The Christmas holidays are approaching and Florence is preparing to polish itself to welcome its guests ... If this year the traditions are respected, we will have the Christmas tree in Piazza Repubblica which lights up one of the most beautiful squares in the city, and the Christmas market in Santa Croce, with typical products from all over Europe. It is not very cheap, but you can take a tour of the stands, breathing a little Christmas air.
Around the weekend of December 8 there is also Florence Noel to the Stazione Leopolda (which alone is worth a visit). And around December 20 there is the opening of the Parco del Four Season, at the symbolic cost of € 1 (which will go to charity): hot chocolate for everyone and the possibility of taking walks in the 5 hectares of the largest garden in the center of Florence.
If you arrive by car to Florence and you don't want to spend a lot of money in the parking lot, leave your car in the parking lot in front of the Hypercoop in Ponte a Greve (it's free) and from there by tram (it runs every 3 minutes) you are in the center.
If you come in Florence for New Year's Eve:
A news preview is that on New Year's Eve in Florence there will be well 4 concerts in the following squares: piazza Repubblica, piazza Santissima Annunziata, piazza Signoria and piazza Stazione Santa Maria Novella. The concerts will all be free and various musical genres, from jazz to rock through classical music.
If you don't want to go to the New Year's Eve dinners you can choose to have dinner before midnight in any restaurant (it costs much less.) and then go around the squares of the center listening to some live concerts, every year there is always the classical music concert of the Florentine Orchestra. Sometimes you can also find something of jazz or rock in other squares. If at a certain time you have caught cold enough you can close yourself in some party that goes on until morning: in the historic center the New Year's party at Palazzo Gaddi it costs € 50 after 23pm (with 3 drinks included). Or as an alternative to the Teatro del Cestello in Santo Spirito: show + midnight toast.
If you want to visit at least one museum, I suggest the Palazzo Vecchio Museum: it costs only 6 € and also offers activities for children (from 3 years old). One Sunday a month it has free admission and is often open until midnight.
To eat:
- Lunch: the cheapest place for a lunch break are The Brothers, in a side street of via Calzaiuoli: a "niche" with 2 guys who prepare excellent sandwiches of all kinds (all cost € 2.50). We eat on the street, put the wine on a shelf, and socialize with the other customers. If you want a bar where you can sit, arrive in Piazza Beccaria, and take Via Gioberti, the Via dei Fiorentini, or "delle 100 botteghe": a few steps on the left you will find the bar Will be finished: excellent first, second and desserts at reasonable prices (ask for Fornacino coffee, it's special.). If you prefer to stay in the center: from Alfred behind Palazzo Vecchio, a trashy but authentic trattoria where you can have a full lunch for € 12.
- Price: For a Tuscan trattoria at an honest price you can try the Toscanor, via Guelfa 70: a simple, slightly rustic setting, but the flavors are those of Florentine cuisine. The family management will accompany you with sympathy. Other economic trattoria: the Brindellone in San Frediano.
- Aperitif: if you have a car or want to take a bus outside the center (10-15 minutes) I recommend it Sweet Wine Bar (via di Ripoli), a delightful place to drink a glass of good wine and have an excellent buffet aperitif (try the hand-cut fried potatoes) for a few €. And if you are hungry and want to stop, you can have dinner, always at low prices (you don't pay the cover charge).
Sleeping in Florence without spending a fortune:
Find one accommodation that cost little in Florence is not easy, if you come by car and you are happy to sleep a little outside the city, the Podere le Pialle is a very cheap farmhouse in Pontassieve. Usually with around € 35 you get by, the place is delicious and the owner cooks very well. But you are right in the middle of the countryside, among horses, chickens and rabbits.
If you prefer a more central B&B you can try the Magnificent Stay, in viale Don Minzoni. It is not a luxurious property, but it is new (it opened this year) and the two owners are very nice. It is located right next to the Parterre car park where they usually do the parking in December ice skating rink. If they also keep it open on December 31st, you can celebrate the arrival of the new year in an original way.
If you feel cold while traveling around Florence, you want to rest on comfortable sofas and .. why not, surf the Internet for free? I recommend the Biblioteca delle Oblate just behind the Duomo (go up to the panoramic terrace overlooking Brunelleschi's Dome, it's wonderful.). You can use their PCs or 3 hours of free Wi-Fi per day, by registering. In the library there are also DVDs for rent. All without paying. Another place to rest, surf and read a newspaper for free is House of Creativity in an alley next to Via Cerretani.
