Original walking tour of Florence city center and the Oltrarno district
Discover Florence from a different angle with this 2-hour walking tour. Led by a professional guide, you will discover the center of the city with the Cathedral, the Gates of Paradise, the Dome and Ponte Vecchio; strolling in an open-air museum you will reach the Palazzo Vecchio, located in one of the most beautiful squares of Florence, Piazza della Signoria and the Uffizi courtyard. But the innovative part of this tour is the exploration of the Oltrarno, to discover the authenticity of Florence among artisans workshops, vintage shops and much more, do not forget that Lonely Planet called it one of the coolest places in the world! Would you like to know where are the coolest bars and places to enjoy a glass of wine? Are you a fan of antiques and vintage? Don’t miss this tour!
Your tour will start on along the Arno river. Your first stop will be Piazza della Repubblica, the ancient "Roman castrum" from which “the city of the flower” originated; from there you will walk to Palazzo Strozzi, a sumptuous example of Renaissance architecture, along the Via Tornabuoni – the shopping street - to cross Ponte Santa Trinita from which you can shot amazing pictures. Your guide will let you discover the Oltrarno, the other side of the river, and the Santo Spirito district, famous for the artisan workshops and vintage and antiquaries shops. You will admire the Pitti Palace, home of the Medici family and the King of Italy, then you will walk along the Vasarian Corridor, onto the Ponte Vecchio up to the Uffizi courtyard. After a deserved coffee break in a historical place of Florence, you will arrive in the Piazza della Signoria to admire Cellini’s Perseus, The Rape of the Sabine by Gianbologna, The Neptune Fountain and the imposing Palazzo Vecchio. From there you will head to the Santa Croce church where Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei and many other illustrious Italians are buried. Your guided walk will continue towards the district of Dante Alighieri from which you will arrive in Piazza del Duomo to speak about the history of St Mary of the Flower Cathedral and the building of Brunelleschi's Dome. You will learn a new way to look at Giotto's Bell tower and admire the magnificent Baptistery with its Gates of Paradise.
