Welcome to Oltrarno
Literally the ‘other side of the Arno’, this achingly hip ’hood is traditionally home to Florence's artisans and its old-world, bohemian streets are sprinkled with botteghe (workshops), independent boutiques and hybrid forms of both. It embraces the area south of the river and west of Ponte Vecchio; its backbone is Borgo San Jacopo, clad with shops and a twinset of 12th-century towers, Torre dei Marsili and Torre de' Belfredelli. Cuisine – prepared using artisanal ingredients, of course – is a real strength here, with bags of fashionable restaurants and drinks to entice.
Top experiences in Oltrarno
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Oltrarno activities
Florence Concert and Dinner
Your evening starts in the charming neighborhood of Oltrarno, on the south side of the Arno River. Make your own way to a traditional Florentine restaurant, where your table awaits. Then, sit back and relax as the friendly waiting staff serve up your meal. Select a budget-friendly set menu with Chianti wine, or upgrade to enjoy a choice of traditional Tuscan dishes from an à la carte menu. Wine is not included with the à la carte option, but a wide selection is available should you want to order a bottle at your own expense. See the Itinerary for sample menus. After dinner, take a short stroll into town to St Mark's Anglican Church, the setting for your intimate concert performance. Your reserved seat, at the heart of the action in the front row, is ideal for taking in the acoustics and ambiance as professional singers take the stage. Sit back and prepare to be enchanted as works by some of the operatic greats — Puccini, Verdi, Rossini — as well as other popular Neapolitan songs are performed. See below for more details on the program.
Florence Aperitivo Tasting Tour with Ponte Vecchio, Oltrarno
Meet your guide at Piazza della Repubblica in central Florence, and set off on your stroll across the iconic bridge to the bohemian neighborhood of Oltrarno. First stop is an artisanal gelato parlor to try one of the shop’s popular mojito sorbets. As you savor your sorbet, your guide will talk about Florence and its all-important aperitivo scene.A tradition firmly rooted in Italian life, aperitivo consists of a pre-dinner snack with drinks in a bar. While Milan is believed to have started the tradition in the early 1920s, other Italian cities quickly caught onto the trend, but few struggle to do it better than Florence; as the capital of Tuscany, the city has world-renowned ingredients right at its fingertips.Leave the gelato parlor and stroll to a traditional wine bar for a glass of Tuscan wine – either Brunello di Montalcino or a Chianti reserve – alongside a platter of wild boar salami, Tuscan prosciutto (ham) and a selection of creamy ripe cheeses. Listen to your guide talking about the wine’s origins as you eat, and discover how to match wines with food.Continue to your second and final bar of the evening near Piazza Pitti, enjoying a house cocktail with snacks. The exact dishes vary each time, but expect something typically Tuscan like bruschetta topped with juicy tomatoes and garlic. Your tour finishes here, but you can stay inside for as long as you like, making the most of your evening independently!
Skip-the-Line Florence Highlights and David Walking Tour
Make the most of your time in Florence with a 3-hour tour of the most important sites and monuments! Florence is not a very big city but its importance and the concentration of monuments and museums is truly amazing. It is hard to define the best itinerary to see everything in one day, so the best solution is joining this half day tour which will give you an overview of the historical center and its highlights. Meet your guide in a central spot of the city and explore Piazza della Republica, where the ancient Roman Forum originally was. Walk to Piazza della Signoria, the political heart of the city and listen to the history of the Florentine Republic, the Medici family and the Palazzo Vecchio. Admire the sculptures which makes this piazza one of most famous of the world. Proceed to the Ponte Vecchio and admire its jewelries, and hear the unique history of the Vasari Corridor, passing above it. Arrive to the Pitti palace once the private residence of the grand dukes and admire its splendor. Continue your walk though the Oltrarno, the bohemian area of Florence full of artists, workshops and lovely cafes. Cross the Ponte Santa Trinita and stop for a stunning picture to the ponte Vecchio from this side. The tour continue along Via Tornabuoni, the fashion designer street where you will be amazed by the beautiful windows. Pass through Palazzo Strozzi's courtyard and admire the essence of the Renaissance architecture. Continue your walk to the Duomo, and admire the Cathedral, Brunelleschi's Dome and the Baptistery. If the line is not too long, we will also see the inside but sometimes lines are so long and nobody here has the priority. Afterwards , walk to the Accademia, where you will have preferential entrance and see the original Michelangelo's David and the Prisoners. The guide will tell you every secrets of these statues and Michelangelo's life. Please note: the tour ends outside of the Accademia museum. Every first Sunday of the month it is not allowed to reserve ticketsEntrance to the Cathedral is not possible on sunday morning and if the line are too long - nobody has priority entrance
Florence Independent Full-Day Visit from Venice by Train
Make your own way to Santa Lucia station in central Venice and catch your train and travel to Florence independently. Train journeys from Venice to Florence can last up to 2.5 hours, but your high-speed train shuttles you into the heart of Florence in just 2 hours. On arrival in the city, head out to explore! How you spend your time in beautiful Florence — Italy’s second city — is up to you. Entrance fees to attractions and any meals are at your own expense.Perhaps visit Accademia Gallery to see Michelangelo’s David sculpture, or head to Florence Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria dei Fiori) to climb up the iconic Brunelleschi’s Dome. Relax in the calm of Boboli Gardens, explore the bohemian Oltrarno neighborhood or walk up to the terrace at Piazzale Michelangelo to see the city’s most impressive panorama. Be sure to use your hop-on hop-off sightseeing ticket to travel around town and visit top Florence attractions at your own pace. Travel aboard an open-top, double-decker bus, hop on and off around the city at any of the 15 stops, or stay on for the full 1-hour loop duration. Highlights that are taken in on the route include the Ponte Vecchio — the impressive bridge that straddles the River Arno — as well as the Church of Santa Maria Novella, Uffizi Gallery and Church of San Miniato al Monte. At the time advised, make your own way to Florence Santa Maria Novella Station and travel by train back to Venice. Your independent day trip then finishes at Venice Santa Lucia Station.Please note: LINE C only operates between April and October 31. To see the route of the bus please see the maps under 'View Additional Information'.Please note: Starting from April 2018, a salami tasting will be included. The tasting will take place at Mercato Centrale, (drinks excluded), and a vegetarian option is available upon request.
Florence Private Walking Tour: Accademia Skip-the-Line, David
Make the most of your time in Florence with a 3-hour tour of the most important sites and monuments. Florence is not a very big city, but its importance and the concentration of monuments and museums is really amazing. It is hard to define the best itinerary to see everything in one day, so the best solution is joining this half day tour, which will give you an overview of the historical center and its highlights. Meet your guide at your centrally located hotel in Florence and explore Piazza della Republica, where the ancient Roman Forum originally was. Walk to Piazza della Signoria, the political heart of the city and listen to the history of the Florentine Republic, the Medici family and the Palazzo Vecchio. Admire the sculptures that make this piazza one of the most famous in the world. Proceed to the Ponte Vecchio and admire its jewelry, and hear the unique history of the Vasari Corridor, passing above it. Arrive to the Pitti Palace once the private residence of the grand dukes and admire its splendor. Continue your walk though the Oltrarno, the bohemian area of Florence full of artists, workshops and lovely cafes. Cross the Ponte Santa Trinita and stop for a stunning picture to the Ponte Vecchio from this side. The tour continue along Via Tornabuoni, the fashion designer street where you will be amazed by the beautiful windows. Pass through Palazzo Strozzi's courtyard and admire the essence of the Renaissance architecture. Continue your walk to the Duomo, and admire the Cathedral, Brunelleschi's Dome and the Baptistery. Lines at the entrance of the Cathedral can be very long, and there is no possible way to skip them, so the guide will decide with you at the moment what you want to do according to the time you have at your disposal.Walk to the Accademia, where you will have preferential entrance and see the original Michelangelo's David and the Prisoners. The guide will tell you every secrets of the statues and Michelangelo's life. Tour ends out of the Accademia Museum.
Private Tour: Full Day Walking Tour of Florence Highlights with Duomo, Uffizi and Accademia
Meet the guide in the lobby of your centrally located hotel and start the walk to the Cathedral with its famous Brunelleschi's Dome, Giotto's bell tower, the Baptistery.Proceed to Piazza della Signoria and learn about the history of Florence, its beautiful city hall, Palazzo Vecchio and the outdoor museums of sculptures all around the piazza.Visit the Uffizi gallery and its world famous collection of paintings. The visit will focus on the most important Renaissance works of art such as Botticelli's Birth of Venus and others by Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Caravaggio. After the visit, you will be free for a quick lunch break of about 1 hour and will then cross the Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge of Florence with its sparkling goldsmiths' windows and explore the Oltrarno area, famous for its artisans passing in front of the imposing Pitti Palace.Cross the Ponte Santa Trinita from where you will have a great view from the river of Florence palaces and bridges. Head to the Accademia Gallery walking through Via Tornabuoni, the fashion street, passing through the Strozzi Palace magnificent courtyard. When inside the Accademia you will have the chance to admire Michelangelo's David and the unfinished Prisoners.Tickets for these museums are pre-booked in order to skip the lines at the entrance.