Is Florence a must see?

Florence is prob best left to those you want art, museums,churches and history. you might also enjoy Umbria close to Tuscany and sim. better than Lucca, Pisa imo cafes & wine.
Also suggest you ck Amalfi coast

If that is your preference, then Florence is not for you. It is really the heart of Italian art so it will have little interest for you.

Agree with the other posters. If you are not interested in art or museums, why bother with Florence.

No such thing as a "must see" .. I personally could skip Florence.Have only been once, years ago,, but it doesn't entice me back.

Stayed in Florence for a week about 20 years ago. Glad I went but have felt no urge to return. Alhough we love old city centres with narrow streets etc, we found Florence a bit claustrophobic. I have no doubt that we will give it another go sometime but not yet, too many other places that we like better/to explore for the first time. Spend this visit in Italy in the places that appeal to you and don't worry about Florence. Go another time.

I agree with all the other posters. Florence has wonderful art and terrific museums, but not much in the way of atmosphere.

Florence is a fantastic place
I personally love Florence but it sounds as if you have a full trip already and Florence is best if you don't have to rush through it so save it for another trip

Rick Steves has a quote in one of his books, if you like Italy better the farther south you go - keep going. If you like it less, turn around. We turned around. Enjoyed the museums, the Duomo, some ruins/gardens but others have covered issues of crowds, etc.

Rick needs to stop saying that, IMHO. We loved Rome and Sorrento but really did NOT like Naples.

If you miss Florence you miss Itay. How can you consider not seeing the David? But even if you don't like museums the view from Piazza Michealangelo is beautiful. And, how about the church of Santa Croce? The tombs of so many are there. An evening dinner in a piazza is a must? Just walking the small pedestrian streets is so beautiful!

I totally prefer the hill towns and countryside of Tuscany to Florence. I have been there a number of times and while I enjoyed it, its not at the top of my list. Personal preference as to what you will enjoy... However, since you will be spending a bit of time in smaller places I might spend 4 hours just wandering around and having lunch in Florence vs. the time in Pisa.
But, if you are going in the heat of summer I found Florence to be hot, crowded and almost unbearable....give me a hilltown any day.

Nothing much in Florence except art and museums which you could do a walking tour of in one day. Easy walking city. You need, IMHO, to do more than a day trip to Siena. It is a wonderful city. I spend 3-4 days there and take day trips out of there. This year we have 5 days in Siena. Pisa is just the church and tower...nothing much else. Lucca, on the other hand, is wonderful! Walled, medevial city...perfect for walking and lots to see. I, too, love the small cities and Siena and Lucca are two of my favorite in my Top 5. In Lucca, you can drink coffee at the same cafe that Puccini frequented and they have the best pizza place ever in Lucca. Lucca is known for its wine and, while I don't drink, my daughter recommends it. YOu didn't mention if you were having a car while there. Lucca's train station is right across from the walled city. Siena's station is a long walk, better to taxi into the city.

We spent 10 days in Florence, and made a couple of day trips. We stayed a bit outside the main tourist area, and found that we were getting into the daily rhythm of life in Florence.

I agree with most of the above. It's a personal thing depending on your likes and dislikes. I have seen it twice (both times on day trips) and I am pretty much done for life. Can't imagine staying a few DAYS... but that's just me. I prefer to stay in Rome, but I like bigger cities.

I could have easily skipped the museums/art in Florence - after two weeks of museums i was pretty much worn out. And the food isn't as good as elsewhere, especially the small towns. HOWEVER, if you are a shopper, i'd take a day trip...every time i go to Europe now i try to see if i can get cheap flights to/from florence for a day trip simply to visit the leather markets. i haven't gotten back there in the three years since my original visit, but if it was reasonable in price and timing i would do it in a heartbeat.

We spent four nights in Florence in 2003, and really enjoyed seeing all the art. The statue of David is magnificent. I wouldn't have missed it but we have no desire to return. It's one of the few places in Italy that we feel we've "done." Happy travels.

Sandi, the payoff in Florence is the art and history. If that's not your thing (although the shopping is also good), don't bother. Do what you want to do, don't worry about "must-sees". I love Florence and go back every time I'm in Italy, and I have a must-see list for Europe that would fill a book, but that's my preference.

I felt like Florence is a one time only city. My parents and I were there for a day in 2010 and really didn't like it at all. Our least favorite place we saw in 6 countries. The art was nice, but that is about it.

Our trip is getting close and looking through Ricks book it seems that Florence cant be missed. I imagine that Rome appeals to some and Florence to others. We will do a lot of walking in each city but have hired guides after all we might not make this trip every again so its time to splash

I could have written this exact question a year ago, but in September, we took our trip there and my mind is forever changed. I planned the least amount of time in Florence and when our trip was done I wish I had taken a day off of Venice and added it to Florence. Best food of our trip, best people to interact with, best shopping and all around great expereinces!! DOn't miss it!!
erin

My wife and I have been to Florence several times, each of us underwhelmed and wondering if we'll come back. We always do, hoping to discover the magic of which everyone speaks, but usually we find grafitti, grime, smell of sewage, and american college town atmosphere (you'll hear more english spoken than italian). Oh yeah, they have spectacular art and museums, as well. I'm pretty sure that we're done trying to love Florence, and we'll spend those usual 3 days in some surrounding hill towns. Since your staying 4 days in my wife's favorite hill town in Italy, I need not recommend it to you. You'll love it at night (but go somewhere else during the day). However, if you're wondering if you can visit Italy without seeing florence (common concern), I'd drop the day to Pisa and spend it in florence.
Even if you're not into art, you've got to see the David!

It is all in what one enjoys. If you know any history Florence is a must...forget the art just see see where so much history was made. It is unfortunate that we have to see a place then go home, read about it, then go back...it makes more sense then! Don't miss out on it!

If you want to enjoy Florence more, read "The Agony and the Ecstasy" about Michelangelo. It's a little over the top in places, but it gives you a good sense of what Florence was like at its peak.

Absolutely.