Travelling to Florence with children
Florence is one of the great European cities of culture. Famous for its museums, churches and historical sights, it might not be the first place you’d think of going to as a family. However, look a little closer and you’ll soon see the city has a whole host of interesting activities for children. Here are just a few:
Leonardo da Vinci Museum
The Leonardo da Vinci Museum in Florence is a great place where budding young scientists and keen inventors can find out all about the life of one of the top Renaissance geniuses. There are models of his greatest inventions (including a flying machine, printer and armoured car) with plenty of wheels for kids to spin and levers to pull. They also run workshops and dramatised guided tours.
Boboli Gardens
If you want to unwind for a while, Boboli Gardens is a great place to have a picnic, go for a walk and play games. Its sculptures, caves, fountains and paths turn it into a giant maze with a surprise around every corner.
Piazza della Repubblica
Piazza della Repubblica is one of the city’s nerve centres. Kids love going on the old merry-go-round. It’s also a great place for an ice cream or one of the many Florentine cakes and pastries.
Assassin’s Creed Tour
If your children are into videogames, they’ve probably played Assassin’s Creed (perhaps you have too). Well, there’s a guided tour that takes you in Ezio Auditore’s footsteps around the city, including the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio and Giotto bell tower. You can book it at Guided Tours of Florence or Eco Green Tours.
Boat trip on the River Arno
Boat trips usually last about an hour and give you different views of major sights such as the Ponte Vecchio, Uffizi Gallery and the remarkable Palazzo Corsini.
Pinocchio’s Park
Pinocchio’s Park isn’t actually in Florence, but Collodi, a town about an hour away towards Pisa. But it’s an interesting place to visit with kids, especially if you’re thinking of taking them to see the famous leaning tower of Pisa.
The park is divided into different areas dedicated to some of the major scenes in Carlo Lorenzini’s story. There’s also a Pinocchio museum, storytelling events, interactive games and the Butterfly House coloured with hundreds of tropical butterflies.
