Photo: Palazzo Pitti with the Giardino di Boboli

The tours are marked in green in the Street Atlas

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FROM SANTA MARIA NOVELLA OVER THE SOUTHERN HILLSIDES

Sit back and relax and see the city from the seat of a bus. With the biglietto 24 ore for 5 euros (available from tobacconist’s and kiosks and to be validated on the bus) you can travel backwards and forwards across town for 24 hours. The journey time itself is around 60 minutes, but plan at least half a day for stops.

Bus route no. 12 starts at the Piazza della Stazione close to the main entrance to the railway station S. Maria Novella. If you start your tour of the green and romantic side of Florence before 9am, you are sure to get a seat by the window! The buses run every 20 minutes. As you cross the river, you have a magnificent view down the Arno. After a few bends, the city wall comes into view, which encloses the old craftsmen’s district of San Frediano.

Leave the bus at the ‘Pratolini’ stop, the tenth after the bridge; you are now standing on the Piazza Tasso. From here, you can walk along the old city wall towards the imposing Porta Romana. If you have planned ahead, you can now visit the largest private garden within the Florentine city walls, the English-style Giardino Torrigiani (by prior appointment, for groups of over 15 people | 20 euros/pers. | Via dei Serragli 144 | Tel. 0 55 22 45 27). If you wish to leave out this detour, continue with the bus to the city gate, the Porta Romana, which was built in 1326.

If you like walking, you should take a stroll from here uphill along the tree-lined Viale Niccolò Machia-velli. After about 25 minutes, taking in views of villas, gardens and finally the whole city, you reach the Piazzale Galileo. The bus takes three minutes for the same route and stops here.

Now you have three possibilities: You can either carry on walking for 100 m (110yd), then turn left and embark on the half-hour trek along the Via di S. Leonardo, between villas and gardens and past the Forte di Belvedere.

After a few metres you can visit the enchanting, 40,000-m² (48,000-yd²) garden of the Villa Bardini on the right, which has finally, after 40 years, been restored and opened to the public. Enjoy the great views from the Rondò Belvedere and take in the wisteria-clad tunnel and the many species of hydrangea. The finest panoramic view of all, however, is to be had from the long Baroque staircase (opening times and admission prices, see Giardino di Boboli | Costa San Giorgio 2, entrance also in Via dei Bardi 1r | www.bardinipeyron.it). Either you take the lower exit of the garden and turn left along the Via dei Bardi towards the Ponte Vecchio or, higher up, follow the steep Costa San Giorgio down to the Piazza S. Maria Sopr’Arno.

A second alternative is to walk straight on from the Restaurant Châlet Fontana for approximately 1 km (1 2/3 mi) along the scenic Viale Galileo Galilei, with a view onto the Forte di Belvedere, down to the Arno as it winds through the city and over to the hillsides around San Domenico and Fiesole, rising up in the distance. On the right-hand side, on slightly higher ground, you can see the marble façade of San Miniato al Monte. Take this opportunity to admire this beautiful church, before you continue on the final metres down to the Piazzale Michelangelo.

The third variation also begins at the Châlet Fontana, where you get on the no. 12 bus again and enjoy the view on the journey down. The buses stop for around five to ten minutes on the Piazzale Michelangelo (final stop!) – time enough for a photo of the panorama before you.

If you arrived here on the bus, this is where you really should get out and walk down to the Porta San Niccolò along the pretty Viale Poggi. If you happen to be visiting the city in May, you are in luck and should make a point of seeing the Giardino dell’Iris – an absolute must, as it is only open in this month. It is the location for the annual International Iris Competition, in honour of the ‘Florentine lily’, the heraldic flower of Florence. At this time, some 1500 iris are in full bloom (www.irisfirenze.it).

If you have already covered a substantial part of the way to Piazzale Michelangelo on foot, you can relax on the bus and ride down the beautiful Viale Michelangelo. Get out at the fifth stop (Ferrucci 04) on the piazza of the same name and stretch your legs a little by strolling along the bank of the Arno towards the Ponte Vecchio. After the next bridge, the Ponte alle Grazie, you pass the small Chiesa Evangelica Luterana, built at the end of the 19th century for the Lutheran community in the city. Piazza S. Maria Sopr’Arno, directly on the river, is the Golden View Open Bar (Via dei Bardi 58 | Tel. 0 55 21 45 02 | www.goldenview

openbar.com), whose name does not disappoint and which makes an excellent place to round off your day. If you’re feeling a little tired, just hop on the electric minibus D at the Piazza Ferrucci which will take you back to the Ponte Vecchio.

The finest view over the city is to be had from the Piazzale Michelangelo

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BY BUS TO SAN DOMENICO AND FIESOLE

Getting to Fiesole is easy. For this trip, too, it’s a good idea to buy the 5-euro biglietto 24 ore, from a bar or kiosk. This lets you get on and off the bus as you wish along the way. Bus no. 7 departs from the Piazza San Marco/Via La Pira. If you get on here, you’re almost certain to get a seat. The journey time to Fiesole is around 30 minutes. Plan 1–3 hours to do some sightseeing.

After a short ride through the prosperous suburbs, the road begins to climb, skirted by villas, gardens and olive groves. Halfway up, you come to the village of San Domenico, a group of houses clustered around the Monastery Church of San Domenico which dates back to the beginning of the 15th century (altered in the 17th century). Leave the bus here. Opposite the church, the narrow, steep Via di Badia leads down into the Mugnone valley. After a few metres, the Badia Fiesolana appears on the left; an impressive Romanesque structure which was the cathedral church of Fiesole until 1026. Today, it houses the European University Institute (www.iue.it), a post-doctoral research facility.

The scenic road continues upwards, offering views across the city as far as the hills of the Chianti region in the south and to the ridge of the Pratomagno in the east, sometimes still covered in snow in springtime. After the tight hairpin bend, the loggia of the hotel Villa San Michele comes into view on the slope to the right. Michelangelo had a hand in the designs for this former monastery. The location is priceless; the hotel, too, unfortunately. After the final bend, the bus comes to a halt on the piazza in Fiesole.

On the square, the overwhelming Duomo San Romolo (built to commemorate St Romulus in 1028–56) and the stately Seminary to the northwest are impossible to overlook. The Palazzo Vescovile (Archbishop’s Palace), with its fine staircase and so untypically Tuscan palm trees, seems almost to have been pushed into the corner. Between the seminary and the palace, a road leads up to the monastery of San Francesco, dated 1330. Back in the days of Etruscan rule, an acropolis stood on this spot, at 345 m (378yd), the highest in the area. The whole of Florence lies literally at your feet.

Back on the Piazza Mino da Fiesole, you can recover from the climb in one of the many restaurants. A good choice is the Perseus (daily | Piazza Mino da Fiesole 9 | Tel. 05 55 91 43 | Moderate), with its pretty inner courtyard. Boutiques, shops selling fine ceramics, foods and shoes are strung out along the length of the Piazza. A rare sight is the tiny barber’s shop run by Lino: Gentlemen can treat themselves to an old-fashioned wet shave for just 8 euros! At the highest point on the square is the Town Hall, decorated with numerous heraldic crests, and next to it the small church of Santa Maria Primerana, which dates back to the 16th century. In front are equestrian statues of the king, Vittorio Emanuele II, and Garibaldi, father of the united Italy.

Passing the apse of the cathedral, you come to the prettily situated Area Archeologica. Significant finds from Etruscan and Roman times have been unearthed on this 30,000-m² (36,000- yd²) site, including the remains of temples and thermal baths. The fabulous Teatro Romano, which once seated 3000 people, is still a favoured venue for summer theatre and ballet performances during the Estate Fiesolana. Don’t miss the exhibition of archaeological finds made here, now in the adjacent museum.

Opposite the entrance, directly behind the cathedral, is the Museo Bandini, with its small, but impressive collection of works by Florentine artists of the 13th–15th centuries. (Area and Museo Archeologico, Teatro Romano and Museo Bandini: Mar, Oct daily 10am–6pm, April–Sept daily 10am–7pm, Nov–Feb Wed–Mon 10am–2pm | Joint ticket: 10 euros | www.fiesolemusei.it).

Lovers of modern art should head off to the Via Giovanni Dupré, 100m (110yd) further downhill, where the Museo Fondazione Primo Conti (signposted) is situated. This delightful little villa contains a comprehensive collection, including works by Italian Futurists (Mon–Fri 9am–1pm | Admission: 3 euros | www.fondazioneprimoconti.org).

Fiesole: Roman theatre, with the Mugnone valley as the backdrop

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FROM DESIGNER FASHIONS TO DOLCI – SHOP LIKE A FLORENTINE

When in Florence, do as the Florentines do – or, rather, shop like one. Make your way eastwards out of the city centre, starting at the Piazza della Repubblica.

Stroll out of town along the bustling Via del Corso, past the small 16th-century church of Santa Maria de’ Ricci; the frequent sound of classical music from inside makes you want to stop for a moment to listen. Little boutiques and enoteche entice you in to buy. The range of upmarket fashion labels at Matucci is very tempting; Fabriano sells the finest writing instruments; at the Galleria del Chianti you’ll find not only good wines, but also olive oil and other delicious foods.

Continue your stroll straight ahead along the shady Borgo degli Albizi, past the lavish Palazzo Ramirez Montalvo, now the home of the famous auctioneer’s Pandolfini. Opposite, you can choose yourself a wedding dress at Atelier Aimée, and if you like your everyday clothes extravagant, pop in to Ethic, a few steps further on. Are you a ceramics fan? If so, make a detour through the tiny Arco di San Pierino, before your reach the Piazza Salvemini, to Sbigoli Terrecotte. On the piazza itself is Vestrini, a paradise for chocolate junkies!

Following the Via Pietrapiana, you gradually leave the centre. The flea market on the Piazza dei Ciompi to your right is an invitation to rummage for some bargains. Time for lunch? A little further on, you can still your hunger at Rocco’s stand in the old market hall, the Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio. The shopping street changes its name to Borgo la Croce, now lined with small shops and leading to the Piazza Beccaria, and the old city gate, the Porta della Croce. Before you dodge the traffic across the busy intersection, take a look at the tempting display in the window of the tiny confectioner’s on the right-hand side, Dolci e Dolcezze.

The Via Gioberti, the Florentines’ favourite shopping street, begins on the opposite side. Here, you’ll find everything – honestly – from boutiques and jeweller’s, book shops and the elegant shopping arcade, Le Nove Botteghe, baker’s, butcher’s, delicatessens, fishmonger’s or supermarkets. In between there are several bars and trattoria and a number of very good enoteche, such as the Enoteca Bonatti. From the Piazza Beccaria you can take the electric minibus C2 back to the city centre.