The city's largest open-air market, every Tuesday: clothing, shoes, homeware and food. A proper local experience: best early in the morning.
The complete guide to
Florence
Markets, vintage, artisan workshops, village festivals, the most-loved restaurants, secret gardens and corners far from mass tourism.
169 addresses · hand-picked with care · available offline ·
Every year millions of travellers come to Florence for its icons: the viewpoints, the attractions of the moment, the exhibitions and the places everyone is talking about. But living the real magic of the city means pairing those unmissable hype spots with a more authentic world, the one that turns into lasting memories. Alongside the best-loved stops, this guide takes you to the most intimate side of Florence: the market stalls, the scent of artisan workshops, carefully chosen vintage and the warmth of village festivals. A complete itinerary to enjoy the great classics and, at the same time, get past the surface of mass tourism.
So your trip runs smoothly, inside you'll find direct contacts to check opening times, dates and weather confirmations for outdoor events. A little local secret: always keep some cash and coins on you for the most authentic finds, from vintage photos in the Fotoautomatica booths to the treasures of neighbourhood markets.
What’s inside the guide
169 places in 10 chapters
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01
Vintage & flea markets
Vintage, craft and flea markets aren't just dates in the calendar: they are the city's truest heartbeat, a one-of-a-kind weave of colours, stories and everyday life.
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02
The best vintage shops
Time is precious when you're hunting for that one-off piece. The Vintage Walk is designed as a made-to-measure treat: one continuous, easy route, entirely on foot.
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03
Hidden Gems
Real Florentines know it: between alleys, palaces and churches, Florence hides true gems waiting to be found. A city made for a treasure hunt.
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04
Craft & workshops
Stepping into Florence's artisan workshops is like travelling back in time: an experience that smells of worked leather, marbled paper and faraway spices.
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05
At the table
Florence is also (and above all) discovered one bite at a time. From a sweet break with artisan gelato to a warm schiacciata eaten on the go, all the way to Sunday lunch in old-fashioned trattorie.
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06
Coffee, wine bars, aperitivo & rooftops
From the iconic wine windows set into historic palazzi to terraces where the Duomo seems to touch the sky at sunset: a map of special stops to savour the city's slow rhythm.
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07
Experiences & hidden views
Peaceful corners, secret gardens and small details that turn an ordinary day into a special memory: this is Florence at its most intimate.
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08
Sunsets in Florence
Sunset is the most magical moment of the day: the light turns warm, the Arno turns gold and the city puts on a breathtaking show.
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09
Village festivals
In the hills and villages around Florence, village life lights up to the genuine rhythm of the sagre, the local food festivals.
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10
When it gets too hot
Embraced by its hills, Florence can serve up days of real heat, when the stone of the historic palazzi holds on to the light until evening.
A free taste
Vintage & flea markets
The best vintage shops
A reference for affordable second hand: an ever-changing assortment of simple, everyday pieces. More a constant flow of arrivals than a fixed selection. The Vintage Walk starts here.
Hidden Gems
Centro
La Berta, the stone woman
Look up at the truncated bell tower: among the stones of the facade you will find a mysterious woman's face carved in marble. Florentines call her "La Berta", but nobody knows for certain who she is. One legend says she was a woman turned to stone by the curse of Cecco d'Ascoli, burned at the stake in 1327; another tells of a herb seller who donated a bell to the church. The truth? The face is probably an ancient late-Roman fragment, reused in the Middle Ages as decoration. Can you find her?
Craft & workshops
Steps from Ponte Vecchio, leather is worked here in the Florentine artisan tradition: handmade bags, belts, wallets and accessories, quality hides, every stage looked after in the workshop. You can personalise your piece and have it engraved.
At the table
A Florentine must. To start the day with energy or for a proper power snack: don't miss the affogato, and the gelato, cakes and more.
Coffee, wine bars, aperitivo & rooftops
Centro & Santo Spirito
Le buchette del vino
There are around 150 of them in Florence, cut into the outside walls of the noble palaces. Many have been bricked up, but some are still working and serve glasses of wine, coffee or gelato: Babae at Via Santo Spirito 21r, one of the most famous in the Oltrarno; Osteria Belle Donne at Via delle Belle Donne 16r, always busy; Cantina dei Pucci at Via de' Pucci 4A, steps from the Duomo; Vivoli at Via Isola delle Stinche 7r, the historic gelateria that still uses its window; Palazzo Antinori at Via de' Tornabuoni 3. Worth admiring even though no longer in use: Via del Giglio 2, the beautiful window of the old Cantina Salimbeni; Via del Sole, with very well preserved examples; Piazza degli Strozzi 1, in the Palazzo dello Strozzino. The Buchette del Vino association keeps an official interactive map with all the exact locations. Looking at them is free; opening times depend on the venues, so check before you go.
Confirm before you go
Experiences & hidden views
A late-Renaissance gem that most people walk past, because it sits on the climb up to San Miniato al Monte. The building is plain: its strength is the beautiful early-16th-century stained glass, made to illustrate the Bible. Free entry, and a perfect stop if you are already at Piazzale Michelangelo.
Sunsets in Florence
Oltrarno
Piazzale Michelangelo
The most famous and most panoramic place in Florence for sunset. Designed in 1860 by Giuseppe Poggi and dedicated to Michelangelo, it sits on a hill south of the Arno; the terrace was created in 1865, when the city was the capital of Italy. Free entry.
Village festivals
San Donnino
Fried food festival
past · 3–5 Jul
One of the closest festivals to Florence and the easiest one to reach without a car: every kind of fried food, from coccoli to vegetables to meat dishes, eaten in the open-air garden. About 10 km from Florence, very easy by train or bus. Info at info@fratellanzasandonnino.it.
When it gets too hot
The pool Florentines head for when the heat becomes unbearable. Nothing touristy about it: big pools, lawn all around and half the city in a swimsuit.
There's so much more
Don't stop at the surface.
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FAQ
Florence: the questions you ask me most
Where are the vintage and flea markets in Florence?
The biggest is the Cascine market, every Tuesday from 8am to 2pm along Viale dei Lecci. In Piazza Santo Spirito there is the Fierucola, usually on the third Sunday of the month, and the Fiera di Oltrarno on the second Sunday; Savonarola Antiquaria is on the first Sunday. The flea market in Largo Annigoni is open every day. Piazza dei Ciompi also hosts a vintage and antiques market one weekend a month.
What are the best vintage shops in Florence?
The guide includes a Vintage Walk of 17 shops to walk in order: from the centre to San Gallo, Sant’Ambrogio and Largo Annigoni, then towards Santa Maria Novella and across the Arno to Via dei Serragli. Stops include Humana Vintage on Via delle Belle Donne, Melrose Vintage on Via de’ Ginori, Tartan Vintage on Via dei Palchetti and Recollection by Albrici on Via de’ Serragli.
Where do Florentines eat?
Family trattorie such as La Casalinga in the Oltrarno, open since 1963, and Trattoria Napoleone in Piazza del Carmine; lampredotto from Sergio Pollini on Via dei Macci; schiacciata sandwiches on Via dei Neri, from Sgrano to Schiacciateria de’ Neri. The guide lists 35 places across gelato shops, schiacciate, trattorie and restaurants.
What to see in Florence off the tourist trail?
Hidden gems in plain sight, like Dante’s face set in the paving of Via Santa Margherita or Michelangelo’s “Importuno” carved into the façade of Palazzo Vecchio. Then gardens such as the Rose Garden, Villa Bardini and the Giardino dell’Orticoltura, and sunset from San Miniato al Monte, calmer than Piazzale Michelangelo.
What to do in Florence when it’s too hot?
Look for water, shade and cool stone: the Costoli swimming pool in Campo di Marte, gardens with big trees like the Rose Garden and the Orticoltura, and museums and churches that stay cool even in August. Go out early in the morning and head back out after sunset.
Are there food festivals (sagre) near Florence?
Yes, especially in summer: the guide lists 15 between July and September, and entry is almost always free. A couple of examples from the guide: the Truffle Festival at Il Girone in Fiesole and the Pesca Regina peach festival in Londa, both in September. Dates and times change every year, so always check the official website before you go.