Fiesole, what is it?
 

What makes Fiesole so special to you who have been there? I have seen many posts saying it is very special and I am planning my trip to Florence now. Is it a neighborhood? A nearby town? What cultural attractions are there? Should I allow a full day or half?

Fiesole is a 20 minute bus ride(you can catch it from the area of the David statue) from Florence up in the hills overlooking the city. It was formally a Roman town that is now in ruins with a museum but great fun to walk around in.Our family took a half day trip there and it was quite enjoyable. There are several restaurants right outside with fabulous panoramic views of Florence.It was worth the trip and if you enjoy seeing theaters,houses,etc. from Roman times I would encourage you to go.

And off course the famous Villa San Michele is there; a former monastry, with a facade designed by Michelangelo. If your budget allows, try to have lunch or dinner there. Great food, and stunning views over Florence.

We stayed in a convent which was also a guesthouse on the hill just below the town.Waking up in the morning and seeing the sun rise over the wonderful ancient city of Florence below us was magic.

Yes, as others have said, Fiesole is a must to include if you have a few days in Florence. We spent an afternoon there and took a cab up which we hired just behind the Duomo. We took the bus on the return trip and felt that we'd had a better view driving up in the cab since we were standing on the bus.

Be sure to visit the Etruscan ruins where the oldest Roman ampitheatre still in use in Europe resides. There is also a beautiful viewpoint up via San Franciso with wonderful photo ops over all of Florence.

Fiesole is overall a charming little town that gives you a nice break from the hustle and bustle of Florence for awhile.

Hi tina

You can take the no.7 bus from the right side of the train station (as you face the tracks) to the town square.

As you get off the bus in Fiesole you will be right in front of the Bar Blu. Gret place to have a glass of wine (munchies provided) and watch the sun set over the city.

See my trip report
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34451044

The other place to catch the #7 bus is at Piazza San Marco. Right near the Medici palace.

Ardfurt, please share more details and contact info about the convent. Sounds interesting.

Just a funny story about my first trip to Fiesole. We went to the town by Bus#7 and later that afternoon around 4:00pm we discovered that the bus people had gone on one of their famous strikes at hours that inconvenience the population. So after many attempts to grab the two cabs that would come to the bus stop (natives of Italy had better luck at getting them than us Yankees.) We finally had a English couple and ourselves left and we agreed to share a cab to the Duomo in Florence. It all worked itself out and we remember it with a sense of humor. These strikes can happen at any time and then you have to improvise.