Piazzale Michelangelo

Excellent location to get a panoramic view of the city. Steep climb, but buses available for those who need them, between the Piazza and the city centre - currently routes 12 and 13 (circular route, buses travelling in opposite directions) serve the Piazzale, and you can use your 90-minute tram ticket on them. Whilst up here, well worth a look at the nearby San Miniato monastery church.

Be prepared for the uphill walk

We took the shorter route via the stairs to the Piazzale but halfway up began to regret our decision. It’s STEEP! I had to stop twice to catch my breath and even young people were taking a rest, which made me feel less old. There’s a rose garden with free entry halfway up but unfortunately it had closed for the day so we can’t comment on that. The view from the top was worth the climb though. We arrived just before sunset and were able to watch the sun go down behind the Tuscan hills, shedding its red light over the Duomo. Beautiful! There’s a longer, winding, less exhausting route if you can’t manage the stairs or have pushchairs but best of all, we discovered (too late) that you can also catch a bus there. There are a couple of eateries and bars and musical entertainers to keep you amused while you take in the view.

An absolute must - the view is spectacular and worth the climb.

Again, it was very busy between 11 and 3pm.

Have a look in church slightly further up hill and also beautiful rose gardens across road. Lovely views. We walked up and back and enjoyed seeing all the back streets.