Tuscany is of course the home of masterpieces of architecture and Renaissance art and more. Your tour of our region can only start in Florence, only 50 km from Hotel Ercolini and Savi. Easily reached by train, you’ll come first to Santa Maria Novella, right in the centre, and across from the church of the same name whose majestic façade was built by Leon Battista Alberti. Visit the Duomo and Baptistery and it’s worth the effort to walk to the top of Brunelleschi’s monumental dome and any photos you take from the top are gauranteed to impress your friends. Sit and enjoy an aperitivo at a table at one of the many elegant bars on the lively Piazza della Repubblica.

From the fantastic main square of Piazza della Signoria you can spot the entrance to the Uffizi Gallery, home to many great masterpieces of world art. From the top floors you can capture some wonderful views of the river and of the historic goldsmiths shops along the iconic Ponte Vecchio - the only bridge in Florence spared Nazi bombing by Hitler's himself. The Pitti Palace with its elegant Boboli Gardens and the area around Borgo San Frediano are one easy way to leave Florence's centre and walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo, or else head up to Fiesole, a hill worth visiting just to enjoy the amazing views back down over the city.