This photo essay doesn’t really need an introduction: I was in Florence last week, and yes, it was a dream. It was my first time there and was so thrilled to finally see all the famous art and architecture in person. The weather was perfectly springtime-y, I had gelato every day, I took way too many photo of pretty lanterns, and I visited all the churches, museums, and cloisters.

This trip was exactly was I needed after a long German winter: Feeling the surprisingly strong spring sunshine on my skin, drinking late-night espressi, and reanimating my love for art which I sadly sometimes forget in my day to day life.

I’ll write more about my time in Florence soon, but first I’ll share my best photos! I know, I swore to take less photos this year, but honestly, there were so many pretty (and delicious!) things about Florence and I just had to take a few hundred, okay, 900 photos during my time there — and these photos are the ones I like best:

Florence being picture-perfect at dusk

Fruit shops in narrow streets 

Shadow plays of the mysterious Vasari corridor 

Springtime in the Boboli Gardens

View from the Bardini Gardens 

Golden Hour by the Duomo 

Find the Duomo I: Bardini Gardens Edition

Mushroom-stuffed ravioli with truffle sauce — so good! 

Golden Hour street scenes 

One crazy expensive espresso, but with a view of Piazza della Signoria 

Find the Duomo II: Narrow Street Edition

Other people’s laundry is always way prettier than mine 

An art historian with a view

Evening light by the Arno River 

Italian buffalo mozzarella is all I need to be happy 

Lamp love, shadow love 

Meeting the most handsome man in town on my Walks of Italy tour

Santa Maria Novella from the inside (and Masaccio’s famous Trinity on the left!)

Boboli Gardens and Palazzo Pitti in the back 

Cappuccino and a ricotta-filled flaky dough pastry (sadly I don’t know the name of it, but it was good!)

Morning light in the cloisters of San Lorenzo 

Arno reflections 

Titian’s beautiful Venus seen on my amazing Uffizi tour 

Find the Duomo III: Pretty Lamp Edition 

The leather market (aka heaven for souvenir addicts) 

Light lunches are better with buffalo mozzarella 

The most famous bridge 

Gelato looks just extra pretty in narrow little streets, don’t you think?

The joy of finding such an Italian scene among all the tourists 

Shutters and signs and shadows

Find the Duomo IV: I-need-that-little-balcony-Edition

Literally surrounded by art

“Cappuccino” and “cornetto” are my favorite words in Italian

Bike and street art and yellow houses

Forever obsessing about those lamps 

I prefer my nail polish matching my gelato

Find the Duomo V: Advanced Edition 

Under the Tuscan sunset

Coffee on the counter, as you do

From Piazzale Michelangelo 

Have you been to Florence?
Which photo do you think depicts the city best?