Best views of Florence: where to see the city from above

If you wish to gaze out at the magnificent views of Florence and its skyline, there are many opportunities and different kinds of viewpoints. You can climb to the top of one of the many ancient towers of the historic center, or on the dome of the Cathedral. Or you can escape from the city, and reach one of the many villages nestled on the hills surrounding the town. The countryside is full of unique points from which to admire the rooftops and majestic monuments from above. Here you will find my tips for finding the best views of Florence!

Also check my blogpost about the best rooftop bars in Florence.

Best free views of Florence (in town)

As I said before, there are different ways to see Florence from above: climbing up a very tall building in the historic centre, or moving away from the city to climb a hill. There are also places like gardens which are free and super close to the centre. First let’s talk about the free and public viewpoints located in the historic center, or in any case close enough to it to be reached on foot.

Piazzale Michelangelo

Piazzale Michelangelo is a terrace with a view located on a hill very close to the historic center, in the Oltrarno area (beyond the Arno river). This is certainly the most famous viewpoint in Florence. The view you can enjoy from here is truly amazing, and includes the entire city with its domes, belltowers, bridges, red rooftops, and the surrounding hills. It is even possible to see capped Appennines on a clear day.

There is also a bronze copy of Michelangelo’s David (you can admire the marble original at the Accademia Gallery Museum).

Access is totally free since it is a public square! Of course Piazzale Michelangelo is always very crowded, especially at sunset, which however is the best time to go. At sunset, the sun goes down behind the city, illuminating the Arno river with all its bridges one after the other. If you want to skip the crowds, go early in the morning.

A similar view can ben enjoyed also from the medieval church of San Miniato al Monte, which is very close to Piazzale Michelangelo. The church is one of the most ancient and rich in art of the city, and is surrounded by the Porte Sante Monumental Cemetery. This is one of my favorite places ever, don’t miss a visit!

You can get to Piazzale Michelangelo on foot, climbing the ramps that are starting from piazza Poggi, a short uphill walk of 10 minutes. Or you can get there by bus, taking the bus n. 12 or 13.

The Roses Garden

The Roses Garden in Florence is a small corner of peace just a few minutes’ walk from the historic centre. This public park is located on the side of the same hill on which piazzale Michelangelo is located. As the name suggests, it is a garden entirely dedicated to roses. There are hundreds of different species that flower throughout the spring and part of the summer, and some of them are very rare or ancient.

The Rose Garden is made more poetic by the statues of the Belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon. Cats, birds, fishes and other naive creatures live in the garden, hidden among the flowering bushes.

The view of Florence from the garden is gorgeous, especially from the terrace halfway through, where there is the famous sculpture of Folon’s suitcase that frames the skyline of the city.

Being a public park, the entrance to the Rose Garden is free, it is open every day from 8 to sunset.

There are two entrances, one on the top of the garden (just below the terrace of Piazzale Michelangelo) and one on the bottom, in via dei Bastioni (San Niccolò area, in the Oltrarno District).

Bellosguardo hill

Bellosguardo is a hill that rises in the Oltrarno area, where I really like to go for a walk on Sunday mornings. The name literally means “beautiful view”, and it’s easy to understand why: this is one of the best views of Florence! The hill is very close to the city centre, but you are already surrounded by the landscape of the Tuscan countryside, with olive trees, ancient stone walls and sweet, rolling hills. It is such a secret peaceful corner, where you won’t find many tourists, but mostly local people going out for a walk.

To enjoy the view of Florence from the Bellosguardo hill, go to Piazza Tasso, then take Via di Bellosguardo until you reach the square of the same name, piazza Bellosguardo. There are two viewpoints, one just before reaching Piazza Bellosguardo, and one shortly after, in via Roti Michelozzi.

From the square start some very characteristic streets where you can walk, which form a circular route of 5 km (3.1 miles), which can be covered in about an hour. It is an easy but very beautiful hike! The itinerary is: piazza Bellosguardo, via Piana, via Santa Maria a Marignolle, via dei Morelli, via del Ferrone, via di Soffiano, via San Carlo, and then you’e back to piazza Bellosguardo again.

Towers and building where to see Florence from above

Are you ready to climb a lot of steps? But of course, the view is worth the climb!

In this part of the post you will find the towers and buildings where you can climb to the top to enjoy the view of the historic center of Florence from above, such as the dome of the Cathedral.

Being museums (or churches similar to museums), to enter these places there is a ticket to pay.

Brunelleschi’s Dome of the Cathedral

This is the quintessential viewpoint, although is rather touristic. In the summer heat can be a challenging climb, but it’s certainly worthy. The view from the top of the Cathedral is quintessential and unmistakable. In addition, the ascent to the top is enhanced by the magnificent experience of the Cathedral’s interior, as you climb steep stairs admiring the extraordinary work of architecture.

Remember that you must book the climb to the Dome in advance! Book it as early as you can because during the high season the requests are way higher than the daily capacity. You can book the ticket, called Brunelleschi pass, on the official site of the Duomo. The ticket has a duration of 72 hours, including also the climb to the bell tower, the Duomo Museum, the entrance to the Baptistery and the access to the crypt of the church. Price is 30 euro per adult.

• My complete guide for visiting the Duomo of Florence (and climbing the dome) has all the information you may need to know before your visit.

View from Giotto’s Bell tower

Being very next to it, the view of the city from the bell tower of the Cathedral is just as beautiful as at the top of the Brunelleschi dome, but with the bonus of having the dome included in the panorama. Additionally, the availability for the bell tower is usually much more than the dome of the Cathedral.

The bell tower is named after Giotto, the architect who designed it. Giotto was also a painter and a sculptor, definitely the brightest name in the history of medieval art in Italy. You can see some of his paintings at the Uffizi gallery.

There are three different types of tickets for the complex of the Duomo of Florence. Only two include the access to the bell tower:

• the Giotto Pass (which also includes entrance to the Baptistery, the Opera del Duomo Museum and the cathedral crypt)
• and the Brunelleschi pass (which also includes the climb to the dome, in addition to everything else).

You can find more information about that in my blog post about how to climb Giotto’s bell tower.

Tower of Palazzo Vecchio

You can enjoy another stunning view of Florence from the top of the tower of Palazzo Vecchio. It’s also called Arnolfo’s Tower, from the name of the architect who designed the palace, Arnolfo di Cambio. The tower is part of the Palazzo Vecchio building, which today is used as a town hall, and also houses an important museum, the Palazzo Vecchio Museum.

The climb to the tower also includes the visit to the ramparts and the famous cell of Alberghetto, where both Cosimo the elder and Savonarole were imprisoned.

The ticket for the tower and ramparts costs 12,50 euros; there is a combo ticket including both the Palazzo Vecchio Museum and Tower of Arnolfo for 17,50 euro.

• Learn more about my private tour of Palazzo Vecchio

Giardino Bardini

The Bardini Garden is the brainchild of the eclectic Florentine antique dealer Stefano Bardini, who bought two different nearby gardens and transformed them into one large park. The two parts are very different from each other: a seventeenth-century Baroque garden and a nineteenth-century English garden. My favorite part is the baroque garden, with its beautiful stone staircase that climbs the hillside.

The point from which you can enjoy the most beautiful view is from the terrace at the top of the staircase, where the cafeteria is also located. From here the view of Florence is framed by the ancient statues that decorate the terrace, and the stone staircase extends down to the lowest part of the garden.

The best time to visit the Bardini Garden is in spring, when everything is in bloom. It then gives its best in April, when the irises blossom along the staircase and when the famous wisteria tunnel is covered with violet flowers.

To find out more, read my post about the Bardini Garden.

Tower of San Niccolò

From just a few years, the ancient tower of San Niccolò, in the Oltrarno area, is open to the public in summers months at sunset. The view is really beautiful because the tower rises just across the Arno river, in front of the area between the Uffizi Gallery and Santa Croce church.

Actually this was not a tower, but a door of the medieval walls of the city. The walls were demolished in the 1800s, but the doors are still there, and San Niccolò is one of them!

The tower of San Niccolò is open from the end of June to the end of September. Opening hour is from 5 until 8 pm. Accompanied tours leave once every half an hour and cost 4 euros for a ticket.

Best view points of Florence (outside of town)

These villages located on the hills surrounding Florence are the perfect opportunity to take a half-day escape from the city or a day trip in the surroundings, and discover new, off the beaten path places. Fiesole is well known among tourists, but in Settignano and Bellosguardo you will only find locals.

Village of Fiesole

This ancient town resting on the top of a hill is only a few kilometers away from the historical centre of Florence. You can get there in a dozen of minutes by bus (line no. 7). A trip to Fiesole is a great idea for a half a day getaway. Here you can visit a wonderful archeological area with Etruscan and Roman ruins.

The village was actually founded by the Etruscans in the IV century BC, then was conquered by the Romans in the year 90 BC. There are still some portions of the ancient city walls built by the Etruscans!

To enjoy a beautiful view of the entire city of Florence, head to San Francesco monastery. It can be easily reached by foot from the main piazza, where the bus stops. Note that the pathway is pretty steep, however it’s quite short. This Franciscan monastery is a very peaceful and beautiful place where to rest, meditate and enjoy the view.

Village of Settignano

The village of Settignano is also easy to reach by bus (line no. 10). Much less famous than the close by Fiesole, although is certainly not less interesting. Settignano is known as the town of stonecutters, as it was once a town full of quarries and the birthplace of many important florentine Renaissance sculptors. Some famous sculptors to hail from here include Desiderio da Settignano, Bernardo and Antonio Rossellino and Bartolomeo Ammannati. Also, a young Michelangelo lived and studied here at a workshop of a master sculptor.

In addition to its beautiful history, Settignano is one of my favorite places to see a view of Florence at sunsets. This almost unknown village remains less travelled by tourists, and for this reason still breathes the life and atmosphere of a small Tuscan town.

You hope you find this post useful to find the perfect viewpoint where to take memories and pictures of your trip. Let me know in the comments if you have other tips about the best views of Florence!