Florence is arguably one of the most amazing cities in the world and there are so many reasons why YOU should study abroad here. From the food and the nightlife to the culture and the easy ability to travel, there are an endless amount of memories to be made here. Coming from people who have studied in Florence for an entire semester, we couldn’t recommend it more to anyone who is considering studying abroad!
The food in Florence is some of the best we have had in our entire lives. There is an extremely wide variety of delicious pasta, pizza, sweet treats and of course, gelato. Some of our favorite restaurants include: Osteria Pastella, specifically for their truffle tagliatelle which is made in a cheese wheel. They also give complimentary champagne with your meal and limoncello after. Trattoria Zaza is also a very famous restaurant in Florence. Our personal favorite dishes include the truffle ravioli, wild boar pappardelle, and the grilled beef filet. Gustapizza, which provides a wide selection of pizza’s from margherita to pesto to truffle. We highly recommend coming here, it is our favorite place to get pizza! There are obviously an endless selection of cafes around Florence but one that stands out the most is Melaleuca. Their cinnamon roll is a 10/10, as well as their cookies, banana bread, carrot cake, pancakes, bagels, and much more! After studying here for an entire semester, we think we have finally found the best gelato in Florence. If you are looking for real authentic gelato, you definitely want to try La Strega Nocciola. They have about 15 flavors which of course are hidden underneath the metal tins. The texture and flavor is unlike any other, you just HAVE to come to Florence to try it yourself!
The nightlife in Florence is unlike anything we have experienced back in the US. There are a wide variety of cocktail lounges as well as bars and clubs. Some of our favorite cocktail bars include La Petite, Fuk, Green Street (specifically the salted caramel espresso martini), and Spirituum. They all have a great atmosphere, drinks, and service! For bars, Red Garter is a very fun karaoke bar (they have 50 cent wings on wednesdays and thursdays), Reverse plays the best music, Fitzpatrick’s is a very fun Irish Pub that also has karaoke, Old Stove and Lion’s Fountain are very popular study abroad bars. There are also many fun clubs including Space, XO, and Yab.
The culture and overall city itself is just simply amazing. The people have been so welcoming to us and there is so much to do around the city. The Duomo is obviously a very popular tourist attraction that you can also climb to the top of, as well as the bell tower. There are tons of famous statues and museums including the statue of David, Uffizi Gallery, Palazzo Gucci, and many many more. Piazzale Michelangelo is also a very popular spot for students to go watch the sunset. There are tons of stores and markets around the city where you can find anything from clothes and jewelry to fresh food and souvenirs. The city is extremely walkable, which has made our experience studying here so much better. Being just a short walk from class, shops, bars, and friends makes our overall living experience and daily life so much easier.
Traveling to and from Florence is so easily accessible for students. The Santa Maria Novella train station, as well as the tram which is right outside, are perfectly located for anyone in the city to easily access. Most of the flights we took were out of Rome so being able to just hop on a quick train to Rome to catch our flights was so simple! Florence also has a great location in reference to other countries you may want to travel to. We were able to travel to a new country, and even a new continent, almost every weekend. Although travelling is a huge part of studying abroad and it is such an insane experience, we know how important it was that we took the time to appreciate being in Florence and made sure to do everything possible while here!
Overall, studying in Florence has been the most insane and amazing experience for us. We are so grateful to have been able to study abroad here and we 1000% recommend it to anyone who is considering it!
Written by: Erin Barry, Madison Goc, and Ashley Kelly