Florence is nothing if not historic. The birthplace of the Renaissance pulls some 10 million visitors each year for its frozen-in-time palaces and legendary attractions, to say nothing of its tourist-friendly Tuscan cuisine and gelato stands. These are the things that also made the city take a hit in recent decades—as the tour groups, buses, and crowds grew, it felt like Florence’s own residents began to disappear. There's a reason, though, that this city has thrived in one way or another since the 14th century. Ever up for reinvention, Florence is modernizing. You can see it on the dining scene, where younger, well-traveled restaurateurs and chefs are loosening some of the stricter culinary rules alongside the enduring trattorie, and in the bar scene, where attention to a properly made cocktail in a swinging barroom is as common as a wine bar. It's evident in new markets and museums, and behind those classic facades, be it hotels or boutiques, where you'll find smart design and influential spaces. Still dreaming of your last visit there 20 years ago? It's time to go back—there's plenty more to see.

Best Time to Visit

Summers are hot, sticky, and super busy, but other than that, any time is good to visit Florence — not least because you'll spend most of your time indoors in the museums. Florence's Easter celebration of the Scoppio del Carro, in which a team of cream-colored oxen tow a wagon into the Piazza del Duomo and then set off the fireworks inside it, is a huge event. In late June, Piazza Santa Croce is closed off to make the pitch for a game of Calcio Storico — or "historic football," a mix of soccer, rugby and wrestling in 16th-century dress. Festa di San Lorenzo takes place each August, where there are celebrations including free lasagne in Piazza San Lorenzo, in honor of former ruler Lorenzo de' Medici, the man who kicked off the Renaissance.

Things to Do

Piazza della Signoria

Address: P.za della Signoria, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

Kick back at one of the ringside restaurants (we like Rivoire) to take in the scene at Florence's main square. The seat of power, with the Palazzo Vecchio and Uffizi at its heart, it's a cobbled, open-air gallery of grand statues, a gushing fountain, and locals cycling through.

Duomo

Address: Piazza del Duomo, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

Florence's brick-domed cathedral, known simply as the Duomo ("the dome" – still the largest masonry cupola on the planet) is the city's icon. Climb the 463, narrow-threaded steps (not for the faint-hearted or claustrophobic) to the top for unparalleled views of the city, plus close-ups of Vasari's famous murals inside the dome. Wander the square but don't miss the sister museum, the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, home to Michelangelo's Pietà and beautifully modernized in 2015.

Museo di San Marco

Address: Piazza San Marco, 3, 50121 Firenze FI, Italy

You'll get a taste of Renaissance Florence at this still-functioning monastery. The 15th-century painter Fra Angelico lived here – you'll find his meditative frescoes in the monks' cells, as well as a newly renovated room displaying some of his best work on the ground floor.

Uffizi Galleries

Address: Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

It's one of the world's most famous museums for good reason: there are over 3,000 works of art on display here, including iconic paintings like Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Michelangelo's Doni Tondo. The second floor, containing 16th-century paintings, was refurbished for 2021.

Palazzo Vecchio

Address: P.za della Signoria, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

The castle-like building dominating Piazza della Signoria (and the one which took center stage in "Hannibal") is this, the seat of power of the Florentine republic. It's studded with works by the likes of Donatello, Michelangelo, and Bronzino, but it's the ruling Medici family's private rooms, frescoed by Giorgio Vasari, that really spin back the centuries.

Ponte Vecchio and River Walk

Address: Ponte Vecchio, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy

Cross the Ponte Vecchio – that famous covered bridge with houses dangling off the side – for great views of the River Arno from the open-arched middle. Then cross back to the Uffizi side for a riverside walk west – in 10 minutes, and crossing the river once more, you'll be in Piazza Santo Spirito, or continue up to Borgo San Frediano and the old city walls.

Piazza Santo Spirito

Address: 50125 Florence, Metropolitan City of Florence, Italy

The city center can get uncomfortably busy but this square typifies the laidback Oltrarno ("across the Arno river") district. Go on the second Sunday of the month for its famous antiques market, or pick a trendy bar and drink in the scene.

Cappella Brancacci

Address: Piazza del Carmine, 14, 50124 Firenze FI, Italy

Up a little from Piazza Santo Spirito, this unassuming little chapel in the Santa Maria del Carmine church is where the Renaissance is said to have begun. It's frescoed wall-to-wall by Masolino and Masaccio, the pupil who would come to outshine him, with later additions by Filippino Lippi. Masaccio's startlingly modern Adam and Eve being expelled from Eden changed the course of art history.

Piazzale Michelangelo

Address: Piazzale Michelangelo, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy

You'll get the best views of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo, halfway up the hill on the other side of the Arno, with a panoramic terrace pointing straight at the Duomo. If you've got the stamina, carry on up to San Miniato al Monte, the marble-clad, Romanesque church which overlooks the city.

Santa Croce

Address: Piazza di Santa Croce, 16, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

Another monastery stuffed to the gills with great art and great Italians. Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and Galileo are amongst the people buried here, while there are works by Cimabue, Canova, and the della Robbia brothers, as well as frescoes by Giotto.

Boboli and Bardini Gardens

Address: Costa S. Giorgio, 2, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy

One ticket gets you into both Florence's superstar gardens. Behind Palazzo Pitti, the Giardini di Boboli are an Instagram heaven, their grottos and fountains planned by the Medici, but the garden at Villa Bardini has the best views of the city, plus wisteria-wreathed pergolas and a seemingly never-ending staircase cleaving through the hill.

Accademia Gallery

Address: Via Ricasoli, 58/60, 50129 Firenze FI, Italy

Come for the "David" – Michelangelo's colossal icon, carved from a single slab of marble – but stay for his unfinished male nudes ("The Prisoners") and Giambologna's mesmerizing "Rape of the Sabine Women".

Cappelle Medicee

Address: Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini, 6, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy

Michelangelo's most mournful works are these intimate tombs of the Medici family, topped with colossal figures of Night, Day, Dusk and Dawn, with a Madonna and Child between them. They're in the Sagrestia Nuova; on the way, don't miss the high-domed, marble-clad Cappella dei Principi, or Chapel of the Princes – one fancy wedding cake of a building.

Palazzo Strozzi

Address: Piazza degli Strozzi, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy

When you've had your fill of the Renaissance, amble over to this immense palazzo which hosts some of Europe's best temporary exhibitions, many of them modern. Afterwards, grab coffee in the 'Courtyard of Wonders,' home to rotating contemporary art installations.