Everything I have read about Florence really only focuses on museums, duomos etc. Though I appreciate art I think I will be a bit museumed out by the time I get to Florence and am actually thinking of skipping it and heading to Bologna instead for a food walking tour.
Am I crazy? Can anyone recommend other places to see in Florence? Is it worth a day just to stroll around and skip all the museum crowds?
Thanks for your help. 11 weeks and counting..can't wait to get there!
Kristen
I spent 4 full days in Florence and only went into two museums for about an hour each. I am not an art fan and don't have the patience for museums. What got me about Florence was the wonderful soul of this city. I loved strolling around, eating gelato, I found the food in Florence to be really awesome, etc. Actually, after I got home I dabbled around in some blogging and I wrote this long Rant entitled "Florence is not just a city of museums!!" you can read it if you want but it's a bit angry LOL. But maybe it will help you realize there is a lot of good stuff to see in Florence not related to art and museums :) So I guess to answer your question, if the city doesn't sound that interesting to you (like me and Paris), I don't think you're crazy to miss it. But if you're only missing it because you're not into museums, then yes, you might be a little crazy ;)
Remember Florence is the cradle of the Italian Renaissance; so there is much to see. Maybe not of interest to you, but if you go to the Tourist Information Office when you arrive, you can pick up some brochures or plan a bus tour of the city.
When you give up on Florence, hit Bologna for a food walking tour. Afterward, ask for a Magnum ice cream bar; you will be glad you did.
No, I don't think you are crazy to miss Florence. Seeing David was the highlight of our Florence visit and it really is amazing. But, hate to say, we were in Florence when it was hot and crowded (yes, summertime) and we just didn't like it as much as Rome, Venice, small Tuscan towns, etc. We did have tickets to the Uffizi but we never got into the duomo because of lineups. Also didn't find it to be a very good city to "stroll", again, as the layout didn't handle the crowds as well as somewhere like Rome.
But, a food walking tour of Bologna would be right up my alley, so I'd definitely choose that over Florence.
I don't know what your full schedule is, but I do think the tuscany area is wonderful and worth a visit. We have been to Florence twice (1 day each time) and have only visited the Academia. It always comes late in our trip when we are weary of museums. Our last trip there, we did an all day bike ride through the vineyards and stayed 3 nights in the hills of Chianti. We just did a day trip into Florence. Perhaps your food tour is as important to you as our bike tour was to us. Many people are surprised we didn't spend more time in Florence, but it was our trip and we wanted to bike. There is certainly more to Florence than Museums, but this is your trip and it is never crazy to do what appeals to you most.
It depends if you're going back to Italy again in the future! If you are, you can save Florence for then... but even if you just pass through, I recommend that you stop to take a look around at the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio.
Thanks everyone for the quick responses. Looks like I am not crazy after all. We are spending 4 days in Tuscany and plan on seeing the hill towns, Bologna and really just relaxing and enjoying the area.
Thanks Connie for your suggestion - I would definitely be interested in some bike tours but we have 4 kids with us...11, 9, 6 and 5 so an all day tour is out of the question. I think our agriturismo has bikes so we may take advantage of those.
Maybe we will see Florence on our next trip.
Kristen
I don't think you're crazy to miss Florence. It's a wonderful city, but you can't see everything in Italy, you have to set your own priorities. The food walking food tour sounds like a wonderful change of pace.
But, I have to chime in because I feel like too many people go to Florence and spend all their time indoors, checking off the mandatory list of must-see duomos and museums. I suspect people over-saturate themselves with art as well. If you want to do that fine, but I just hate to let the false impression stand that's all there is to do in Florence.
Yes, I believe you may be crazy, Kristen. (: IMO, you cannot miss Firenze! The people watching, the beautiful Arno and shore, the food, the architecture, the art, Boboli Gardens, the hike up to Piazzale Michelangelo...AND Michelangelo, too. If I had one day left on earth, I would spend it in Florence.
Dear Crazy Kristen :),
I am not a fan of food waling tours or anything related to cooking, but if you like arts, Florence should be on top of your list. Besides museums it's full of outside arhitecture which is amust for arts lovers.
I was in Florence for 2 days and went to 2 museums only, the rest of the time I walked around.
Some of the museums are a highlight, but aside from those I would still recommend a stop in Florence, especially if you're interested in the Italian lifestyle/ambience.
I second Gio!
It is a beautiful town all on its own. Walk up to the Michaelangelo Plaza and watch a sunset: No Museums involved. And I'm sure there are food walks a'plenty for Florence....
I've seen all the museums there. Yet, I'm going back anyway just to feel and be a part of the town again.
Florence is a gift that keeps on giving to the human experience. It is a magic place.
Hi Kristen. I personally LOVED Florence and I'm not a major art fan. I spent just a few hours in the Uffizi Gallery & it was enough for me just to see a few of the highlights. I enjoyed walking around the rest of the time, taking photographs, people watching and just taking in the energy of the town. I would definitely recommend taking pix from Piazzale Michelangelo and perhaps climbing to the top of the Duomo for a unique view, walking around Boboli Gardens, and in general walking around & enjoying the city. Loved walking along the Arno River too & I also enjoyed the leather vendors that sell really cheap purses & leather goods! I think Florence is great but everyone has a different opinion. I'd say that if a food walking tour in Bologna suits your style more then go for it. There will hopefully be more trips to Italy in your future so you can always fit Florence in on a future trip but I would recommend seeing it at some point.
Yes, you are crazy if you skip florence.
My sisters and I originally planned to spend only 2 nights in florence on our first trip. We thought, "we'll the musuems, the duomo, and then we would be done and move on.
Instead we ended up spending 5 nights because we were pulled into the beauty of florence and the SHOPPING in Florence. Before we left for our trip, as we were working out our budget, we were adamant that we would be crazy to spend our money shopping in florence or any of the other cities we visited..."why shop there when we can shop at home?"
We soon discovered that we were crazy to think we could go to Italy and NOT shop!
You will love Florence in May, so I'm glad you're giving it a second look. Enjoy the Pitti Palace and the gardens, the flowers will be in bloom.
So much to see and so little time.
If you must pick, it seems that you are thinking Bologna. Go with your gut feeling. What ever you see, just enjoy the moment.
I certainly would not want to miss Florence. We visited Rome, Venice, Siena and Florence back in November and Florence had to be my favorite place. The others were great places to visit, but we spent 7 of our 13 days in Florence and it was wonderful. Lots to see, very good food, great accommodations and just a great city to visit. I'd love to go back some day.
It appears your decision has been made, and I'm posting to support your choice. Yes, there's lots to see and do in Firenze ..... and yes, it was the seat of the Renaissance ...... and yes, there's some darn good shopping to be had there (especially leather goods galore) ....
I see your trip will be in early June? By that time the madding crowds will be descending upon Florence. Because the historic center is so compact and that's where majority of visitors are found, it can be very crowded (a$$holes-to-elbows packed) in Florence ..... not very conducive for 'strolling' around to enjoy the ambiance.
I think that opting for Bologna instead of Florence is fine. It's an oft overlooked city by many travelers and I'm sure you'll have a buon viaggio.
Count me in as another non fan of Florence. That said, I am going to Florence in May for a second look. Will most likely skip the Ufizi and Academia this time. Fiesole is on my list this time as well as Pitti Palace. The crowds and vespas wear thin quickly. Rome is the place I could never skip on any trip to Italy.
I loved Florence. I think it's one of those cities everyone should see in their lifetime.
That said, I don't think you're crazy to skip it, as long as you have a clear picture of what's there. Yes, it is very art/museum/church oriented. However, the city itself is beautiful, the views are beautiful, the shopping is good, and everything else that the posters here have mentioned.
So it is certainly worth a day (or 2) to stroll around. But if you're worried and really rather see Bologna, save Florence for later. It'll still be there.
As someone else said, you can't see everything in Italy in one trip. Go with your instincts. The first time I was in Florence (for about 3 days 30 years ago) I absolutely loved it. And more for the outside spaces and the verve of the city than the museums etc (though those are nice too). The second time I was there was just a day trip in 2003, during the summer. It was hot, crowded, and dirty. I couldn't wait to leave.
So are you crazy to miss it? No. On the other hand, I wouldn't go out of my way to avoid it.
You'll LOVE the Tuscan countryside and hilltowns.
Florence has some must sees. Now that we've seen it, it won't be high on our list for a return visit. We weren't thrilled with the lodging or food there and would prefer to spend time elsewhere.
