Visiting Florence, Italy

Florence is one of Europe's most intriguing destinations, and each time I visit, I discover something new. I've visited a lot of cities across Europe and Florence retains its historic and artistic charm. To walk the streets as they were 400 or 500 years ago, visit the same buildings, see the same skyline, is truly incredible. While other cities have grown and modernized, the historic heart of Florence remains as it has always been. This feeling of immersion in another historic culture is one of the reasons I love to travel and one of the reasons I love to travel to Europe.

How to get to Florence
On our most recent visit, Florence was our overnight stop during a Mediterranean cruise. The ship docked at the port of Livorno, 60 miles up the coast, and we were taken by bus to Florence, with an hour's pause along the way in Pisa to see the famed Leaning Tower.

Lufthansa, Air France, Alitalia Delta and other major airlines service Florence Airport (FLR) allowing for easy access from the U.S. In Italy, the city is called Firenze.

Don't Miss
Piazza della Signoria, home of the Palazzo Vecchio, is a great place to start your city tour. It's the historic 14th Century center, surrounded by magnificent Renaissance sculpture, including a copy of Michelangelo's David.

A popular site is the Duomo atop the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, erected in the 11th Century. Go inside to experience the huge marble corridors and the shrine to John the Baptist.

Nearby is the majestic Campanile, a soaring bell tower designed by the artist Giotto. For about $5 you can buy a ticket to climb the 414 steps to the top for an unobstructed view of Florence.

If you're an art lover, visit the Galleria dell' Academia, where works by Michelangelo, Giotto, Cellini and other Renaissance painters and sculptors are on display.

Stroll across the Ponte Vecchio, the city's ancient bridge across the Arno River, built in the 14th Century. Walking along the span, you'll encounter many interesting art and jewelry shops,

Where to stay
Just a few steps from the entrance to the Ponte Vecchio and two blocks from the Duomo, is Hotel Casci. We didn't want to spend our one night in a big, international chain hotel. We chose the intimate, elegant Hotel Casci, and at $100 for the night was relatively inexpensive. It's actually a walk-up, the upper floor in the former mansion of Gioacchino Rossini, composer of, "The Barber of Seville".

Hotel Casci
Via Cavour, 13, San Marco
Santissima Annunziata, 50129

Where to dine
Near the Hotel Casci in the Ponte Vecchio area, and recommended by our hotel hosts, is this small, cozy cafe. For a total of $50 for an enjoyable dinner and local wine samplings, we had a great evening. Every tasty dish was made from scratch, including beef lasagne, truffle ravioli and fresh fruit gelato to top it all off. We had many great dining experiences here, always look for menus only in Italian, not English, and look for places filled with locals not tourists. As for a recommendation, even from someone on the street, and most likely you will end up with one of the best meals of your trip.

Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina
Piazza de' Pitti, 16
pittigolaecantina.com

Ted Sherman is a world traveler and editor of travel4people.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @travel4seniors.

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