At the end of August, my mother had a birthday, so I decided to take her on a trip to Italy. Three cities in three days, Florence, Pisa, Venice. Mom has never been to Florence and Pisa before. I was there with school, almost 10 years ago, and I must admit that I remembered Florence completely different. But it was nice, we had great weather all three days.
The first day we spent quite a few hours of driving, so we arrived in Florence at around 4 in the afternoon. We have reserved Hotel Michelangelo in Montecatini Terme, which is located about 52 km west of Florence. So we did not have time for all the galleries and museums, and to make a more detailed look at all the sights. We just walked across the city but still have seen the beauty of Florence.

A walk down from Piazzale Michelangelo

Free parking is almost impossible to find in Florence, but there is one, Piazzale Michelangelo, and we really had luck, to find there a free spot. It is located on a hill, so there is a really beautiful view of the center of Florence, and it’s just a short walk downhill to the center.

Giardino Delle rose

Right next to parking Piazzale Michelangelo there is a beautiful rose garden. Unfortunately, there was not a lot of roses at this time, but it was a really pleasant and relaxing walk through the garden. It’s free, open from 8.30 to 19.30. It is ideal for taking a break from museums while enjoying a marvelous panoramic view of Florence. The best time to visit is in May and June when the over 350 varieties of roses planted here are in bloom. There are also many other plants, including lemon trees and a Japanese Garden.

Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio, the old bridge, is, of course, the oldest bridge in Florence.
There have been shops on Ponte Vecchio since the 13th century. Initially, there were all types of shops, including butchers and fishmongers and, later, tanners, whose “industrial waste” caused a pretty rank stench in the area. In 1593, Ferdinand I decreed that only goldsmiths and jewelers be allowed to have their shops on the bridge in order to improve the well-being of all, including their own as they walked over the bridge. Now there are jewelers, art dealers, and souvenir sellers.

Palazzo Vecchio

The Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace) is the town hall of Florence, which was already its original role. It is located in Piazza Della Signoria, which is actually a unique outdoor sculpture gallery. Statues, some are replicas, marks the most important events in the history of the city. Many are associated with the rise and fall of the Florentine Republic.

Florence Cathedral – The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore or Il Duomo

The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore is the main church of Florence and the highest building in town. The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Campanile. The baptistery is also known as Baptistery of Saint John but is most famous for its Gates of Paradise.
The baptistery was covered because it’s under renovation, but still, I could take a photo at least of some details of the east doors.
 

Of course, there are many other attractions, such as Galleria dell-Academia, Galleria Uffizi, Palazzo Pitti, Boboli Gardens, Palazzo Medici, Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella… But this and all the other things would take more than one day.
In conclusion, I would say we had a really nice few hours walking through Florence. But I will definitely come again someday for more days.

If you are staying in Florence here are some beautiful hotels to stay in:
GRAND HOTEL MINERVA – Located in the city center, offers a pool on the roof and amazing view. Some of the rooms have a view of the Cathedral which is just 500m away.
PLUS FLORENCE – affordable option to stay in center, also a great location, just 1 km from Cathedral.
HOTEL GLANCE IN FLORENCE – Located in central Florence, 400 m from Fortezza da Basso, Hotel Glance offers a lounge bar, a rooftop outdoor pool with panoramic views of the city.