The capital of Stendhal Syndrome (let’s google it) is a beautiful city that is exposed to the sentences of our hipster youth, “I want to live in Florence and write a book for a part of my life”. Few people don’t like Florence.. Art, history, architecture, whatever you look for, you can find it in this city.. (if you are looking for nightlife here, there is something wrong) Imagine, you are wandering the streets where Michelangelo, Da Vinci and even Dante roamed.. By the way, if you’ve played Assassin’s Creed before, you may also realize that every place has the potential to be climbed, of course this was very specific, I’ll get to the point.
When to Go to Florence?
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To revise this question as specific to Italy posts, it might go something like this: When not to go to Italy? I answer: the summer months.
Actually, considering that the weather is the most important thing when you go to Italy or any other country, you won’t have much trouble deciding when to go here.. Because the weather is in parallel with Turkey, at least with the western part of Turkey.. In my opinion, the best months to go are September-October, or April-May.. Yes, going in the summer may be an option for most of you, but since Florence is almost a “tourist magnet”, if you don’t want to walk around with hundreds of camera swipes (I’m not racist, I just have trouble distinguishing what race they are) and see people you don’t know next to you in every photo frame, I think You should prefer to stay away from the tourist seasons.
And without forgetting, if “I’m going to ask you, when will I go?” If you are going to go to the concert during the festival, give up your habit of swearing comfortably abroad.. (we can’t be the only ones doing this) Because most of the people around you will be Turkish. It will be Turkish enough that you can lie down on the back table and say “brother, pass me the salt” while eating.. Don’t say he didn’t.
What to Wear in Florence?
Florence is a city where you should walk a lot, not use public transport, and land on your feet.. Therefore, the most important point about what to wear is your choice of shoes.. I’m not saying to dress like a tourist who comes to Turkey with white socks and slippers for comfort, but it’s better if you choose something you’ve used before that won’t make your feet cry. You can easily choose what to wear in Florence, considering the weather conditions there.
Since the nightlife is not very active, I don’t think you need to bring anything you can wear to go out at night.
Budget
Yes, we have come to the place where zurna calls “zırt”. (I’ve been waiting a long time to make this sentence) Is Florence expensive? It is very difficult to answer this question for this place.. Because the venue changes according to your preferences.. You might say, “Well, that’s the case for every city”, but in Florence it really makes a difference.. Of course, tourist attractions are more expensive, but I don’t think Florence is that expensive when compared to other touristic cities in Italy, especially Venice.
Judging from my last visit (October 2013), I was not lazy, what an average I took a note of how much money I gave;
Coffee: Around 2.5- 3 Euros
A glass of wine: Around 3-4 Euros
1Kg Fiorentina Steak: 30 Euros (consider that you ate 1 kilo of meat and we only ate it for 3 people)
Main meal in a touristic area: strong> Around 12-15 Euro
Water: Around 1-1.5 Euro
Taxi from Train Station to Duomo (ie the most central part of the city): strong> 12 Euros
Based on these, you can make an average budget for yourself.. Of course, it is possible to get all the things I mentioned for less.. For this, you can eat fast-food and not try to eat Florentine Steak by weight.
Firenze Card
Museums, churches, etc.. You can use Firenze Card to enter places, even to skip the queue by waving to unconscious tourists waiting in line and to provide internet access, which is one of the biggest problems of travelers.. If you use it, public transport is also included in the card.. Before you buy this card, it would be more logical to decide where to go, because sometimes there may be things that you are not interested in, you will love the Pass so much.
As of 2013, the Firenze Card costs 72 Euros.. Valid for 72 hours. There are various points where you can get your card when you reach Florence.. You can have a look at them here and choose the one closest to you.
For more information and which museums are included in the card, it’s a good idea to have a look here.
Florence Accommodation in
Florence is a fairly small city. So no matter where you choose to stay, you will never be too far from the city centre.. However, you can definitely choose Casa del Garbo in the Piazza Della Signoria area, which I think is one of the hotels I have made the right choice so far.. The room we stayed in had its own kitchen and 2 rooms.. Moreover, it was at an incredibly central point, there was a market nearby, it had a beautiful view of the city and was full of cute cafes where you could sit.. When I said it like that, it was like I was running the hotel, but I think we made a really great choice.
In my last visit, we paid 199 Euros for the room I mentioned for 1 night, for 3 people, and I can say that it was definitely worth it.. Count on your money to stay away and pay for transportation.
Note: The bell of the nearby church rings so loudly that you may have to change sheets and underwear on your first night out of fear.
Let’s get you here for more information. .
*At this point, it might be a good idea to tell you about Artıway.. You may have probably come across it before, but let’s not withhold what we know anyway.. Artıway is a system that allows you to cash back some of your spending on the websites you shop on the Internet.. We have been using it for many years, especially when we are dealing with hotels (from sites such as booking and hotels.com), car rental.. Regardless of the travel area, you may want to take a look at Artıway, especially if you shop frequently, as it covers many brands in many different categories such as Trendyol, Nike, Teknosa, The Body Shop, Media Markt, Gratis, Koçtaş.. If you want to become a member, you can solve this issue via this link.. (A bonus like 10 TL is added to your account when you become a member via the link)
Eating and Drinking in Florence
Eating in Italy is a sensitive issue. You can’t eat everything like Mehmet Yasin.. You will become Vedat Milor, be selective and spit after drinking the wine. Yes I may be exaggerating, but the food issue is really sensitive.. Because as all the peoples of the world, we go here with high expectations because of our attitude of “you will eat pizza in Italy, friend” or “let’s praise the wines of Italy”.. In order not to return without meeting these expectations, let me recommend you a few places and wines in my own opinion, if you don’t like it, don’t hit me.
Gusta Pizza: It is not known whether I went when I was on the verge of starvation. Gusta Pizza does not lose the title of “the most delicious pizza”. However, let me tell you in advance, you will not encounter such a crispy pizza with toppings on it.. On the contrary, something thin, fluffy and slightly pita-like comes in front of you.
It is possible to encounter a crazy queue at the door, because the place is very small and there is a number system.. You sit when it’s your turn. Since it is a popular place (if you have the disease of vilifying popular places, you can get material from here), it is possible to encounter Turks.. However, I didn’t have a problem with this since I really like the people I met there and even came to the point of continuing my friendship in Turkey.
For those who want to try, the place is not in the Duomo area, but on the other side of the river.. You can pass through Ponte Vecchio to get here. It’s a cute place where you can go to a back street and try delicious drinks after eating pizza in .. If you want, you can hang out and listen to music in the bar, snack on irrelevant foods ranging from cucumbers to olives in the bar, or you can go out with your drink and hang out in the square right in front of it.
Trattoria Nerone
While you’ve been to Florence, “Fiorentine Steak”. For this, we made a small-scale research and preferred Trattoria Nerone.. The decoration has an air of medievalism that pushes people to eat cake if there is no bread.. The meat is also very tasty.. But if there’s one thing I love more than meat, it’s baked potatoes with garlic and spices.. I think you can go there and order 10 bowls of fries straight away.. By the way, the service is very slow. My advice is to drink lots of wine.. You realize that it is slow the next day.
Wine
Wine is critical issue friends. That’s why I made these comments without any of my expertise or knowledge like “hmm really woody wine” or “oo acrid!” I would like you to consider that I did it just as “this is nice, not this one”, not to taste.. Here are the two wines we drink most often, even more than water: Chianti and Montepulciano. Considering that my favorites in Turkey are Öküzgözü-Boğazkere and Kalecik Karası, you can try them if our tastes suit them.
Coffee
For coffee I will not suggest you a specific place. Because every coffee I’ve had here has been truly amazing. I don’t know if Jesus blessed Moses or what happened, but everything from the instant coffee you get from the machine to the coffee you drink in a cafe where you sit casually, they are all too good.. Hold on to the espresso, push the latte.
Cafe Gilli
I think it would be more accurate to suggest that you don’t waste your time here, rather than just go here.. Once for no reason overly touristic. If you do a little research, you will definitely come across something about this cafe.. I don’t think there is any feature.. Plus it’s unnecessarily expensive. So much so that at a time when we were so tired, “Let’s just sit down, what’s all that?” Even though we were seated reluctantly, it was enough for the waiter working here to say to us, “Why are you hanging out here, there are much better places to go, this is an unnecessarily touristic place”.. We spent 15 minutes sitting in regret.
Places to Visit in Florence
It is of great importance to determine where to visit in Florence correctly.. After all, your “oh look at this masterpiece!” What you interpret as Luigi’s, Caterina’s house turns out. If you take a look at the Firenze Card website that I mentioned above, there are over 60 museums in the tiny city.. If you try to visit all of them, you will lose your mind, friends.
One of the most important things you should know about the city is that everything is based on the Medici.. The museum you visit, the church you see, whatever God has given, all belong to the Medici.. I am updating my life purpose as “being a Medici”, I will enter that family somehow.. (You have witnessed the emergence of the Kezban in me)
Ponte Vecchio
This is one of the symbols of Florence, with houses on it that you can see in all kinds of Florence-themed films. “that bridge”. Of course, the buildings on it are not houses, they are mostly used as jewelery and souvenir shops.. There’s nothing wrong with the jewelers either, they sell gold necklaces, earrings or something like that. You can pass once. No fee.
Uffizi Museum
Originally known as Galleria Degli Uffizi, from its door the queue is not missing, if you have a special interest in art, “Is there any place I forgot?” one of the most important museums in the world, where you can visit until your feet break. It is possible to see the works of Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raffaello, Caravaggio, Goya, Botticelli and many other famous artists that I have not thought of yet.. It’s so exciting to be able to see these, that even as I write, I have a stroke.
-One of the most important and most interesting works in the interior is undoubtedly Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus”. I guess we spent 10 minutes in front of it so that we could examine every detail.
-There is a serious line at the door of the Uffizi every time of the year.. If you buy the Firenze Pass, you have a chance to skip this queue.. If you are not going to buy it, you have the opportunity to make a reservation online.. If you don’t do these, don’t forget to take a quilt, mattress and food with you to the museum.
-Ticket price is 9.5 Euros.. Free for Firenze Card holders.
-Closed on Mondays. Other days open from 8:15 to 18:50. The clock choices are weird, I know too.
Santa Maria del Fiore
Florence, where you can feel like you can speak Italian for a moment when you say her name I can guarantee that this cathedral, which is another symbol of the city, is beautiful enough to turn you into an open mouthed buttermilk idiot who has seen Scarlett Johansson.. It is also known as “Duomo”, but duomo means cathedral in Italian, so it has an original name as you can see above, so you don’t get confused.
-There is a bell tower right next to it, you can climb to the top of it.
-Free to enter.
-The cathedral can be seen from many parts of the city, you can designate it as your pole star for moments when you get lost.
Galleria del’Accademia
While Michelangelo progresses from the specific to the general in the form of sculpture and art, Galleria del’Accademia is the place you need to go to see the work you can think of at every stage, “David”. Apart from that, of course, you have the chance to see many of Michelangelo’s works inside.. However, considering that it is known as the “museum built for David” even by locals, you may not be too interested in the rest.. Of course, if you have a special interest in this work, leave my shallow comment aside.
-It is forbidden to take pictures of the statue of David.. For some reason, one feels shy after chasing excitement, but. It’s a shame.
-Closed on Mondays. Other than that, it’s open between 08:00-18:00. Firenze Card is free and there is no queue.
-Entry: 6.5 Euros
Palazzo Pitti
What the Medici had done to Florence while they were expected to be in Silivri I cannot say that the “summer palaces” Palazzo Pitti looks very beautiful from the outside.. But I don’t blame the Medici for this, because they weren’t the first to build this place, sir.. Currently, there are sections such as the Costume Gallery, Paletine Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art in this huge palace.. Medici pottery (you know who I took as an example while writing this) is now on display. you lie down and realize that they are showing off their latest designer clothes and stuff.. I think it’s ridiculous, waste your time.
Open from 09:00 to 17:00.
Piazza della Signoria
Home to Palazzo Vecchio This is a very beautiful square that hosts many statues, including the representative statue of David.. It is also one of Florence’s largest squares.. Spending time here can make you feel like “I’m really in Florence”. There are many cafes in the square where you can eat or have a drink.
-Palazzo Vecchio, of course, belongs to the Medici.. I think everything in Florence belongs to the Medici.
-Our hotel that I mentioned above is located in this square.
-There is a crowd of drunks in this area at night, and if you get drunk, you can go here and complain to David.
Dante’s House
If your interest in Dante is beyond “The Man in the Lying World screaming Divine Comedy is hilarious” like me, Dante’s house may be of interest to you.. However, in my opinion, it was a bit of a “forced” museum.. As if he just wanted to say “Dante was here”.
Piazza della Republica
This is another of the city’s beautiful and touristic attractions.. It houses a huge carousel inside. I don’t know if it’s there every time of the year, but whenever I’m there, the carousel is there too.. Gilli and similar cafes that I mentioned above are also in this region.. You can dive into every street around this square and encounter all kinds of beauties.
Piazza Michelangelo
The perfect destination to look down on the city, to have a drink while looking at it from above, and to get Instagram stuff.
Tips:
-If you run out of cigarettes at night and everything is closed, you can use the vending machines on the street. But for this you need one Italian over 18 years old. Because you can’t buy cigarettes unless you have the vending machine read an ID to prove that you are over 18.
-One word is enough for you to communicate with people here: Prego. I don’t even know if that’s how it’s spelled, but they give the Prego answer to everything.. I guess the Italians didn’t like us very much if that means something bad.
-Don’t forget to explore Secret Bakery. If you ask what it is, there are places in Florence whose places are not known exactly, and even change places from time to time.. They don’t have a name or a sign.. In the middle of the night, you find these places by following the smell and you have the chance to eat the products produced there.. If you make a fuss or make a noise they don’t sell you anything.. I think it’s very fun and worth a try. For those who can’t find it, one is around Santa Croce, turn left next to the church.
-I think you should explore the whole place on foot.. Because the side streets and non-touristy areas are really beautiful.
-If you don’t mind “let me live as if it’s a local”, and if you don’t want to visit the museums in detail, 2 days is enough time for Florence.
-About shopping, I will not say that there are many crazy options in the city center. There are stores you can find everywhere in Europe.. However, leather gloves, jackets, etc.. If you want to buy, there are a lot of options and good things can come out.
