A little further...
Florence (Firenze)
98km
Approx 1½ hour drive
By train from Bagni di Lucca, change at Lucca, 2 hours
Florence is truly the art capital of the world. Its centre is compact and much can be seen on foot in a day trip.
Highlights include the Ponte Vecchio over the River Arno, the famous Brunelleschi dome of the Cathedral (Duomo), the statues in Piazza della Signoria including the copy of David and the views looking back over the city from San Miniato or the Boboli Gardens. The Uffizi, one of the most famous art galleries in the world, includes Botticelli’s ‘Birth of Venus’ and Titian’s ‘Venus of Urbino’. (Best to book tickets-long queues!)
Then there’s the shopping! Florence is famous for quality leather goods, hand marbled paper and gold jewellery. Also most top designers have shops on Via Tornabuoni, including Versace, Armani, Prada and Gucci.
Click on pictures to
see larger versions