Leisure: trattorie, the Cascine, the hills and the Oltrarno at night
Steak, lampredotto, schiacciata and ribollita between trattorie, the Mercato Centrale and Sant'Ambrogio; the Cascine and the hills for running and walking, Fiorentina at the Franchi; evenings in Santo Spirito, San Frediano and Sant'Ambrogio. Free: Piazzale Michelangelo, San Miniato, the Estate Fiorentina, first Sundays in state museums.
Sections: Cuisine · Eating out · Sport · Nightlife · Free activities
Food
Florentine cooking is about meat and bread: bistecca alla fiorentina, lampredotto and tripe from the street kiosks (trippai) in squares and markets, schiacciata flatbread, ribollita, pappa al pomodoro, chicken-liver crostini, cantucci with Vin Santo, Chianti and wines from the hills. The Mercato Centrale in San Lorenzo has market stalls on the ground floor and a first floor of kitchens open until late; the Sant'Ambrogio market is the residents' one; wine bars and the "wine windows" serve glasses in the street. Cheap trattorie are found in the Oltrarno, Sant'Ambrogio and the districts, not around the Duomo.
Parks and hills
The Cascine park along the Arno is the big city park, with running paths, a pool, a racecourse and the Tuesday market; on the south bank the Anconella and the Albereta park, to the north the Giardino dell'Orticoltura with its greenhouse and view. The hills are within walking distance: Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato, via San Leonardo towards Arcetri, Fiesole and Monte Ceceri, Settignano, Monte Morello to the north for trails. The Boboli and Bardini gardens are paid; the Rose Garden and the Iris Garden (in May) below the Piazzale are free.
- Sport: Fiorentina at the Artemio Franchi stadium in Campo di Marte, under renovation; rowing on the Arno beneath the Uffizi, municipal pools (Costoli, Bellariva), the Florence Marathon in November, the Calcio Storico in June.
- Evenings: piazza Santo Spirito and San Frediano for aperitivi and trattorie, Sant'Ambrogio and Le Murate (a former prison) for bars and concerts, piazza della Repubblica and via de' Benci for tourists, Manifattura Tabacchi and Novoli for events and clubs.
- Culture: the Teatro del Maggio (opera and the Maggio Musicale), Teatro della Pergola (drama), Teatro Verdi, Cinema La Compagnia, open-air cinema in summer; Palazzo Strozzi for major exhibitions.
- Free: the cathedral, churches and the view from the Piazzale, the Estate Fiorentina with concerts and cinema in the districts, the Oblate and district libraries, the first Sunday of the month in state museums (very crowded), the Scoppio del Carro and St John's fireworks.
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Reviewed: 10/23/2026 · by piero.avolio · rev. 1 · Period: → 2027-10-31
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