Florence: Boboli Gardens & Bardini Garden
I visited Florence in June for 21 days. It was hot. It only rained once. Most days wwere above 90 Fahrenheit and I was looking for shade. The center of Florence offers little green space. When you’re craving trees, it’s time to head to Boboli Gardens and nearby Bardini Garden for a relxing respite from the urban hustle and bustle (and the throngs of tourist groups!).
Situated in the Oltrarno quarter of Florence, Boboli Gardens is attached to Palazzo Pitti. I visited Boboli Gardens on a Monday morning when Palazzo Pitti is closed. The gardens seemed less busy then.
Exiting out from Palazzo Pitti into the gardens, keep walking up and up for some good views of the sumptuous palace. Other highlights of the garden include the Cypress tree-lined Vilottolone and the gorgeous views of the Tuscan hills from the Giardino del Cavaliere.
Boboli Gardens
A side exit from Boboli Gardens leads out to a city street. Follow the line on the road and street signage to direct you to a smaller, but nonetheless beautiful Bardini Garden. This lovely garden includes a tunnel like terrace and gorgeous views of the Florence skyline.
At the time of writing, your ticket into Boboli Gardens also gets you into Bardini Garden.
Florence
After exiting Bardini Garden, I backtracked and entered Forte di Belvedere–known for, among other things, as the wedding site for Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.
Belvedere offers more sweeping views of Florence. During my visit, it also featured some interesting artwork: a skeleton sculpture called Calamita Cosmica by Gino de Dominicis.
View from Forte di Belvedere
Here are a few photos from Boboli Gardens, Bardini Garden, and Forte di Belvedere.
For more Florence and Italy pics, check out my Flickr album.
