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Italy : Florence - December 2009

Country Code: Dial for Italy

Florence is particularly beautiful in December, with the historic centre decked out in blinking lights and some very stylish Christmas decorations. Then there’s the Florence Biennale which brings the best of contemporary art to the Renaissance city this month. Kamin Mohammadi gets ready for the festivities

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).

SANTA MARIA NOVELLA AND AROUND

Located near the central train station, you should head to this area to see the newly renovated piazza of the incomparable frescoed Santa Maria Novella church.

Sleep soundly – The Hotel Santa Maria Novella (1 Piazza Santa Maria Novella, tel. , hotelsantamarianovella.it, rooms from €130) has been welcoming travellers since the 19th century and has views onto the great basilica.

Culture vultures – Florence’s towering reputation as a centre for art and architecture stems from the Renaissance. This is not a city known for its relationship with modern art. However, the Florence Biennale (5-13 December) brings the best of contemporary art here.

Must eat – It’s the friendly service and jolly atmosphere that make Osteria delle Belle Donne (16r Via delle Belle Donne, ) such fun to visit. Try the sedani con bacon, verza e uova (thick noodles with bacon, cabbage and egg sauce).

Shop til you drop – One of the world’s oldest pharmacies, the Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella (16 Via della Scala), combines history, art and retail trade. There is absolutely nowhere better to combine culture with some Christmas shopping.

PIAZZA SIGNORIA AND AROUND

People watch to your heart’s content in this vast square, just a short stroll from the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio and Uffizi art gallery.

Sleep soundly – The Westin Excelsior Hotel (3 Piazza Ognissanti, , starwoodhotels.com, rooms from €250) is on the river and combines luxury and great service with fantastic views, especially from its newly reopened terrace bar, which has vistas taking in the river and Ponte Vecchio.

Culture vultures – Take a guided tour through the elaborate rooms of the city’s ancient town hall, the Palazzo Vecchio (Piazza della Signoria), and discover more about Renaissance life.

Must eat – Refined, wood-panelled and stucco-ceilinged, with a large terrace on the piazza, Gilli (36-39 Piazza della Repubblica, tel. ) is an excellent place from which to watch the world go by. Alternatively, pop into the informal Yellow Bar (39r Via Proconsolo, tel. ) for fresh pasta and pizza.

Must drink – Sample one of Florence’s famously rich hot chocolates at Rivoire (Piazza della Signoria).

Dance the night away – Join glamorous Florentines at YAB (5r Via Sassetti).

Shop til you drop – For high fashion, homeware and even a MAC cosmetics concession, head for department store Coin (56r Via Calzaiuoli).

SANTO SPIRITO AND AROUND

The heart of “alternative” Florence, the area around Santo Spirito is a pull for students and laid-back Florentines. The piazza is one of the nicest in the city and there is a small fruit and vegetable market here most mornings.

Culture vultures – The church of Santo Spirito (Piazza Santo Spirito) is one of Brunelleschi’s masterpieces. Round the corner is Florence’s great Renaissance museum complex, the Palazzo Pitti (Piazza Pitti), with its five museums and splendid Boboli Gardens.

Must eat – Try out Tuscan dishes such as tripe and wild boar at Trattoria dei Quattro Leoni, (1r Via dei Vellutini, tel. ); you might even run into a celebrity or two. For something altogether cosier, try Canapone (5a Via Mazzetta, ), a bohemian little supper club where Tuscan ingredients come together in a delicious fusion of tastes.

Must drink – Early evening aperitifs soon hot up at Cabiria (4 Piazza Santo Spirito).

Shop til you drop – The most divine chocolates and pastries are on offer at Dolcissima la Pasticceria (61r Via Maggio). This is the place to buy that Christmas panettone (Italian Christmas cake) to take home.

Compiled by Kamin Mohammadi