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Florence Sightseeing Tours
March 23, 2010
The beautiful Italian city of Florence is world-renowned as the top venue for renaissance art lovers and is an archetypal Tuscan delight. Although commercial Florence sightseeing tours abound, they can be quite rigid in their approach and make you feel part of a herd. Florence easily permits the wandering traveler to independently discover its wonderful attractions.
In Florence, the place to start is the historic centre (centro storico), a vast area crammed with beautiful buildings, statues, landscaped gardens and art just waiting to be discovered. You’ll get more out of Florence sightseeing tours if actually stay there and do short walks to specific venues. Alternatively if your visit to Florence is short, there’s plenty to see in the centro storico.
A top attraction in Florence is the the impressive medieval fortress Palazzo Vecchio (old palace), which serves as Florence’s town hall. From there you’ll get wonderful panoramic views of the whole Florence, in addition to the amazing frescoes and sculptures housed within its exquisite chambers. Right in front of Palazzo Vecchio is the Piazza della Signoria, an al fresco museum containing the Fountain of Neptune overlooked by the statues of Cosimo and David.
Piazza del Duomo is one of the most popular portions of Florence renaissance art sightseeing tours with excellent reasons. St. John’s baptistry, the Opera del Duomo Museum, Loggia del Bigallo and Giotto’s Campanile are all unmissable examples of Florence renaissance art.
In Florence the Ponte Vecchio, an amazing historic bridge over the river Arno, is only a short walk away. This most unusual structure carries tiny but most impressive shops in Florence, most selling gold jewelery in amazing styles. Crossing the Arno takes you to the edge of the centro storico and to the slightly less-well frequented part of Florence known as Oltrarno.
Look out for the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens. Piazzale Michelangelo, the highest point in Florence, offers for some great views of Florence. For the more adventurous, through the gate known as Porta Romana, (therefore outside the centro storico) try finding Poggio Reale, Arcetri (Galileo’s area of residence) and Bellosguardo.
Click here for more information on Florence Sightseeing Tours, or visit our European Vacation advice website.
What to see in York, England
March 13, 2010
York, in England, is a great European vacation stop. Often referred to as the United Kingdom’s “first city” of history, it’s steeped in Britain’s cultural heritage. Anglo Saxons ruled here long before the Romans arrived to invade. After that were the Vikings, who gave it is name, then in the form “Yorvik”. During the medieval period, York became the second largest city in England.
There are many York attractions to visit during your time here. It might be worthwhile to buy the “York Pass” which includes access to over fifty attractions in the region and York City itself. To maximise your use of the pass, make sure you make sure of what you want to see and check the opening times before you commit.
York Minster, the stunning 7th century Cathedral, is one of the most famous attractions. The enormous Church and structures was built with pale stone decorated with amazing stained glass windows, sculptures and an impressive pipe organ. The Yorvik Viking Centre is also interesting, with a reconstruction of a street from 975AD and information about the period.
York also has the Dungeon, Clifford’s Tower, the Merchant Adventurer’s Hall, and the attractions of the River Ouse. In the Dungeon, actors create an interactive role play as various historical figures. Clifford’s Tower has create, panormic views of the city. The Hall is the best preserved medieval guildhall in the United Kingdom while, to get a modern view of the city, try a boat trip down the Ouse.
Free York sightseeing options are also available. Some of my favourites include the Art Gallery, which features local and internationally renowned exibitions and a good cafe on the ground floor. The Bike Rescue Project is also interesting, saving some of the bicycles thrown away each week — over sixty, if you’d believe it.
Walking through York’s quaint cobbled streets, you’ll be happily immersed in charming buildings housing interesting shops throughout. There are good views from the city wall, but make sure you get there during the day as the gates are locked after dark. Wandering the River Ouse is also a good way to spend some time; check out the historic bridges — Skeldergate and Lendal — or the new Millennium Bridge.
Visit Top Travel Content Europe for more York Sightseeing advice and travel tips for your European travel this year.