Things to do in Florence

Florence packs an extraordinary amount of art and architecture into a walkable centre. Brunelleschi's dome rises over terracotta rooftops, Michelangelo's David stands in the Accademia, and the Uffizi holds works by Botticelli, Leonardo and Raphael within a few minutes' walk of each other.

It also makes an excellent base for exploring Tuscany. Hill towns such as Siena and San Gimignano, the vineyards of the Val d'Orcia, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the coastal villages of the Cinque Terre are all reachable on a day trip, so you can mix museum mornings with countryside afternoons.