Visiting Florence is always an amazing experience, regardless of the season of the year, but if you wish to fully immerse yourself in the Florentine culture, the winter season is your best option! The prices get cheaper and the city gets less crowded, giving you a perfect chance to relax and enjoy your trip!
Let’s find out some of the reasons why you should come to Florence this winter and some tips to make the most of it!
Why you should visit Florence this winter
As mentioned before, visiting the city of Florence during the winter is optimal. The weather rarely gets too cold and if you’d rather wear more layers of clothes than sweat under the summer heat, you will surely be satisfied.
The city also gets fewer tourists and more locals, which is always nice if you enjoy being surrounded by the actual Florentine life!
Florence also comes alive with Christmas trees and decorations that create beautifully illumined streets.
What to pack
To make sure you never get too cold or too hot during your trip to Florence this winter, we highly suggest you dress in layers or, as Italians say: “vestirsi a cipolla”. The reason for this is that you will probably find yourself walking the streets of the city in the cold, needing a bit more layers, and then walking into stores where there’s heating and wanting to take some layers off! It’s important to also remember that with winter, days get shorter. With the sun setting at around 5 PM, it gets colder earlier in the afternoon. Make the most out of the hours when the sun’s out and don’t forget to strategize and plan your vacation days according to the weather as well!
Christmas Markets in Florence
The city of Florence also fills up with some incredible Christmas Markets, called “Mercatini di Natale”. The biggest Christmas Market in Florence is held in Piazza Santa Croce and you will be able to find almost everything there; from handmade products to traditional food and pastries. It’s also an amazing place to buy some souvenirs for your loved ones back home.
Other Christmas Markets that you can check out in Florence are:
- the Fierucola dell’Immacolata;
- the Fierucolina di Natale;
Events in Florence winter 2022
The city also fills up with fun events and attractions for people of all ages. Let’s explore some of them:
- FIRENZE WINTER PARK: located in Teatro Obihall garden, the Firenze Winter Park features many different activities such as ice rinks, food & drinks stands and even restaurants;
- FLORENCE LIGHT FESTIVAL: the city lights up starting from a big Christmas tree, making every corner of Florence colorful and bright for the holidays;
- THE NUTCRACKER: hosted by the Pegola Theatre, the Nutcracker is one of the most important Christmas shows and it’s definitely worth watching;
Traditional food in Florence you should try
If you’re in Florence for the holidays there are plenty of typical dishes that you should try in order to fully immerse yourself in the beauty of this city!
Here’s a list of some things we suggest you try:
- Caldarroste: roasted chestnuts that are typically served warm and in a paper cone at food stands so you can eat them while walking through the other stands;
- Ribollita: a typical dish that literally means “reboiled”. It’s called like this because it’s made by reboiling leftover soup and adding bread to make it thicker;
- Cotechino e Lenticchie: pork bits served with lentils. Typically eaten on New Year’s Day as it’s believed that it will bring lots of prosperity throughout the new year;
- Hot chocolate: a Florentine tradition that first got popular with the Medici Family. Cioccolata Calda is much thicker compared to the ones you may find outside of Italy;
Conclusions
So, visiting Florence during the winter will surely give you a great experience filled with good memories. The joy and love that spreads in the air during Winter time and the amazing atmosphere created by the Chr
