One of the many delights of visiting Florence is discovering its gardens. Places full of atmosphere where nature and history meet, complemented by some truly stunning views.
Here we explore three beautiful gardens with a view, located in Florence’s historic centre: the vast and fascinating Boboli Garden, the scenic Bardini Garden and of course, the Rose Garden, at its best in May, when the roses are in full bloom.
If you’re visiting Florence in Spring, you’re in for a treat. Lovely temperatures, perfect to spend time outdoors and enjoy Florence’s green areas. And of course, Spring is when Florentine gardens make a gorgeous show of their blooms and colours.
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3 Amazing Gardens with a View to Visit in Florence
1. BOBOLI GARDEN
Attached to Pitti Palace, Boboli Garden is a vast park of delights. Inside this 45.000 square metre Italianate garden, there is history and statues aplenty. You’ll find a dreamlike atmosphere, mysterious grottos, and plenty of hidden corners to relax. Expect long avenues lined with cypress trees and statues, fascinating architectural features, little ponds and fountains.
If you spend a few hours in Boboli, you can take a respite from the busy Florentine streets, taking in the views that are straight from a postcard. And you can also relive the history of this Renaissance style garden by joining this Boboli and Pitti Palace Guided Tour, learning about the many curiosities and symbols hidden in its design.
If you visit in Spring, you’ll have the bonus to see some beautiful flowers in the Limonaia.
BOBOLI is open every day from 8:15am until sunset – June, July and August until 7pm. Last entrance an hour before closing time. Main entrance from Pitti Palace.
Ticket costs 10 Euro and it includes the entrance to Bardini Garden.
Insider’s Tip – > the Camelie Garden, recently restored, is now open to the public, with a variety of camelias and a fabulous grotto- you can visit it during April and May on a guided tour from Tuesday to Sunday on 11am 12am, 1pm, 3pm, 4pm,5pm (it’s not necessary to book, just go to the entrance of the garden)
Did you know? Boboli started its life in 1549, as the private garden of the Grand Duke Cosimo I and his wife Eleonora. After the power-hungry couple moved to Palazzo Pitti and made it their residence, they employed Mannerist architect Tiepolo to design a vast garden adjacent to the palace. Boboli became a sublime space where they could entertain famous guests from all over Europe.
2. VILLA BARDINI GARDEN
You’ll find this historic garden on the slope of a hill in the Oltrarno, not far from the Ponte Vecchio. One of the highlights of Villa Bardini Garden is the sublime panorama that it offers over the city.
There’s a beautiful stone staircase leading you through the Italianate Garden to the upper part, the Belvedere, a vast terrace overlooking Florence. Photographers will be delighted, as the views from here are truly amazing. Pretty hidden corners and statues poking from the leaves make it the perfect place for a deliciously romantic walk.
And, if you’re visiting during Spring, you’ll see azaleas, roses, Florentine irises, and a wondrous wisteria pergola that is in full bloom in mid-April. It has become a favourite spot for selfies bathed in purple, so that the garden’s official site has a page dedicated to the webcam that follows the wisteria progress.
Villa Bardini usually hosts art exhibits. From the balconies you can take more amazing shots.
How to get to Bardini Garden => Main Entrance is from Costa San Giorgio, 2. It’s near Forte Belvedere, where there’s parking if you’re coming by car. On foot, it’s 15 minute walk from the Ponte Vecchio.
OPENING TIME: Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am to 7:30pm (last entry at 6:30pm). See accessibility information on their site.
Ticket costs 10 Euro (it includes the entrance to Boboli).
3. ROSE GARDEN
The Rose Garden is a delightful spot just below Piazzale Michelangelo, the panoramic terrace that overlooks Florence from where you get the ultimate view of the city. This terraced garden opened at the end of the 19th century, and since then has been dedicated to the cultivation of precious varieties of roses.
The view is gorgeous all year around, but to snap those essential photos of Florence Cathedral encased in multicoloured roses you have to visit to the Rose Garden in May. This is when the hundreds of variety of roses (almost 400!) are in full bloom, filling the space with scents and colours.
Since 2011 the Garden is enriched with some artworks from contemporary sculptor Jean-Michel Folon. His pieces playfully interact with the space, making it even more special. You can sit next to Folon’s statue of a man on a bench, pet the bronze cat Chat cuddle among the flowers, try to fly like ‘L’Envol’, or admire Palazzo Vecchio through the empty suitcase ‘Partir’, that suggestively frames the city in the distance.
The Rose Garden is in Viale Giuseppe Poggi, 2 – here’s the exact position.
How to get to the Rose Garden -> You can get the bus 13 from the station and get off at Piazzale Michelangelo, from there it’s a short walk downhill. You can walk from San Niccolò via the panoramic walk (quite steep) Le Rampe. We don’t suggest taking the car, as parking in this area is scarce and very difficult to find.
The entrance is free. The Giardino delle Rose is open every day from 9am (10am on Sunday) until sunset.
=> Check out more Beautiful Gardens in Florence
Author: Sabrina Nesi, founder of Lovefromtuscany.com, passionate about sharing the beauty of Tuscany and Italy with the world.
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