Student Bloggers

As we near the end of the semester, I have been reflecting on some of my favorite memories in Florence. I'd love to share some of my favorite activities with those planning to visit this stunning city, so they can make the most of their time here.

-Piazzale Michelangelo: Beautiful lookout over Florence. We went up there with a bottle of wine and some food and just watched the sunset. The vibes up there are amazing, everyone is talking with their friends and listening to music. A MUST if you come here.

-Santo Spirito Market: On the weekends there is a market with food, clothing, and little trinkets in Santo Spirito Square where all the restaurants are. Would recommend checking it out if you can!

-Ponte Vecchio: Walk over the Ponte vecchio bridge! It’s beautiful and relaxing and there are so many cool shops to look at. Must do if you are here!

-Stadio Franchi: If you are here long enough, I would totally recommend going to a soccer game! They love their soccer here and the energy is crazy, it's an experience for sure. 

-Pitti Palace Museum: This is only about a 7-minute walk from where I was living over the Ponte Vecchio. It was such a cool museum to go to. All of the rooms were beautifully organized and decorated and the art was incredible as always. Recommend doing this if you can, it was only 13 euro to see the palace and 2 different art museums within the palace walls. 

-Duomo: Taking a visit to the Duomo is a must-do in Florence, it’s pretty hard to miss. It’s beautiful from the outside alone but I would recommend going inside if you can. When my family visited me we climbed the 400 steps to the top and the view was incredible and worth the climb. 

- Galleria Dell'accademia: This is where the famous David statue by Michelangelo is housed. It was so cool to see it in person, the statue is a lot bigger than expected. Not only was the statue cool to see but there were also a lot of other cool exhibits worth visiting the museum for. 

- Uffizi Museum: This is the biggest museum in Florence and also essential when you come here. There is a lot of famous artists' work housed here and this museum could take hours to get through, that's how much there is! I would recommend doing this early in the morning so you still have the rest of your day to explore the city. 

- Boboli and Bardini Gardens: Sadly, I  never got around to doing the gardens but I hear they were beautiful. Take a visit if you can fit it into your schedule!

Restaurants worth mentioning, real reviews I wrote down after eating:

• Pizza Napoli: AMAZING PIZZA! Come here if you want amazing and really cute pizza. They cut all the pizzas into hearts for the girls. On top of that, the pizza is so well made and just incredible. 100% come here for a good Italian pizza experience. 
• Osteria Pastella: CHEESE WHEEL PASTA! This place was pretty incredible, definitely only go if you are willing to spend a good amount of money. This is where they make the pasta in the cheese wheel right in front of you and they grate black truffles right on top! It was amazing and I would recommend it if you wanted to go somewhere special. 

GustaPanino: I had been wanting to go here and did not disappoint. I got a truffle burger with potatoes on the side and it was so good. Felt good to finally eat a burger after all the pasta. They also have an incredible Limoncello spritz here!!