Out of all of the cities that I visited across Europe, Florence is one of my favorites by far.

There are so many things that I love that this list could go on and on for days; somehow I managed to find a way to narrow it down into the top five things that I love the most about the city.

The Food

At the top of the list of things I love about Florence is the food.

In fact, the food in Florence was so amazing that I dedicated a whole post to everything that I ate while I was in the city.

I discovered so many wonderful places to eat through personal recommendations, local food bloggers, and a Vespa tour, which all led me to some of the most amazing food that the city had to offer.

The Tuscan Countryside

Ah, Tuscany! Your rolling hills, sweet aroma, and beautiful homes are something that I have been dreaming about seeing my entire life.

I decided that the best way to see the Tuscan countryside was on a Vespa. Despite some minor hiccups on the way, it was an amazing experience whisking through the narrow streets while taking in the view and feeling a true sense of freedom.

The ride through the countryside alone is something I would return to Florence for!

Florence at Night

Whether it be daytime or nighttime, Florence always shines. I absolutely loved it during the day and I fell deeper in love with it during the night.

I found it quite surprising how few people were out in the streets at night compared to the swarms of people occupying every area of the city in the daytime.

At night, I felt that the city seemed to come to life; the lights covering the Ponte Vecchio cast a stunning reflection over the water making it seem like the bridge was both inside and outside of the water. A soft orange glow cast beautiful light across the dome of the Duomo that could be seen across the city, and the Il Mercato Centrale comes to life with people converging under one roof to dine on some of the best foods the city has to offer.

The Wine

Italian wine just might be one of my favorite things in the world. Every day (or sometimes twice a day), I would have a glass of wine with my meal.

The Tuscan region mostly produces red wine and I had quite a few glasses of Chianti. Besides the wine is very delicious, it was also very cheap. Many people even say that drinking wine in Italy is cheaper than drinking water, and I think there might be some truth to that.

The Gelato

I became a HUGE gelato fan in Italy, so much so that I was consuming the same amount of gelato as I was wine (yes, you read that right).

While I was told the names of a couple of different gelato places in Florence, my favorite was from Gelataria La Carraia, on the Oltarno side of Ponte alla Carraia. Their gelato tasted like a little slice of heaven on earth and I had to stop myself from going back for seconds.

Have you been to Florence? What are some of your favorite things about the city?