PlanoPlanoFlorence concentrates more Renaissance art per square metre than anywhere else on Earth, but the city also rewards long meals, artisan leather workshops, and views from Tuscan hilltops. Things to do in Florence extend from Botticelli and Brunelleschi into the living craft traditions of the Oltrarno and the vineyards beyond the city walls.
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April, May, September
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Baptistery of San Giovanni
The octagonal Romanesque baptistery opposite the cathedral features Ghiberti's gilded bronze "Gates of Paradise" doors, completed over 27 years from 1425.
Museo Galileo
The science museum along the Arno holds Galileo's original telescopes and the finger he used to discover Jupiter's moons, alongside astrolabes and globes.
Palazzo Strozzi
The 15th-century Renaissance palace in the centre hosts major temporary art exhibitions (recent shows have included Olafur Eliasson and Jeff Koons) and has a courtyard cafe.
Mercato Centrale upper floor
The first-floor food court of San Lorenzo's 1874 iron market houses artisan stalls for lampredotto, truffle pasta, and gelato, open daily until midnight.
Giardino Bardini
A terraced garden on the Oltrarno hillside that is far quieter than Boboli, with a wisteria tunnel in April and one of the best Duomo views in the city.
San Frediano neighbourhood
The western Oltrarno quarter beyond Piazza del Carmine has Florence's most authentic trattoria scene, artisan workshops restoring antique furniture, and zero tour groups.
Santo Spirito piazza
The Oltrarno's main square, anchored by Brunelleschi's last church, hosts a daily morning market and fills with locals drinking aperol spritz on its stone steps every evening.
Val d'Orcia day trip
The UNESCO-listed Tuscan landscape 100 km south features the cypress-lined road at Monticchiello, Pienza's pecorino cheese, and Brunello di Montalcino wines.
Scuola del Cuoio leather school
Operating inside the Santa Croce monastery since 1950, this school-workshop sells handcrafted bags, belts, and journals made on site using traditional Florentine methods.
La Cite libreria-cafe
A bookshop-bar in Borgo San Frediano that hosts live jazz, acoustic sets, and literary readings most evenings, with a pay-what-you-want aperitivo buffet.
The best months to enjoy things to do in Florence are April, May, September, October. Plan around these months for the best weather and fewer crowds.
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