Despite the fact that summer seems to be somewhat debatable in Florence these days, I thought about how much I miss using my own city as a sort of ‘urban playground’ during the summer. It’s really just too easy to lock yourself in your house, especially if you happen to be a freelancer like myself. We are all guilty of it, shuttering our windows like an old Italian nonna and hiding out until the weather gets less muggy. Since I am far too lazy and cheap to join a gym in Florence (they also happen to be really expensive), this just proves as more motivation to embark on the phenomenon that is ‘urban trekking’ right in my own backyard, the oltrarno or ‘other side of the river’ in Florence.

Think of this side as the ‘Palazzo Pitti’ side of the Ponte Vecchio bridge for Florence newbies. The cool thing about this kind of tourism is that you tend to do things a little slower, it’s not about finishing a marathon but rather seeing the sites with some exercise in between. Plus to keep yourself motivated, I encourage frequent stops for coffee and the occasional spritz.

There are so many cool paths and routes you can take to not only discover the city, but also get moving and work off some of the delicious food you (hopefully) will be having. These itineraries are just a few of my favorites, so strap on your cool converse sneakers and start walking. You might need to because the ATAF bus service tends to cut their service in half during the summer months.

San Niccolo – I Love You

Personally I like to start from the gorgeous San Niccolo area of Florence, home to so many things that I love about this city. You have cute coffee and cocktails bars like Rifrullo, wine bars galore (Bevo Vino, Enoteca Fuori Porta), great lunch spots like Zeb (really a must-try!) and Clet’s workshop – all in the same vicinity. Honestly who wouldn’t want to base their trip from this very Florentine neighborhood, here you can soak in true Italian atmosphere. If you are looking for the perfect place to stay, closer to the artisan district,  check out Palazzo Belfiore which is an amazing spot from which to explore the city!

It also happens to be one of my favorite places in town to get a tagliere (cheese and cured Tuscan salami board), either at Fuori Porta restaurant or  Il Beppe Fioraia, which is a little higher up. There is no secret than many of us are in love with this charming part of Florence, it captures the true essence of Florence, away from the suffocating crowds by Piazza del Duomo.

Start at the Torre di San Niccolo and buy a ticket to walk all 160 steps of this masterpiece with an awesome view over the city. Once part of the city walls and built in 1324, this one of the best preserved towers in town and one of my favorite places. Open this summer until September 20th, from 5pm – 8pm with guided tours in both Italian & English. Tickets: 4 € –   phone +39 055 2768224 – +39 0552768558, [email protected].

After you’re done, head over the area of Rifrullo and get a coffee (or a glass of wine, we won’t tell) while you take a break to check out Clet’s studio on via dell’olmo,8 (the modified street sign depicted on the left is by the famous artist himself). Make your way back to via san minato and head towards the best panorama in town (see featured photo) Piazzale Michelangelo. But first! Stop at the Rose Garden which is on the way, a place that is growing in fame but you can find your inner oasis in the Japanese corner towards the back. ( I also added a google map with pins below).

A final recommended stop after you’re done taking 3,453,958 million photos from Piazzale Michelangelo is the church of San Miniato al Monte, my favorite escape in the city. Over 1,000 years old and it definitely feels like it, the cloisters inside hold a certain slight creepy majestic vibe that I can’t get enough of.

On yet an even creepier note, the cemetery is pretty incredible. Buried here is the creator of our favorite wooden puppet Pinocchio, Carlo Collodi. The views from here are probably even better than Piazzale Michelangelo, I love coming up here when I need to clear my mind and I think you would too! They also have a cool gift shop for herbal liquors and different interesting knickknacks.

Feeling Like Rocky? Check out the Rampa dei Bastioni

Another perfect place for urban trekking enthusiasts are the stairs near via dei bastioni close to Piazza Ferrucci in Florence. One of my bus stops used to be over here so I would often walk up and down these ancient steps for a little before-work routine. Combine this with a walk on the charming and steep viale michelangelo {around 3 kilometers} and you have yourself a pretty awesome workout! I usually refer to this area of town as the ‘Hollywood Hills’ of Florence with villas and beautiful houses tucked along the leafy streets that head towards piazzale Michelangelo and Poggio Imperiale. A girl can dream, can’t she?

Other recommended routes include heading along the pretty Costa di San Giorgio towards the Forte del Belvedere which feels more like the countryside, or embarking on an art walk along the streets between Palazzo Pitti & Santo Spirito, home to many of the most famous artisan shops in Florence (will touch on that on a later post). A very underrated place to visit in the oltrarno is the Santa Maria del Carmine in Piazza del Carmine,  known for the Cappella Brancacci and Masaccio which are pretty spectacular to see in person. I did a fresco workshop and we visited the chapel after recreating a piece ourselves and I can’t believe it took me that long to see this place in person!

 Brancacci Chapel in all of its glory!

Something worth remembering is that everything in Florence has a story, every street, palazzo, and cafe is brimming with hidden secrets that people like me can’t wait to discover. One of the many reasons that many of us chose Florence as our home, a city that continues to surprise and delight which is why I never get tired of writing about it.