florenz.info

Overview

Florence Neighbourhoods

Florence's six neighbourhoods at a glance, from the World Heritage centre to the hilltop viewpoint: where it's worth going, what's free, and where to stay.

6

Centro Storico

UNESCO World Heritage site around the Duomo and Piazza della Signoria

Oltrarno

Florence's artisan and craft quarter south of the Arno

Santa Croce

A lively leather-working and nightlife quarter around the basilica

San Niccolò

Quiet Oltrarno neighbourhood at the foot of the hill

No results found.

Contents

The six neighbourhoods at a glance

Florence is compact, and almost everything is within walking distance, yet each neighbourhood still has its own character. Centro Storico is the historic core and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982: here the Cathedral with Brunelleschi's dome, the Uffizi, Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria are all packed into a small area. Because the restricted traffic zone (ZTL) applies here, exploring the centre on foot is the best option anyway.

Across the Arno lies Oltrarno, the neighbourhood of craft workshops and artists' studios behind Ponte Vecchio, home to the imposing Palazzo Pitti, the Boboli Gardens and the lively Piazza di Santo Spirito. East of the centre, the student-filled Santa Croce neighbourhood gathers around the Franciscan basilica of Santa Croce, burial place of Michelangelo and Galileo.

North of the Cathedral, San Lorenzo & San Marco combines the market and Medici quarter: the Basilica di San Lorenzo, the covered Mercato Centrale, and, around Piazza San Marco, the Accademia Gallery with Michelangelo's David. Santa Maria Novella, around the main train station, is the city's arrival point, with Alberti's Renaissance facade on the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella. Finally, the small San Niccolò neighbourhood sits at the foot of the hilltop and is the way up to Piazzale Michelangelo.

Free to wander, pay only where it counts

No neighbourhood charges admission, walking through, the squares and the lanes are free everywhere. You only pay for individual attractions within each neighbourhood. You'll get furthest without a ticket in San Niccolò: both Piazzale Michelangelo, with its famous view over the city, and the Romanesque church of San Miniato al Monte are free to enter.

The biggest costs are concentrated in Centro Storico (Uffizi from €25, Cathedral combined tickets from €15, Palazzo Vecchio from €12), in Oltrarno (Palazzo Pitti from €16, Boboli Gardens from €10) and in San Lorenzo & San Marco (Accademia Gallery from €20, the Medici Chapels from €11). In Santa Croce, the basilica costs €10 and the Bargello from €12, while in Santa Maria Novella the basilica costs €7.50. If you want to see a lot, plan your entrance tickets deliberately - wandering itself stays free.

Frequently asked questions

How many neighbourhoods does Florence have, and which ones?+
For visiting purposes, we split the historic centre into six easily walkable neighbourhoods: Centro Storico (the UNESCO-listed core), Oltrarno (across the Arno), Santa Croce (to the east), San Lorenzo & San Marco (north of the Cathedral), Santa Maria Novella (around the main train station) and San Niccolò (below the hilltop viewpoint). They're all close enough together that you can easily walk between them.
Which of Florence's neighbourhoods are free to visit?+
All six, no neighbourhood charges admission, and strolling through squares and lanes is free everywhere. San Niccolò gets by almost entirely without a paid headline attraction: both Piazzale Michelangelo and the church of San Miniato al Monte are free to enter. In every other neighbourhood, only the museums, palaces, gardens and churches charge admission, for example the Uffizi (from €25) in Centro Storico or Palazzo Pitti (from €16) in Oltrarno.
Which neighbourhood in Florence shouldn't you miss?+
Centro Storico is essential: the UNESCO World Heritage core since 1982, where the Cathedral, the Uffizi, Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria all sit within a short walk of each other. For a quieter, more authentic counterpoint, Oltrarno is worth the detour, with its craft workshops and Palazzo Pitti. If you want a view without paying for it, head up to San Niccolò and Piazzale Michelangelo.
Which neighbourhood is best to stay in when visiting Florence?+
Centro Storico puts you right among all the main sights, but it's pricier and busy by day. Oltrarno is a little quieter and more local, and it's just minutes from the centre across Ponte Vecchio. Santa Maria Novella, around the main train station, suits arrivals by train, while Santa Croce is better for evenings out. Note the restricted traffic zone (ZTL) in the centre, driving there isn't an option.