When to visit Florence?

Florence is one of those destinations that deserves a dedicated trip. The artistic density is such that you cannot seriously explore it in less than three days, and every visit reveals something new. The city should be taken slowly: a morning at the Uffizi, a long lunch over bistecca in San Niccolò, a sunset walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo, an evening in an Oltrarno wine bar with a glass of Chianti Classico. That Florentine rhythm, balanced between art and the art of living, is the essence of the experience — and the visitors who try to do too much always look the most exhausted by day three.

Our firm advice: come in April-May or September, lock in your Uffizi and Accademia bookings the day your trip is confirmed, and base yourself in Oltrarno rather than directly next to the Duomo. You'll get better food, friendlier service and a real Florentine morning — a queue at the corner bakery, an espresso at the counter, a slightly aggressive scooter on the cobbles. And do not, under any circumstances, skip a day in the Chianti: the rolling vines and cypress avenues just south of Florence are one of Europe's greatest landscapes, and Florence wouldn't quite be Florence without them as a frame.