Holiday homes & rentals in Florence

The cultural heartland of Italy, Florence is perfect for a weekend break. The central Italian city has some of the world’s best museums, such as the Uffizi Gallery; an utterly romantic old town; and unique Renaissance masterpieces, such the Duomo (cathedral). Holiday apartments in the city centre are as charming as it gets.

What to Eat On Your Holiday in Florence

There is nothing quite like traditional spaghetti and pizza in Florence. Created with fresh ingredients and ancient recipes, Italian food here is second-to-none. However, Florence also has more unique foods worth sampling.

The Bistecca alla fiorentina, a grilled T-bone steak, is one of the city's flagship cuisines. Try a slice of schiacciata alla fiorentina for dessert; a pastry sponge cake topped with vanilla sugar.

Florence’s Top Sights: Museums, Churches, and Gardens

Start with a visit to the Uffizi Gallery, displaying works of art by big names such as Michelangelo, Giotto, and Leonardo da Vinci. Take your time to admire the sensuality of the Birth of Venus by Botticelli. Then walk past the Duomo, whose spectacular dome was designed by the father of Renaissance architecture, Filippo Brunelleschi.

In the evening stroll along the elegant streets of the old city, and enjoy the romantic view from Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge). For dinner, eat the notorious “fiorentina” T-bone steak. The following day visit the Accademia Gallery to admire Michelangelo’s David, a masterpiece of marble sculpture. Then enjoy a well-deserved relaxing walk in the elegant Bardini Gardens.

Cultural Highlights of Florence

Visitors to Florence are spoilt for choice when it comes to its attractions. The first port-of-call is usually the Uffizi museum, which houses one of the world's most famous Renaissance art collections. The huge collection plays host to works by da Vinci and Botticelli, as well as classical antiquity sculptures. However, the Galleria dell'Accademia is worth visiting for Michaelangelo's world-famous David.

The Duomo di Firenze, or Florence Cathedral, is another cultural highlight. The enormous Gothic structure punctures the skyline from all angles and was completed in the 15th century. You can also check out the cathedral museum that showcases sculptures, models and sketches.

Nightlife and entertainment in Florence

Many of Florence's nightclubs are relatively central, near the north bank of the River Arno. The larger dance venues open late, and tend not to fill up until around 2am. Fortunately, Florence also has a number of top-notch bars, especially for cocktail lovers. If you're not in the mood for Bellinis or Dry Martinis, there are plenty of wine and beer bars in the old town.

Another popular pastime in Florence is watching football. It's synonymous with watching the city's purple team Fiorentina, whose home stadium Stadio Artemi Franchi is beautifully framed by green hills. With the exception of big games, tickets are usually available a couple of days before the match.

Excursion destinations in the surroundings

On a hill six miles southeast of Florence lies the small walled town of San Gimignano. Despite having just over 7000 inhabitants, the town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The reason is that San Gimignano was the medieval equivalent of Manhattan, with tall defense and residential towers that formed, and still form, an impressive skyline. Today 13 of these remain, but at its peak there were 72 such towers. The city's museum has built a model of what it looked like. Vernaccia di San Gimignano, a white wine, is grown on the hillsides outside.

Regular Events in Florence

The Scoppio del Carro is held each April and is a notable event where an elaborate wagon rigged with fireworks is set off at the Duomo. The Festa di San Lorenzo is another great celebration held in August. Celebrated throughout Italy, Florence's festivities can be found mainly in piazza San Lorenzo where locals serve free pasta in celebration.

Sesto d'Estate Music Festival is a summer music festival in Florence that includes various cultural events. The festival primarily consists of a series of outdoor concerts at the Villa Solaria gardens in June.

Five sights you should not miss in Florence

Santa Maria del Fiore

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The Cathedral of Florence goes by the grandiose name of Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, 'Basilica of the Flowers of the Holy Mary'. When it was built in the early 15th century, it was the largest church in the world. It's free to see the beautiful decorations inside, but it's worth paying to go up to the tower, where a wonderful view awaits.

Santa Maria Novella

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Even older than the cathedral is Santa Maria Novella, the church that has also given its name to the city's central station. Inside, it houses several famous paintings by Renaissance masters such as Masaccio, Filippino Lippi and Domenico Ghirlandaio.

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The Uffizi

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The Uffizi, or Galleria degli Uffizi, as it is called in Italian, is widely considered one of the world's top art museums. It houses famous works by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michaelangelo, Titian, and Caravaggio, among others - but the most famous is probably Sandro Botticelli's "Birth of Venus".

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Palazzo Vecchio

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Palazzo Vecchio is a building dating back to the 13th century that serves as Florence's town hall. In front of the entrance is a replica of Michelangelo's famous statue of David, on the same spot where the original stood between 1504 and 1873.

Palazzo Vecchio.

Basilica di Santa Croce

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Basilica di Santa Croce or 'Basilica of the Holy Cross', is another large and powerful church full of priceless works of art. The church, which began construction in the late 13th century, is home to the graves of Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei, Niccholò Macchiavelli and Gioacchino Rossini, among others.

The Basilica of Santa Croce is a large and powerful church full of priceless art.

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