florence · an area
Walks in Oltrarno.
6 editor-picked walks through Oltrarno. Each one has been walked — stops, distances, and a paragraph on what to notice.
Walks in Oltrarno
Bellosguardo: the hill of villas
The quiet south-west hill Henry James loved, and the long view of the whole city from above.
Forte di Belvedere and the city walls
The star fort above Boboli, the last long stretch of medieval wall, and the whole city below.
Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato al Monte
The climb to the great terrace, then the quietest Romanesque church in Florence above it.
Pitti and the Boboli garden
A rusticated palace front, a terraced garden climbing the hill, and the view from the Belvedere edge.
The Bardini Garden and Costa San Giorgio
The steep walled lane out of the centro, a wisteria tunnel, and the roofs of Florence below.
Via Maggio: the antique dealers' street
The Oltrarno's grand street of antiquari, a graffito-faced palace, and the quiet church by the bridge.
Nearby
Other walks close to Oltrarno.
Sorted by distance from the start of bellosguardo: the hill of villas. Good for stitching together a longer day.
Porta Romana up to Pian dei Giullari
The southern gate, the climb past Annalena and the Bobolino, and the cypress lane to Galileo's last house.
Santo Spirito: the artisan Oltrarno
Brunelleschi's plain-faced basilica, the morning square, and the workshops that still smell of glue and gesso.
The Ponte Vecchio: the bridge of goldsmiths
The only bridge the Germans didn't blow, the secret corridor above it, and the jewellers' shops below.
San Niccolò: the riverside under the hill
A medieval tower-gate at full height, the quiet Lungarno, and the lanes under the hill.