Florence does have its own airport, but it is not possible to fly directly to Italy from Brno Airport, so we recommend the modern Euro City Casanova train to travel there. This train takes you from Ljubljana to Venice (Venezia Santa Lucia or Venezia Mestre station), and from there you can continue your journey along the "boot" with others.
More detailed information can be found on the websites www.slo-zeleznice.si and www.trenitalia. com.
To wander around the city, which is like a big museum, we don't need any means of transport, except for a pair of comfortable shoes, Italian of course! The entire city can be walked in half an hour, and most of the attractions are in the strict center, which is closed to traffic. Inhabitants are transported by bicycles or small motorbikes called motorino.
ACCOMMODATION WITH A VIEW
Florence is a relatively expensive city for tourists, but there are various accommodation options available. In beautiful historical buildings, in the very center of the city, you can spend the night in a five-star hotel, where you will pay from 100 euros for a night, while for a room in a four-star hotel, you can spend the night from 24 euros. Among the hostels, Hostel Archi Rossi is particularly interesting, where the price also includes breakfast (there are nine menus to choose from) and Internet access, and the interior is decorated with artistic graffiti. As an alternative option, there is also camping directly near Piazza Michelangelo, where there is a wonderful view of the city.
TOP FOOD FOR EVERY POCKET
Tuscany as a region is famous for its exceptional food and wines. You must try Florentine steak, crostine (bread spread with olive oil and garlic), pecorino (sheep's cheese), panforte (fruit, hazelnut and spice pastry) and cantucci (almond pastry) and of course vino rosso or vino bianco. For those with a refined taste, we definitely recommend visiting the minimally furnished restaurant The Fusion bar Shozan Gallery by the Arno river, which offers a wonderful view of the Ponte Vecchio. The excellent team serves carefully selected dishes, which of course include selected wines. If you wanted to dine in the style of the Sex and the City series, then the B. Gallo restaurant is right for you. The interior of the stylishly and very interestingly furnished two-story restaurant opposite the cathedral is decorated with frescoes. They serve typical Tuscan food, which you take from the buffet, but at the same time, the restaurant is also suitable just for some coffee or tea, a sandwich or dessert. The Ristorante da Il Latini is extremely popular among tourists, which only opens at 7:30 p.m. and guests wait in line for a free table. In a typical Tuscan atmosphere, which is also conjured by the prosciutto hanging from the ceiling, they serve traditional food, for which you will pay from 60 to 80 euros. For those with a little less deep pockets, Trattoria Anita is suitable, where the food and service are excellent, and all menus cost only six euros, with a free bottle of wine.
PARTY UNTIL THE MORNING HOURS
Almost all the clubs and pubs where you can drink a beer or a glass of good wine are in the city center, near the Duomo and other famous squares. But for all those who want to dance the night away, we recommend the Yab disco (near Piazza della Repubblica), which is one of the best dance music discos in the city, and on Mondays the specialty is the hip hop night; and the Montecarlo Club, which is furnished in a wild leopard style and is famous for its good cocktails.
SHOPPING FEVER
You can buy silver and gold jewelry in miniature jewelry shops on Ponte Vecchio, but if you like to buy antiques, you will definitely find something for yourself on Via Maggio. Via dei Tornabuoni is the main shopping street in Florence, where you can buy a variety of leather goods and clothes and shoes from Armani, Versace, and local brands Gucci and Ferragamo. In addition to shops, the city also has quite a few markets - the San Lorenzo market is particularly popular with tourists. CARNIVAL If you are visiting Florence at the end of February, then you should definitely not miss the carnival, which lasts from February 12th to March 5th and is attended by all the foreign communities of the city, who dress up in crazy, exotic costumes and just have fun. In recent years, the event, similar to the Venice Carnival, has become extremely interesting for tourists as well, and at the same time brings together members of different nationalities and races in a fun way.
DON'T MISS OUT IN TUSCANY
Buses are almost useless in Florence, which makes them all the more convenient for trips outside the city through the beautiful Tuscan countryside. Traveling by bus is cheaper and can reach more remote places, but trains are more comfortable and faster. Pisa, the city with the famous leaning tower and baptistery, and Siena, which not only offers a beautiful cathedral and a shell-shaped square, but also a great opportunity for shopping, are definitely must-sees in Tuscany. In San Gimignano, or medieval Manhattan, as it is called, you will have the opportunity to buy souvenirs for your loved ones and to taste the best Tuscan wines and various meat products from the wild boars that guard the entrances of the small shops. Just a tip: wine is the best souvenir you can bring back from Tuscany.
