. The sky changes from pink to gold and then deep blue. Some people clap when the sun goes down, as if they were applauding the entire city. Piazzale Michaelangelo in Florence is captured with one swipe.
12. Basilica di San Lorenzo
San Lorenzo looks plain outside. Stone bare, walls unadorned. It transforms when you step inside. The columns rise high. The marble is caught by the soft light. The chapels are ablaze with detail. Michelangelo’s sculptures are silent and powerful in the Medici Chapels. San Lorenzo’s brilliance is hidden behind its simplicity. It is a contrast that will make it stick in your memory.
13. Bargello Museum
Bargello, a prison that is now a museum. The courtyard is open, the stone walls are thick, and shadows long. Inside, sculptures decorate the rooms. Donatello’s David, a delicate bronze. Michelangelo’s work is steady with unfinished figures that twist as if they were alive. Cellini’s dramatic forms, metal caught on fire. Pitti is smaller and quieter. Its voice is loud. Art here helped to shape the Renaissance.
14. Santo Spirito
Santo Spirito is located across the river. Brunelleschi made it simple outside and pure inside. The balanced proportions make the white walls glow. The nave is calm. The wooden pews stretch out, the chapels line with paintings, and a crucifix carved by a young Michelangelo hangs quietly. The light slides across the floor. The square outside vibrates at night. The square outside hums at night. Students spill bottles, cafes spill their tables, and guitars strumming. Santo Spirito, a sacred place inside and a social one outside. Both sides are important.
15. Ponte Santa Trinita
The stone arches are lighter than those of the Ponte Vecchio. Silently, statues of the seasons look on. The space is quieter. The area is more peaceful. Look both directions from the middle. The reflections of the palaces, the river, and its length are all visible. Sunsets are private moments. The bridge that holds the time. It is one of the best things to do in Florence, Italy.
Florence: Useful Tips
- Early morning is the best time to start. Even the Duomo is different when the crowds aren’t there.
- You can purchase tickets for the Uffizi and Accademia online in advance. You could be spending hours wandering instead of waiting in line.
- You should wear shoes that you can forgive. The cobblestones never end; they are uneven and old.
- Ascend towers slowly. The air may be close and the steps narrow, but the views always reward the effort.
- Bring coins to small gelato and coffee shops. Cards may not work in all cases.
- Gelato is worth trying more than once. You should try each shop’s gelato to see if it is really the best.
- The markets close sooner than you expect. If you want to experience the excitement, noise, and food before lunch, go early.
- Evenings belong in piazzas. Sit down with a cocktail, listen to some music, and let the city slowly slow around you.
- Don’t skip Oltrarno. Florence is more alive and local across the river.
- Enjoy a sunset in Piazzale Michelangelo. Even when it’s crowded or feels clichéd, the experience stays with you.
Conclusion
Florence is still the Renaissance. Domes rising, towers looking, palaces heavy, and gardens open. Markets full of laughter, museums filled with genius, and bridges with memories. The following fifteen things to do in Florene are worth their weight in gold. Art, food, history, people. Slowly walk. Climb the towers. Sit in piazzas. Eat at markets. Watch sunsets. The city will show itself.
Florence is not only seen. It wraps you up, step by step and glance by glance. Beauty never left this place.