Florence in December: What to Do, What to Expect, and a bit of Christmas information to visiting
If you might be contemplating visiting Florence in December, then this information is for you!
Whether you wish to discover Florence’s Christmas market or take a day journey to one of many Tuscan hill cities for much more vacation festivities, December could be a nice time to go to Florence. Additionally, you received’t discover the same old crowds in Florence within the winter months, making December a good time to go to the most well-liked sights in Florence with out the crowds.
In this submit, we’ll discover what to do in Florence in December, what to anticipate weather-wise, and what to pack for winter in Florence. We’ll additionally give some suggestions for visiting Florence in December and reply a number of the most regularly requested questions on visiting Florence.
Best Things to Do in Florence in December
With Florence’s many sights and points of interest, you may simply spend a number of days in Florence. From The Nutcracker ballet to the Florence Light Festival, Florence has lots to supply in December. Here are the highest issues to do in Florence in December.
Shop Florence’s Christmas Market
The largest Christmas market in Florence is the Weihnachtsmarkt Santa Croce, which takes place within the Piazza Santa Croce yearly from late November via mid-December. Although the market originated in Germany, it has been a practice in Florence for greater than 500 years.
The Santa Croce market has a global aptitude, with over fifty distributors promoting conventional European meals and crafts from picket stalls. Here, you’ll discover every little thing from German pretzels and Dutch crepes to Austrian pastries and Italian cheeses, jams, and sweets. You can even discover loads of sizzling drinks to heat you up on a chilly day.
This can be an awesome place to buy handmade Christmas ornaments, decorations, and items.
On the weekends, additionally, you will discover another smaller Christmas markets popping up all through Florence.
Enjoy the Florence Light Festival
If you might be in Florence in December, be sure you take a stroll via the historic metropolis middle after darkish! Beginning on December seventh, Florence turns into illuminated with quite a few Christmas lights and lightweight projections displayed all through the town.
On the night of December seventh, you may watch the normal lighting of the big Christmas tree within the Piazza del Duomo. You can even discover a conventional nativity scene displayed on this similar sq..
Throughout the town, additionally, you will see inventive mild tasks displayed in Piazza della Signoria, Piazzale Michelangelo, Piazza della Repubblica, Ponte Vecchio, and different Florence monuments and piazzas.
For a spectacular view of the Florence skyline and the Christmas festivities beneath, go to Piazzale Michelangelo. This is likely one of the greatest locations to observe the sundown.
Piazza della Repubblica can be notably charming with its classic carousel adorned with Christmas decorations!
See Florence’s Best Attractions Without the Crowds
One of the perfect issues to do in Florence in December is go to all of Florence’s greatest points of interest with out the crowds. If that is your first time visiting Florence, be sure you go to these standard sights and museums:
- The Florence Duomo: The Florence Duomo is likely one of the most iconic points of interest in Florence, dominating the Florence skyline and identified for its unimaginable brick dome. For a sweeping view of Florence, you may climb to the highest of Brunelleschi’s Dome. The cathedral is open Monday to Saturday from 10:15 am to 4:45 pm. (Note that the dome will likely be closed in December 2023 for work on the inside.)
- The Uffizi Gallery: The Uffizi Gallery is likely one of the best collections of Renaissance artwork on the earth. With works by Botticelli, Caravaggio, Leonardo da Vinci, and different well-known artists, the Uffizi Gallery is definitely value a go to, particularly if in case you have an appreciation for Renaissance artwork. The Uffizi Gallery is open from 8:15 am to six:30 pm. It is closed on Mondays and on December twenty fifth.
- The Accademia Gallery: The Accademia Gallery is house to the world-famous marble statue of Michelangelo’s David and is value visiting simply to see this statue alone. The Accademia Gallery is open from 8:15 am to six:50 pm. It is closed on Mondays and on Christmas day.
Tip: Although December is much much less crowded than different months, we’d nonetheless suggest shopping for your tickets to those points of interest prematurely.
Warm up with a Cup of Italian Hot Chocolate
If you might be visiting Florence in winter, then you need to attempt an Italian sizzling chocolate.
Florence is understood for its deliciously thick sizzling chocolate (known as cioccolata calda) in winter. However, the recent chocolate in Florence shouldn’t be like that in different international locations. It is made with actual melted chocolate, sugar, and milk. Additionally, because of its thick consistency, it’s served in a tiny cup and eaten with a spoon.
You can decide up a sizzling chocolate at Caffè Gilli (the oldest cafe in Florence, positioned in Piazza della Repubblica) or Dolci e Dolcezze (close to Mercato Sant’Ambrogio) in your journey to Florence in December.
See The Nutcracker Ballet
Seeing The Nutcracker ballet has at all times been one in all my favourite Christmas traditions – how a lot better to see it in Florence! Every 12 months on December twenty third, Tchaikovsky’s timeless traditional, The Nutcracker, is carried out on the Teatro della Pergola in Florence.
The Teatro della Pergola is likely one of the oldest opera homes in Italy and has a fully gorgeous inside. If you end up in Florence round Christmas, don’t miss this unforgettable efficiency of the Christmas traditional, The Nutcracker.
Take a Day Trip to Tuscany for More Christmas Festivities
If you’ve got an additional day or two in Florence, contemplate taking a day journey to a number of of the Tuscan hill cities. Here are a number of the greatest day journeys from Florence to absorb December:
- Siena is simply an hour and a half away from Florence by practice and is an excellent city to go to in December. The streets, retailers, eating places, and inns are adorned with Christmas lights and decorations, making Siena a captivating place to go to. In the start of December, Siena additionally hosts a medieval-style market, the place you should purchase artisan crafts, Christmas decor, and native meals and wine.
- Lucca is a straightforward day journey from Florence and is a good place to do some Christmas purchasing. On the primary two weekends in December, Lucca hosts a historic Christmas arts and crafts market. Lucca is about one hour and twenty minutes away from Florence by practice.
- Arezzo can be a straightforward day journey from Florence (one hour and twenty minutes away by practice). From the tip of November via the start of January, Arezzo turns into Citta del Natale, a blinding Christmas city with lights, a ferris wheel, a carousel, an ice skating rink, markets, and extra. This is a pleasant city for households to go to in December.
- Montepulciano has top-of-the-line Christmas markets in Italy, known as the Mercatino di Natale. The market takes place in the principle sq., Piazza Grande, and has distributors promoting handmade Christmas ornaments, picket merchandise, toys, and native meals. Montepulciano is greatest reached from Florence by automobile. It is about one hour and twenty minutes away from Florence by automobile.
Enjoy a Warm Tuscan Meal
In the winter, there’s not a lot better than stopping in one in all Florence’s many trattorias and having fun with a scrumptious Tuscan meal. In our opinion, the Tuscany area has a number of the greatest meals in Italy!
For a seasonal favourite, attempt ribolliti, a particular Tuscan dish made with kale that’s solely accessible within the winter. You may also attempt pappa al pomodoro (a filling Tuscan bread and tomato soup), ribollita (a hearty Tuscan stew), or biscetta alla fiorentina (the well-known Florentine steak).
Weather in Florence in December
The climate in Florence in December is chilly and humid. While temperatures in Florence not often drop beneath 35 levels, the excessive humidity could make it really feel colder than it truly is. You almost definitely received’t see snow in Florence in winter, though you could get some wet days.
The draw back of visiting in December is that you simply’ll get fewer daylight, particularly in the direction of the tip of December. However, you may at all times use the extra dimly-lit hours to go to a few of Florence’s greatest museums or benefit from the Christmas lights across the metropolis.
What to Pack for Winter in Florence
Since the climate could be chilly in Florence in December, we’d counsel packing layered shirts, pants, thick socks, and a heat coat. A hat, gloves, and scarf can even assist hold you heat. We would additionally counsel bringing water resistant footwear or boots and a packable umbrella, as December is understood to have some wet days.
Tips for Visiting Florence in December
Here are a number of vital suggestions for visiting Florence in December that can assist you profit from your journey:
- Visit in early or mid-December for the bottom costs and least quantity of individuals. Generally talking, Florence in December is much much less crowded and extra reasonably priced than different instances of the 12 months. However, you may anticipate greater costs and extra folks in late December round Christmas and New Year’s.
- Book your lodging early if you happen to plan on visiting Florence over the vacations. Just like in Italy’s different main cities, inns in Florence can replenish shortly over Christmas and New Year’s.
- Book tickets to Brunelleschi’s Dome, Accademia Gallery, and Uffizi Gallery prematurely. While December is taken into account off-season in Florence, it’s value shopping for your tickets for Florence’s hottest sights and points of interest prematurely to ensure your self a spot.
- Dress warmly and convey an umbrella when strolling across the metropolis. As talked about above, it’s best to be ready for chilly climate and potential rain showers all through the day.
FAQs: Visiting Florence in December
Here are solutions to a number of the most regularly requested questions on visiting Florence in December.
Is it value going to Florence in December?
If you wish to keep away from the crowds and avoid wasting cash on lodging, then sure, December could be a nice time to go to Florence. Florence additionally has various Christmas festivities occurring in December, such because the Santa Croce market, Christmas lights displayed all through the town, and The Nutcracker ballet efficiency.
The most important draw back of visiting Florence in December is the restricted daylight. However, Florence is full of lovely mild shows in December, so there’s nonetheless lots to see in Florence with little daylight. You can even get pleasure from visiting a lot of Florence’s museums throughout these hours with out the crowds, such because the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia Gallery, the Borghese Gallery, Palazzo Vecchio, and Pitti Palace.
What is one of the best ways to get to Florence?
If Florence is your first cease in Italy, you may fly straight into Florence Airport (FLR). If you might be coming from one other main metropolis in Italy, then you may simply get to Florence by practice. With Italy’s high-speed trains, Florence is just one hour and thirty minutes from Rome, one hour and forty minutes from Milan, and two hours from Venice.
What is the best option to get round Florence?
The greatest option to get round Florence is by strolling. You can simply stroll to the entire most important sights and points of interest from the town middle. There isn’t any metro system in Florence, however you may at all times take a taxi if wanted.
Conclusion: Florence in December
If you don’t thoughts the chilly with out the snow, then December could be a nice time to go to Florence. Visiting Florence in December will help you expertise all of Florence’s most important sights and points of interest with out the crowds and get monetary savings on lodging. You can even get to expertise Florence’s Christmas festivities, such because the Santa Croce market, the Florence Festival of Lights, and a few scrumptious Italian treats.
From Florence, it’s also possible to take a day journey to Tuscany to expertise much more Italian Christmas festivities.
We hope that this information has helped you with planning your go to to Florence in December.
Author Bio
Cate is the proprietor and writer of Intentional Traveling. She is a spouse and homemaker who additionally likes to journey. Her objective is to offer you sensible itineraries, suggestions, and guides to simplify your journey planning and enable you profit from your time on every journey.