Florence visit 2012

On this visit to Florence we tried a different hotel located right in the center of town, the Hotel Cerretani, part of the Accor group. It is on the main street of the city just two short blocks from the Duomo.The hotel has a very modern interior -- it is a real high-quality place to stay. The lobby and breakfast room are on the ground floor, along with a casual bar and lounge.
Start your first morning at Florence's most important landmark, the great Duomo Cathedral, which was the tallest building in Europe when it was finished in 1434, and is still the world's fourth largest church. You can easily find it by looking up from almost anywhere in town, for the huge dome towers 300 feet over the city.
Next, meander through the narrow back alleys heading towards Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio. Take your time and explore these charming little pedestrian streets to gain a feeling of life in the Middle Ages, for the buildings have not changed much since then.
We enjoy the stunning view of the city from Piazzale Michelangelo on the other side of the Arno River. This is the one of the world's great panoramas, so it is worth the effort to get here. It is too far and too steep to walk comfortably but you can easily find a taxi or better yet, catch the city bus in front of the train station for the quick, inexpensive ride across the river and up the hill. Then later you can easily walk back down to town. The vista takes in the full span of Florence, spreading below you in a sea of clay tile roofs, punctuated by many domes, towers, bridges and framed by hills in the background, with the commanding presence of the great Duomo rising above all.
Now there is a very pleasant walk downhill that leads to quiet lanes along the river, and then to the Ponte Vecchio, which you can reach in twenty minutes. Ponte Vecchio is lined with high-quality, expensive gold shops that are completely free if you only browse, plus you get enjoy lovely views up and down the palace-lined river from the middle of the bridge.
A couple of the main art museums you should visit while in Florence are the Pitti Palace and the Ufizzi.And you will find many other things to keep you busy while visiting this great city.
If you are departing the city by train, as we are, you can walk there if your hotel is in a central location, because Florence is relatively small.A good trick is to use the pedestrian tunnel that goes down a ramp and leads directly into the train station, avoiding all of the busy traffic up above at street level.You will soon be on your way to your next destination.