PROMOTION
Italy is known around the world for its picturesque landscape, delectable food, and friendly people. It is not surprising that when people say that, they mean it for every city and state around. Florence has to be one of the most visited spots around in Italy that more and more people consistently rave about. The combination of the renaissance building with the beautiful landmarks simply adds to the thrill and fervor of the place even further. But, what many people do is follow the general norms and visit the crowded spots. If you are planning on visiting Florence, do it a bit differently and indulge in things that many others won’t.
Visit La Specola
If you have known about Madame Tussauds, even Florence has one of its own in the form of La Specola. It dates back to 1775 which makes this place century old. It is one of the earliest museums of science across the world that was opened back in the days. It might necessarily not be similar exactly with Madame Tussauds but the anatomical wax figures are definitely spooky to stare at. It initially had the Medici-Lorraine’s extensive natural history collection. The best part about this museum is the fact that every single model on display is very realistic and can leave you shocked.
Explore the secret hallways of Vasari Corridor
Yet another one of the unusual things to do in Florence is visiting and exploring around the Vasari corridor. This corridor was built as a secret passage for the Medicis to travel between the offices of Palazzo Vecchio and their residence. For access, you need to enter through a hidden stairwell entrance from the Uffizi Museum, the entire passageway being around 1-km in length. The entire passage is also filled with self-portraits all along the way. Majority of the portraits are of Vasari himself but you can also find a few pieces by Bronzino as well. The only thing to keep in mind is to ensure that you plan everything ahead of time because you need an appointment to see this place.
Go crafting at Oltrarno
Majority of the travellers who visit Florence have time and time talked about the beauty of the craft shops around in Oltrarno. If you like crafting and DIY, it is not even a doubt that you absolutely need to visit this place without any second thoughts. The place is quite subtle and not crowded with travellers which makes it a perfect spot to visit and explore around. Taking a tour around the streets of Palazzo Pitti will provide you with a glimpse into the beauty of the simplicity that the place holds. The artisan shops, goldsmiths, leather bookbinders and such are all situated there. If you wish, you can actually learn a number of good things there and even share the same with someone you know.
Eat a lampredotto sandwich
Every place has its unique dishes and cuisines that they take pride in. If you are someone who likes to explore around and find traces of delectable food, you are definitely going to gorge this one down in no time. Walk around the popular “eat streets” and get hold of a trippaio which are also known as the tripe food stands. The lampredotto sandwich is very unique to this place and the content of this sandwich is not something you will usually find. It is made with the fourth stomach of the cow which is braised and stewed with lots of herbs and tomatoes. This is one of the sandwiches that you will only find in Florence and is something you should definitely try while there.
If you are planning a trip to Florence, Withlocals is here to help sort that out for you. This platform works on providing the best local experiences of the place for the travellers. The locals help the travellers get an insight of the culture, food, traditions, and all in a much better way.
It is time you stopped doing what everyone else is doing as a tourist. Try doing something new and if required, take the road not taken and opt for the quieter places that are not infiltrated with abundant travellers. This lets you explore the place better and get to know the rich history, culture, and traditions of the Florence better too.
