Photo: Curious Appetite/Coral, rainbows after a storm
Planning your vacation in Florence during the winter and spring months is an optimal move. You miss the summer heat and the high season crowds. Not to mention, it’s the best time of year for rib-sticking comfort foods like pappardelle al cinghiale (wild boar) and warming glasses of Tuscan aged red wine.
Florence has a fairly temperate climate, so most of your days will be sunny but if Il Meteo predicts a rainy day- there is still plenty for you to do.
Pack an umbrella and take cover under the many loggias and porticos as you follow our suggestions of things to do on a rainy day in Florence.
Photo: Boutique Nadine, courtesy of the store.
Stock up on some vintage threads
Florence is known for its famous designers – Ferragamo, Gucci, Cavalli – but the city is also an exceptional destination for vintage lovers. And like everything the Italians do, you’ll land well-made beautiful and stylish finds.
Il Mercatino di Ninni: This Florentine boutique takes its name from its owner, Ninni, a former model turned vintage collector. Thanks to Ninni’s contacts in Paris and Milan, items often arrive at the shop straight from runways and showrooms. The store boasts a finely curated Italian vintage selection, spanning from the 1960s to the 1990s.
Boutique Nadine: This shop mixes vintage with other secondhand items with plenty to buy for guys and girls. The shop itself is gorgeous too and particularly great for bags, sunglasses, accessories, shoes and scarves.
Melrose Vintage Store: The truest staple of Florentine vintage, Melrose has been in the city for ages and it never died out. Head here for its incredible variety, from ‘80s disco to ‘20s flapper, whatever your fashionistas heart desires can be found at Melrose.
FLY Fashion Store: FLY is the consignment shop run by the students of Florence University of the Arts. This fashion boutique is by far one of the most adorable and affordable stores in Florence. They offer a combination of vintage clothing and accessories and student’s original work, and all proceeds go to funding the school.
Flick through the disks at a record store
Thankfully, vinyl is not yet obsolete! Whether you distinctly remember shuffling through racks of CDs in your local record store or are just discovering the magic of vinyl, Florence has something to scratch every musical itch.
Contempo Records- This is such a fun shop with eclectic, helpful staff. Located on Via dei Neri so you can get a hot coffee across the way at Ditta Artigianale or a gelato a couple doors down at Gelateria de’ Neri.
Move On: Buy yourself a cold drink, access the psychedelic orange stairway to reach the first floor and browse their crisp, up-to-date selection and listen to it too while enjoying the enchanting views of the Baptistery and Brunelleschi’s architectural masterpiece.
Sleeve Records: A hidden gem near the train station (also close to Banki Ramen which is the city’s best hole in the wall, perfect for a rainy day) with contemporary taste.
Rock Bottom: 25,000 records, the evergreen heart of Florence’s vinyl revival. If High Fidelity had been set in Florence, this would have definitely been the right location. Rock Bottom is an institution with a rich selection that spans from the 60s and 70s golden age to the intense new wave years. The walls are flooded with memorabilia and posters
Dischi Fenice: If rock’n’roll isn’t your cup of tea, take refuge in Dischi Fenice for stacks of classical and opera music in wooden displays and the warmth of orchestral symphonies in your ear.
Photo: La Ménagère, image courtesy of La Ménagère.
Feast on frappuccinos and flora at La Ménagère
No self-respecting Italian bar would serve a frappuccino, but the alliteration was too good to pass up.
La Ménagère is one of Florence’s coolest, day-into-night hangouts offering a little bit of everything—in terms of both menus and crowds. A beautiful cosy restaurant filled with blooming flowers and tasty treats, it’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, serving modern bistro fare with creative flair, cocktails, quality coffee and convincing pancakes.
Bonus mention: Hang out at any of Ditta Artigianale’s locations, where the stylish industrial decor and welcoming laid-back vibe make it a chill place for whiling away a rainy afternoon.
Retreat to Florence’s indoor food markets
Surrounded on all sides by lush Tuscan countryside and within easy reach of the coast, Florence has plenty to stock its many markets. There are more weekly and monthly markets in the city than we have time to cover here, so let’s just focus on the two main permanent covered markets.
The oldest, largest and most famous market in Florence sits inside a striking building that dates back to the turn of the last century. The historic ground floor market area boasts countless stalls piled high with meats and cheeses, owned often by the third or fourth generation of the same family.
On the first floor, you’ll find Florence’s answer to a shopping mall food court. It’s not the cheapest place to grab a bite to eat, but it’s an atmospheric spot where quality is guaranteed.
Florence’s other covered food market is said to be favored by Florentines, both for the quality of produce available and for the lively atmosphere in and around it. Inside, the stalls sell a wide variety of fresh meat, fish, cheese and cured meat. Other stalls around the building offer all kinds of household goods, vintage clothing and more.
Bonus mention: For a leisurely lunch, check out our guides to traditional Tuscan foods and must-try trattoria fare!
Photo: Courtesy of Caffè Rivoire.
Get your steps (and culture) in at a museum
You’re in Florence, so chances are you’ll see at least one museum, but on a rainy day, it’s all about getting those steps in without getting wet, and for that, you can’t go past the Uffizi.
Conveniently arranged by periods, the Uffizi Gallery for all its size (it ranks as one of Europe's largest art museums) is a good way to get an overview of the tremendous changes the Renaissance brought in the way artists perceived and portrayed the world.
Read our guide to eating and visiting the Uffizi.
Bonus mention: The Stibbert is one of the most unexpected museums of Florence and is definitely worth a visit. The house-museum hosts an extraordinary collection of weapons and objects of art from the East, accumulated during the nineteenth century by English art collector and businessman Frederick Stibbert. The garden is no less eccentric, with fake ruins and an Egyptian style temple.
6, 7 and 8. Snack, snack, snack
There are delicious things to eat on every corner of Florence, but these are bites we crave when it’s pouring cats and dogs in the city.
Caffè Rivoire: This Italian institution has the best view in town and some world famous hot chocolate. Its owners claim the drink has been sipped by many a famous politician and nobleman, so it must be good, right? Read our guide: Where to get hot chocolate (cioccolata calda) in Florence.
Archea Brewery: Archea is a great place to experiment with your beer tastings. Order their taster rack, which includes four mini glasses of your choice. They have a range of light to dark beers, with a tangy fruity IPA as well (not always that common in Italy!).
Pasticceria Nencioni: This pastry shop has a great selection of Italian regional baked goods, savory pastries, cakes and petit bites of sweets. They have a really great coffee bar and the service is jovial- a great spot to devour some of the city’s best fried snacks. Read our guide: 6 Must-eat Carnival sweets- and where to find them in Florence.
Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina: ‘No water, only wine’ is displayed on the window of this wine connoisseur haunt. Enjoy a glass of high-end, mostly Tuscan labels from niche producers while sitting opposite the Pitti Palace. Or check out our Enoteca Wine Tour, or Buchette “Wine Door” Food & Drink Tour and our guide to wine bars in the city
Photo: Tracy Russo
9. Go back to (cooking) school
Looking to get your hands dirty? Consider a cooking lesson in Florence or our Craft Cocktail Making Lesson! Curious Appetite collaborates with select home cooks, 5 star rated chefs, and culinary studios to offer intimate and unforgettable seasonally-inspired, regional Italian cooking lessons in Florence.
Discover our Hands-on Culinary Lessons in Florence.
10. Grab a book or two for the flight home
Florence is full of great literature, as well as plenty of bookstores to hold it all. However, finding a decent bookshop with English books can be a challenge
Todo Modo: A community-focused bookstore with both English and Italian titles, and a natural wine bar and cafe to match. Great spot to chill, read and catch up.
Libreria Brac: A bookshop specialized in art, it is a space in which the love for art and good food go together, and a perfect place to relax with an herbal tea.
La Cité: This bookshop opened its doors in 2007 to give life not only to a large bookshop – with over 10 thousand volumes – but to a cultural meeting place, in which to listen to live music, participate in meetings, share readings and experiences accompanying everything with a glass of good wine or a drink.
The Paperback Exchange: Located on Via delle Oche just a stone’s throw from the Duomo, this is the city’s leading English-language bookshop. Make sure to pick up a copy The Florentine’s latest digest (our local free monthly paper)
…The ideas are endless for a rainy day in Florence, but we think these ideas should keep you busy until the rain starts to let up.
