Florence, besides being the capital of Tuscany, is also its most famous and beautiful city. Every year it is visited by millions of people that patiently stand in line in front of the main museums and stroll through its streets to see the main attractions. The city of Florence offers lots of things to see and to do and time is always too short. But there are several places and museums you cannot miss and which you should include in your holiday photo album.

Among the top places to visit Florence is Piazza del Duomo, upon which the beautiful Duomo, or Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, presides with the famous cupola or dome by Brunelleschi, the Baptistery with the bronze Gates of Paradise and Giotto’s bell tower from which you can admire a stunning view of the city.

Taking via dei Calzaiuoli you reach the magnificent Piazza della Signoria, center of Florence political power for centuries. Here is the grand Palazzo Vecchio, headquarters of the city government as well as museum, the Loggia della Signoria where wonderful statues such as the Perseus by Benvenuto Cellini are on display, and Neptune’s Fountain by Ammannati and the equestrian statue of Cosimo I by Giambologna on the piazza itself.

Right next to Palazzo Vecchio is the Uffizi Gallery, one of Italy’s top museums and one of the most important in the world with its large collection of Renaissance masterpieces such as the Spring and the Birth of Venus by Botticelli, just to name a few.

Connected to the Uffizi Gallery by the famous Vasari Corridor, which links Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti, is Florence’s most celebrated landmark, the Ponte Vecchio or Old Bridge. Crossing the bridge while admiring the spectacular goldsmith shops, you reach the Oltrarno area where the Pitti Palace stands magnificently and which today is the home to several splendid museums such as the Palatine Gallery and the Modern Art Gallery, with the impressive Boboli Gardens as its backyard.

Not too far from Palazzo Pitti is Piazza Santo Spirito with its Church of Santo Spirito standing tall over the square with its simple and yellow facade that hides several artistic treasures inside.

Going back to the Arno’s northern riverbank you can admire Piazza Santa Maria Novella and the Santa Maria Novella Church with its facade in white and green marble by Leon Battista Alberti and the stunning Tornabuoni Chapel frescoed by Ghirlandaio. In Piazza San Lorenzo sneak in for a quick visit into the San Lorenzo Church, the church with its unfinished facade where the Medici family worshipped and the Medici Chapels, displaying incredible marble statues by Michelangelo. Then visit Piazza Santa Croce and its impressive Santa Croce Church where many great Florentines and Tuscans have their final resting place, including Michelangelo.

If you have time, you can decide to visiting another of Florence’s many museums such as the Academy Gallery where the original marble statue of Michelangelo’s David stands tall.

Finally, we suggest you go to Piazzale Michelangelo and admire the breathtaking view of the city.

Of course, Florence is much more than this but when your time is limited, it is often useful to find recommendations such as the above that we hope will be useful in planning your upcoming vacation in Florence.