You could easily spend an entire week in Florence just checking off the big hitters like the Duomo, Uffizi, Medici Chapels, Santa Croce, etc. and most people do. I get it, they’re masterpieces and bucket-list items and will trigger the kind of artistic awe you’ll remember for the rest of your life. But there’s a lot more to Florence right outside the center. With an extra day or two, you can go slightly off the beaten path to explore hidden gems I came to cherish nearly as much as the Davids and extravagant palazzos…
A modern creative hub
Take a walk going northwest of the city center and after a short mile you will arrive at Manifattura Tabacchi. At the opposite end of the historical buildings you just left behind, here is an innovative new space combining ultra-cool contemporary art, design, and food.
Originally built in the 1930s as a cigar factory, an ambitious regeneration project has turned all 16 buildings in the complex into an exciting creative hub. Wander at your leisure – every space is opened to all. From coworking and art schools to food halls and galleries (and more recently upscale living too), you’re experiencing another kind of renaissance that’s as much a part of the city’s fabric as the Medici legacy.
Follow the locals to Florence’s first bento bar, Hiroko, where style meets Japanese home cooking.
Enjoy the open courtyard with an espresso and one of the many sweets available at Cuchiss Lab.
From the Manifattura, it’s only a short walk to the city’s primary park that runs along the right bank of the Arno, Parco delle Cascine.
Take one of the long riverside paths to get back to the center, feeling like you’re miles away surrounded by all this greenery.
Whimsy in the north
Head straight north from the city center towards Piazza della Libertà and the Horticultural Garden behind it. It’s a nice 30 minute walk to an enchanting green space with nature, views, and a very unique artwork you should see for yourself.
After climbing up the terraced park (so peaceful and quiet on a weekday), you’ll stumble upon a large dragon sculpture winding up the last flight of stairs.
The fantastical creature is made of mosaic and stones with a trickling water fountain coming out of its mouth – magical.
Walk to the top, admiring its undulating tail and the fine mosaic work.
There you’ll find another beautiful panorama of Florence without any crowd.
Wander around the gardens and pay a visit to Pinocchio on your way out.
On nearby Piazza della Libertà, Caffè Lietta has delicious pastries to pair with your morning cappuccino – I recommend their pistacchio croissants.
A tour for coffee lovers
A must-do experience for coffee enthusiasts visiting Florence is a visit to the Accademia del Caffè Espresso. If like me you like to hang out at local coffee shops around the world, you will have noticed they often have something in common – a La Marzocco espresso machine. This now ubiquitous workhorse of our favorite cafes was invented right here in Florence in 1927 and you can visit the original factory in the hills outside the city in Fiesole.
A 20-min bus ride will bring you right in front of the factory/museum to join your pre-booked interactive tour. You’ll learn about the 100-year legacy of La Marzocco, the innovation and technology behind their world-renowned machines, and of course do a tasting.
If like me you have 5+ coffee brewing methods and machines at home and geek out on pressure and extraction, you’ll love the collection of historical coffee machines dating back nearly 100 years. It’s the equivalent of lusting at vintage Ferraris for a car lover.
Their latest models are nothing to laugh at either – COVID has opened up domestic demand for high-end machines for the home and I desperately want one (starting price around $4,500!). After your tour you can hang out in their lounge, have more coffee, and even sign up for a deeper-dive workshop.
Evening like a local
You don’t need to venture too far to experience an evening as a resident does. Just a few blocks from the main train station, local favorite Trattoria Guelfa does traditional cooking with the warmth of a neighborhood mainstay.
Do yourself a favor and get the Pici alle Briciole in cialda di Parmigiano. Translation – handmade fat spaghetti pasta in pecorino and sausage sauce served in a Parmesan wafer!! I nearly died of gustatory pleasure.
Walk that carb-loaded dinner over to the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino to end the night surrounded by Florentines and the sound of an Italian opera or classical concert – magnifico.
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