tribi

I have a very short visit to Florence and don't want to miss Piazzale Michelangelo, can someone tell me if I can walk down to the centro storico from there ? how far is it and how long does it take.

thank you again for your help

ellenem

yes, it's a nice walk. 10-15 minutes dow the hill to the Ponte Vecchio, 7-10 minutes from the ponte to the Duomo.

ira

Hi tribi,

Both www.viamichelin.com and www.mappy.com will give you the route.

Select the pedestrian option.

>I have a very short visit to Florence and don't want to miss Piazzale Michelangelo,...

If I had a very short visit, I would take the no. 7 bus from the SMB train station up to Fiesole for the view of the city and the Etruscan ruins.

tribi

Thanks ellenem and ira I think this will be a very nice walk to centro storico, We will be there on a friday afternoon and maybe saturday morning then we will drive to Venice around 12:00 pm or 1m so there is not much we will be able to see. We do have a reservation at 9:00 am to the Accademia so I guess right after that we will leave Florece. If you have a better suggestion please let me know.

caroltis

I would at least take the bus to the Piazzale - it is uphill from the Ponte Vecchio and takes a lot longer than I though it was going to. Then if you want - walk back to the centre and yes, it's a nice walk.

ellenem

I have walked uphill and gone both by bus (# 12 or #13) or taxi to the piazzale and then walked down. For your short time, I'd opt for bus or taxi.

zeppole

I agree. I would splurge for the taxi. Maybe I was just foot sore that day, but I didn't enjoy the walk. It seemed far, even downhill.

ellenem

For my friends, first-timers visiting Florence just for the day, the walk downhill was a highlight. We arrived by train from Rome and took the bus directly to the piazzale, so their first real view of Florence was across the rooftops, surrounded by the green hills by the piazzale.

From there we walked the steep stations-of-the-cross pedestrian way that leads directly downhill facing San Miniato. This route doesn't zigzag as much as the other downhill roads (which may account for some mention of longer walks) and it passes some private homes with gardens. You enter the city walls at the bottom of the hill at Porta San Miniato,

A few minutes through quiet, narrow streets with typical Florentine architecture (Via di S Niccolo to Via de Bardi) brings you to the Ponte Vecchio.

This was an extreme contrast and pastoral respite for my friends who had just spent three days in busy Baroque Rome.

zeppole

Yes, I'm sure I didn't go that way. I walked further uphill to visit San Miniato, but walked back in the direction of Piazzale Michelangelo to walk downhill.

I will say, however, that what I didn't enjoy was the steepness of some sections even that walk. Could have been wrong shoes. I can't remember.

But one of tribi's questions is: "How long does it take?" From the Piazzale to the Duomo, or vice versa, I say 50 minutes. Anybody disagree?

Jean

Why don't you just drive to the piazzale on your way out of Florence?

tribi

Thank you very much for your suggestions, I was thinking of taking a taxi to the Piazzale and then walking down to centro storico. My hotel is in Viale Europa not close to the center and you all know how traffic is in Florence so after we are done with the accademia visit and maybe lunch then we get a taxi back to the hotel which is close to motorway A1 and then to Venice