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Italy : Florence - July 2008

Country Code: Dial for Italy

Summer in Florence can get steamy, but luckily the ebullient renaissance city has plenty of alfresco venues to escape to once temperatures soar – you can choose from bars and restaurants with large terraces, sweeping gardens and even a beach by the river Arno. Kamin Mohammadi keeps her cool

Getting around

Florence Peretola

Bus: Vola In Bus departs from outside the airport to Stazione Santa Maria Novella every 30 minutes. Tickets cost €4,50.
Taxi: A taxi from the airport into the city centre takes 20 minutes and costs about €16.
Tourist information: The main tourist information point is at 29r Borgo Santa Croce. There is also one in the piazza outside Santa Maria Novella Stazione and at 1r Via Cavour (www.firenzeturismo.it).

EAST OLTRARNO

This area south of the river is virtually untouched by tourists and maintains an old-fashioned neighbourhood feel.

Sleep soundly – A short walk through Porta San Miniato will bring you to Villa Poggio San Felice, a country villa with beautiful rooms and great views over the city.

Culture vultures – Giardino delle Rose (below Piazzale Michelangelo) is only open for three months of the year (until the end of July in 2008). Head here for rare roses and stunning views.

Must eat – Just inside Porta San Miniato, Il Rifrullo (55r via San Niccolo, ) does a great Sunday brunch and has a terrace that’s perfect for people-watching.

Must drink – Join the beautiful crowd at Zoe (13 Via dei Renai), which has a terrace and serves renowned aperitivo.

Dance the night away – Baroque club Montecarla (2 Via dei Bardi) does a nice line in kitsch chic – think plenty of plush and leopard skin.

WEST OLTRARNO

From Palazzo Pitti to the laid-back neighbourhood around Santo Spirito and all the way to Porta Romana, this is Florence at its authentic best.

Sleep soundly – Set in a 15th-century palazzo, Pensione Sorelle Bandini (9 Piazza Santo Spirito, tel. , rooms from €135) was used in Franco Zeffirelli’s film Tea with Mussolini.

Culture vultures – The city’s outdoor Opera Festival, held at Giardino di Boboli (Palazzo Pitti), started on 13 June and continues until 3 August.

Must eat – Just outside Porta Romana, Antica Porta (23r Via Senese, tel. ) serves up thin-crust pizzas to a largely local crowd.

Must drink – Long one of Florence’s most fashionable bars, La Dolce Vita (6r Piazza del Carmine) has a large terrace where fashionable Florentines go to see and to be seen.

Shop til you drop – Pitti Vintage (19r Sdrucciolo dei Pitti) stocks beautifully preserved clothes and accessories from across the decades.

PIAZZA DEL DUOMO AND SAN MARCO

Stretching from the cathedral to Piazza San Marco, this district is home to some of Florence’s most famous monuments.

Sleep soundly – Situated in a 19th-century palazzo, Carolus Hotel has some of the best service in the city.

Culture vultures – Away from other crowded piazzas, pedestrianised Santissima Annunziata is a Brunelleschi masterpiece. Look out for its distinctive arcades and loggias.

Must eat – Cool down with granitas and home-made ice cream at Gelateria Carabé (60r Via Ricasoli).

Shop til you drop – Perched on the corner of Via dei Pucci, Cinque Lampade (34 Via Ricasoli) sells shoes at excellent prices.

FIESOLE

This beautiful village is tucked away in the hills to the north of Florence, just a 30-minute journey away by bus or car. It enjoys magnificent views over Florence, as well as a wealth of walks and sights.

Sleep soundly – The charming Hotel Villa Fiesole (35 Via Beato Angelico, tel. , villafiesole.it, rooms from €200) is hard to beat. Gazing out over the city, its elegant rooms are either decked out in a cool, contemporary style or come complete with frescoes

Culture vultures – The stunning sculpted garden at Villa Medici (40 Villa della Petraia) affords unrivalled views over the whole Florentine plain.

Must eat – Ristorante La Reggia degli Etruschi (18 Via San Francesco, ) is the best place to eat in Fiesole. Come here for excellent Tuscan cuisine made from fresh local ingredients, and the well-stocked winery where you can taste Tuscany’s finest wines.

Compiled by Kamin Mohammadi