"~Firenze~" Florence by miso80

Florence Travel Guide: 5,082 reviews and 11,268 photos

Romantic Florence

Florence is a preferred European destination for honeymooners, lovers...or the romantic in you ;-) Smaller and more intimate than Rome, Florence has its own unique character that cannot be found in any other city in the world.

If I were to close my eyes and try to remember how many colors the sky had..as the sun set over the river Arno..Ooh! It was truely breath-taking. Whether you are standing in the middle of the Ponte Vecchio - one of the most unique and enchanting bridges you'll ever come across - or on the Ponte Santa Trinita, one bridge over from Ponte Vecchio..and where you can get a view of the river and spectacular views of the Ponte Vecchio itself.

Also, taking a walk in the green Boboli gardens, taking the numerous pathways, taking in the beautiful scenery, checking out the renaissance fountains and interesting statues..

Last but not least..enjoy the delicious gourmet restaurants and the famous gelato...

Arno River

One thing that will never sieze to awe you...is the beauty of the Arno River, the old houses overlooking it..the color of the sky above you..It is just beautiful.

As we walked past it througout our stay there, and at different times of the day..we could not help but stop and take a picture..it looked so different in the morning, at sunset, and at night.

In this picture, the sun was down, and as you can see the soft lights of the city were reflected on the banks..

Boboli Gardens

Tribolo's masterpiece of "landscape architecture" - Giardino di Boboli - was created between 1550 and 1558, the year of his death. His design was later used as a basis for the royal gardens of Europe, including Versailles.

These gardens are a rich and extravagant pleasure with large expanses to walk through and explore...and the most amazing views over Florence. The Boboli Gardens are spread over the steep hillside behind the vast Pitti Palace, and over the Arno river from central Florence.

This is the ideal place to go and spend a day - relax, have a picnic, enjoy the romantic walkways and refreshing fountains. There are plenty of good picnic spots, so prepare your picnic basket and come here, kick back and relax ;-)

Among the highlights:
- A lake with an ornamental island garden at its centre.
- A variety of wooded hillside pathways.
- The Neptune Fountain
- The grand Grottia di Buontalenti, peering through the bars at the entrance - These caves are decorated with ornamental stalagtites, and copies of sculptures by Michelangelo and Giambologna.
- And my favorite!! At the highest level, is a little garden laid out overlooking vineyards, olive groves and villas - Very rewarding climb to the top ;)

Full price entry to the Boboli Gardens = €4 (includes entrance to the Museo degli Argenti and the Museo delle Porcellane).

Pros and Cons

Pros:So romantic... so beautiful.
Cons:Too touristic
In a nutshell:Fall in love ;-)

Last visit to Florence: Sep 2004
Intro Updated Jun 14, 2008
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Reviews (3)

The Enchanting Bridge Things to Do (1)

The only bridge to survive the World War II...the Nazis probably could not bring themselves to tear it down! However,... more travel advice

If its not Gelato...its not italy ;) - Florence

If its not Gelato...its not italy ;) Restaurants (2)

Around 20 flavours of ice cream...you'd die for!! Yummy! This is a small, modest-looking gelateria...one of the best in... more travel advice

Vegetarian...like you've never tasted! Restaurants (2)

The best vegetarian restaurant I've been to! After going for all those heavy meals, the delicious gelato..we had to eat... more travel advice

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Comments (5)

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Maurizioago Jan 31, 2008 at 2:27 AM

A godd beginning. Will you write some other tips? Ciao!
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craic Nov 5, 2007 at 5:21 AM

hi - we are next to each other on the rankings list this week
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CliffClaven Feb 10, 2006 at 7:52 AM

Firenze - l'arte di vivere, l'arte da vivere/Florence, a way of life, a way of art
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illudiumqh36 Jan 20, 2006 at 3:08 AM

My Grandparents had their honeymoon in Florence, there are some pics of them on the Old Bridge... your Flo pages make me think about them... ohter times, other stories... thanks!
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dsantosh Sep 14, 2005 at 6:12 AM

Nice page.