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CHEESE, WINES AND CHOCOLATE IN FLORENCE - weekend

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Cheeses, wines, chocolate and florentine art
...a week-end journey from Middle Ages up to the Renaissance to explore the origin of Italian art and its gastronomic traditions

Duration: 4 days e 3 nights
Accommodation: 3 nights in 3* Hotel or B&B with breakfast

Short description: You walk around in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, an open-air museum where you find works of art of the greatest artistic geniuses and ancient culinary traditions. ... Piazza Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Uffizi Gallery and Michelangelo’s David, Pitti Palace and the beautiful Hills of Chianti as well as ancient culinary traditions ...
It is going to be an exciting journey to discover the artistic, historic heritage and the gastronomic traditions that ranges from ancient times up to present days.
It is going to be an unforgettable trip!

Information:

Trip to Florence
Closest airport: Florence Peretola Airport
Period: all year round
Duration: 3 nights
Flights: to book separately from our site. You can find both scheduled standard flights and low cost flights. You receive booking assistance on request
Extra days: yes

Price with 1 day guided tour: 455 euro*
Price without guided tour: 405 euro*
*The price may be subject to slight seasonal variation
All prices include VAT
Breakfasts: all accomodation rates include a cooked or continental breakfast. Special dietary requirements need to be booked in advance

Included in the price:

Accommodation: 7 nights in centrally located 3* Hotel or B & B in double room with breakfast (supplement for single room) Transfer to/from the airport
Welcome drink
2 dinners in restaurants
2 wine tasting and local gastronomic products
Free entrance to museums and cultural events
Extra days: Yes
Supplement: If you want to stay in 4* Hotel

HOW TO MAKE A RESERVATION
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DETAILED TOUR PROGRAM

Day 1: Florence
Signoria Squaree with Palazzo Vecchio, Loggia dei Lanzi and Neptune Fountain
Arrival at the airport, transfer to ***Hotel or B&B.
Refreshing welcome drink and free time to relax or to begin familiarize yourself with the enchanting atmosphere of Florence.
During the late afternoon it starts the discovery of Florence.
We recommend you to start with the most representative place of the city, Piazza della Signoria, the magnificent Palazzo Vecchio with its beautiful Salone del Cinquecento with the famous Vasari’s fresco paintings and the courtyard. You can also admire the statue of David by Michelangelo in front of the palace, the elegant Loggia dei Lanzi with important groups of sculptures and the Fountain of Neptune that Florentine people call ”Biancone”, the Court of the Merchandise and the Palazzo Ugoccioni

Evening: Dedicated to old and famous food traditions and tuscan wine in a restaurant and then walk around the magic atmosphere and lit alleyways of the town.

Day 2: Florence
Uffizi Gallery, Vasari Corridor, wonderful view from Ponte Vecchio and Arno River
Santa Croce, Duomo square and the Cathedral, Baptistery, Giotto’s bell tower, Duomo’s museum
Cheese and local wines tasting
After a good breakfast in Florence, you start the discovery of the beautiful Florence.
You start with the ”not to be missed visit” to one of the most prestigious museums of the world, the Uffizi Gallery which houses painting masterpieces of Giotto, Michelangelo, Raffaello, Leonardo, Botticelli just to name some of the greatest artists. Particular attention is going to be given to the Vasari Corridor where it can be admired the original portrait collection of famous painters from Middle Ages, and portraits of the famous family doctors.
The view of the Arno you have in front of you when you cross the Old Bridge will be kept in you heart for a long time. Of equal beauty is the view of the hills surrounding the city of Florence.
Lunch in a trattoria where you can taste culinary delights of Florence (a must to be tasted are: a Florentine steak, a dish of roasted game, ribollita, pappardelle, pasta with beans or local cheeses accompanied by a glass of wine).
After lunch you visit the Pantheon of the city, Santa Croce, a masterpiece of gothic art covered with carrara marble and another nice corner of Florence: Piazza del Duomo with its important monuments built with white marble of Carrara by geniuses like Giotto and Brunelleschi. You also visit the museum of Duomo, housing models and tools for the construction of the imposing cathedral.

Evening: Wine and cheese tasting in "Enoteca Obsequium" or near the home of Dante Alighieri. The best tuscan cheeses will be enhanced by the taste of the tuscan wines, such as Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG, Brunello di Montalcino, Tiezzi.It follows afterward some live music in a local bar full of lively atmosphere

Day 3: FLORENCE
CHURCH OF SAN LORENZO, THE CONTIGUOUS MARKET, MEDICI CHAPELS, PIAZZA SS. ANNUNZIATA, SANTA MARIA NOVELLA, THE LAST SUPPER BY GHIRLANDAIO, PONTE VECCHIO AND ITALIAN FASHION
Chocolate and Tuscan Wine Tasting
Your third day tour in Florence takes you to a very impressive corner, featuring Florentine handiwork. You visit the Church of San Lorenzo, the handiwork market and Piazza SS. Annunziata, with its church and the magnificent buildings.
After lunch you walk towards Santa Maria Novella with its magnificent church where you find art works of Brunelleschi, Masaccio and Ghirlandaio.
You can continue then towards the elegant Via della Vigna Nuova lined with boutiques of the most famous Italian designers. From Piazza Santa Trinità you walk for a while and in front of you is going to be visible again the wonderful view of Ponte Vecchio.
After your walking tour, you can stop in “Cioccolateria” for a Chocolate and Florentine Wine Tasting. In the heart of Florence you are going to visit a local producer of chocolate and taste four different chocolates: dark chocolate, milk chocolate, vanilla chocolate, and hazelnut cream with local Italian wines. At the end you can also taste Pan Forte and gingerbread, two typical Tuscan cakes

Evening: Horse drawn carriage ride to admire the beautiful Florence.
Dinner at “Acqua al 2” and a delicious Florentine ice cream at “Gelateria Carabè”

Day 4:
Departure to the Airport and Your Destination

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT TUSCANY

Description: Tuscany is a region located in central Italy: It borders to the north with Emilia Romagna, to the east with Marche and Umbria, with Lazio to the south, to the north-west it borders for a short distance with Liguria and to the west is located by the Tyrrhenian Sea.
It is divided into the provinces of Florence (regional capital), Prato, Pisa, Lucca, Grosseto, Arezzo, Siena, Pistoia and Livorno Massa Carrara.
The name of this region comes from its ancient inhabitants,Tusci, a name that was given to the Etruscans by the Romans.
Tuscany is famous worldwide for its art, its history, its landscapes and its typical products. Among the many cities, very famous are Florence, Siena, Pisa and Lucca, and some medieval villages such as San Gimignano and Montepulciano.
A special characteristic of this beautiful region is certainly the natural heritage and the great variety of landscapes: in fact the beautiful green hills of Chianti and the Maremma Park alternates with mountainously landscapes of the Apuan Alps and Abetone, the thermal parks of Chinciano and Montecatini Terme, and the famous beach resorts of Versilia, Argentario and the Island of Elba

Cuisine and Wines: The typical tuscan cuisine is simple and genuine based on quality foods such as bread (made without salt) and extra virgin olive oil.Among the dishes can be found the delicious appetizers based on meats and crostini made with toasted tuscan bread: very famous are ”crostini” made with chicken liver .
Among the main dishes we can find "pappa al pomodoro” cooked with tomato, garlic, basil and pepper, famous tuscan soups including "ribollita”.
Among the pasta dishes the most famous are undoubtedly "pappardelle” with hare sauce, a delicious kind of pasta with hare sauce cooked in red wine, olive oil and tomatoes.
Other well-known dishes are "bistecca alla fiorentina" (meat strictly coming from Chianina cattle) and tripe. Among the main dishes can also be found many specialty fish dishes including the famous "cacciucco" typical dish of the city of Livorno or "triglie alla livornese" (with tomatoes and peas).
Among the desserts we recommend "Ricciarelli" and "Panforte" from Siena, “cantucci” from Prato, “brigidini” of Pistoia, the chestnut cake “il castagnaccio” (made with chestnut flour, pine nuts and raisins), “Bucellato” (a dessert from Lucca with a variety of raisins and candied fruits).
As for the wines of Tuscany, it is a chapter in itself: there are many varieties and all very popular and well known. We find Chianti, Montepulciano, Brunello di Monatalcino, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Gallestro and the red wine from the hills of Lucca.Last but not least, Morellino di Scansano wine with brilliant ruby red color and intense, fruity flavor which is ideal when paired with red meat.

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