A visit to Florence should include shopping, from window shopping on the Ponte Vecchio to actual buying at places like the San Lorenzo market. A good place to begin is with the Ponte Vecchio itself, which is impressive from either side of the Arno.
The shops on the Ponte Vecchio are beautiful and inviting. There are always lots of people peering at the display windows. The jewelry is carefully arranged and the shops themselves are unique. There are many places to stop and take pictures to keep as souvenirs.
Nearby is the San Lorenzo market, which features row after row of things you really want at reasonable prices. I didn’t bargain with the vendors, but lots of people did. They seemed to be successful when they were buying in quantity. Since I was buying one item at a time I checked several places to make sure the price was reasonable before I’d make a decision. Among the things for sale were shoulder bags in black, brown, red, or other colors. There were also shoes to try on and scarves and pashminas to consider.
After the shopping is complete take time to stop for a gelato and then admire the Duomo. So shopping in Florence – along with sightseeing – is a worthwhile way to spend an afternoon.
Meg Travels 
Shopping, shoes, sightseeing and gelato – these are some of my favourite things! Thank you :)
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You’re welcome! They are my favorites too (especially the gelato)… :)
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takes me back ahhhh
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It’s always good to be reminded of Italy!
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What a perfect day! Those cameos caught in the jewelry store window my eye immediately – how beautiful authentic carved cameos from Italy are!
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I thought the cameos were beautiful too. It was so much fun window shopping!
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Florence …. shopping …. they just go together. I found a lovely shop called Carpe Diem down one of the side streets by the Duomo – just had to buy. Too gorgeous to be called a cardigan but along those lines.
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It’s great when you find something special like that – it’s my idea of a perfect souvenir!
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It looks wonderful. I’ve only passed through on the night train from Rome to Paris. I hope to visit properly one day. Thank you, Meg.
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You’re welcome, and I hope you’ll get to spend some time there. Florence is a gorgeous place!
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I see about three handbags I would have bought.
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It was really hard to choose because there were so many I liked. I managed to buy two though… :)
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Mmmmmm – shopping in Firenze … yum!
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It was quite an adventure and I really enjoyed it. Shopping in that fantastic setting was wonderful!
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Oh, I couldn’t agree more! Shopping, and stopping for a gelato, or a coffee, or a cake or more, is part of the culture of Florience. :)
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It was so much fun shopping and then relaxing with a refreshing gelato! I’d call that a perfect day… :)
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It’s interesting isn’t it? I wouldn’t call myself a great shopper, normally, but shopping when I’m travelling is one of the great delights – simply because it is so normal – unlike the rarified experiences of galleries and other prescribed ‘sights’ – as marvellous as they are, they remind me that I’m a visitor, a stranger, while shopping connects me to the place, makes me feel part of the fabric of the city.
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I really like your insight about an activity like shopping during your travels! It provides a different experience to add to your overall impression of the place you’re visiting… Thank you for that :)
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It’s fun exchanging ideas :)
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It’s been a good conversation!
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Great photos. I like the last one, especially. And your header on the blog is also very eye-catching.
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Thank you! I really admired the beauty of the Duomo just as much as I enjoyed the shopping… :)
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It’s interesting isn’t it? I wouldn’t call myself a great shopper, normally, but shopping when I’m travelling is one of the great delights – simply because it is so normal – unlike the rarified experiences of galleries and other prescribed ‘sights’ :)
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I like that! Everyday activities like shopping can be part of your travel experience :)
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Shopping is oh so necessary when traveling – love checking out the shops – food, clothes, accessories, housewares, etc. Have a Great One:)
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That’s a great list for shopping while on a trip. It’s part of the fun of traveling!
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I loved Florence and want to go back. Time to start a new plan I think! Where are you going next? We are thinking of trying Poland.
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I’d like to go back to Florence too! I’m thinking of going to Barcelona next, or maybe Provence… :)
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Is the Ponte Vecchio similar in character to the Rialto, Meg, or not? It’s obviously more substantial. I’ve always had Florence on the list. Still is!
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I’d say the Ponte Vecchio primarily has fine jewelry stores and people tend to window shop, whereas Rialto has a variety of shops in all price ranges. I hope you get to Florence soon and see all the beautiful art and architecture!
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Love Florence! Enjoyed shopping at the San Lorenzo market. :)
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I’m a big fan of the San Lorenzo market too! And it’s so nice to mix shopping and sightseeing… :)
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Loved shopping in Florence. Boots, shoes, leather jacket. :D
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It sounds like you found some beautiful things in Florence. And it’s fun to remember where you got them!
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Lovely shot. Colorful goods. :)
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Thank you – I liked all the colors too!
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I just want to go back and eat gelato whilst shopping for more gorgeous handbags and scarves, your photos are wonderful :-)
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Thanks Sam – I’d like to go back too! The combination of shopping while eating gelato is unbeatable… :)
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That would be my Christmas wish!
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The perfect Christmas gift!
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Plus, the great thing is those small scarves help create a soft non-breakable spot to pack all of our wine that we bring back…LOL!
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That’s a good (and creative) reason to stock up on beautiful scarves, and then you can enjoy wearing them when you get home!
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I love the idea of shops on bridges, and could very easily go mad in the markets with all those shoes, bags, etc. Wonderful photos Meg, as always.
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Thanks Lorna. The markets have so many great choices I’d like one of everything… But I’m always happy with the things I bring home!
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Those scarves are marvelous! I adore scarves…
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I do too :) A nice thing about scarves is that they’re so easy to pack. And you can never have too many!
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I completely agree!
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And they are wonderful souvenirs… :)
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How lovely it would be to wander the streets of Florence, exploring the shops and markets. The picture of the scarves really caught my eye!
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It was a marvelous experience that I’ll never forget. And I really like scarves so I had to take a picture of that display!
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Shopping is fun anywhere I travel, but Florence would be a dream, Meg!
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That’s true Debra – it was delightful to be in a beautiful place like Florence and to have fun shopping too!
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Lovely post! I love shopping for shoes, bags & scarves. It would be a dream to shop in Florence…*sigh*
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Thank you! It was a fantastic market and the only thing I had to keep in mind was how to get everything I bought in my suitcase… :)
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Great post and lovely photos. In Italian Florence is Firenze. Also in Finnish it is Firenze. :)
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Thanks – and that’s interesting that you say Firenze in Finland!
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Haven’t been to Florence yet, but it is definitely on my list of must-see places. Love the bridges. Nice.
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I hope you get to see Florence – it’s a wonderful place and there’s so much to see and do (besides shopping). I think the bridges are beautiful too!
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Looks like great shopping, too!
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It’s an excellent place for shopping and I’d recommend it!
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What fun! I was there years go, and loved the same things. Aren’t the jewelry stores on Pont Vecchio amazing? Florence was my favorite city that we visited in Italy. Thanks for the memories. Beautiful pictures. Marsha :)
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Thank you Marsha! I really enjoyed the gorgeous jewelry shops on the Ponte Vecchio too. And it was fun to look at these pictures again… :)
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I did bargain with one of the merchants. Immediately he and another lady took me into a basement filled with beautiful inlaid wood items. Everything just sparkled. I bought a little music table, and a tray. I’ll have to take a picture of them and post them some time. I’ve had them for 24 years, and they are still beautiful. I don’t always buy things when I go places except maybe photos or post cards. I’m so glad I did.
I also saw a door that I took a picture of, and it seems like the artist spent his WHOLE life carving the door – some immense amount of time like 50 years.
The last thing I’ll talk about on my post to your blog, your pictures reminded me about the science museum we visited. I remember thinking how absolutely artistic all the science equipment had to be. Now we are so utilitarian, but then everything reflected an interest in art.
See you got me going. :)
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What a fantastic experience you must have had picking out your table and tray! Those are what I call souvenirs… I’d like to see pictures of them so I hope you write about them for your blog. And that carved door must have been exquisite :)
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I’ll have to scan the picture of that one, but you’ve inspired me to do it! Your pictures are much better quality, but I do have a couple of pictures that I love that I’ll share sometime. :)
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Sounds good! I’m sure your pictures will be wonderful… :)
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Hi Meg,
What a pleasure to be back in Florence! You do a great job of integrating story with photos. Wonderful post!
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Thank you! It was so exciting to be able to combine shopping with seeing the beautiful sights of Florence :)
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I enjoyed the photos of all the goods displayed. Also, that was a great one of the duomo! I specialized in gelato shopping. I never ordered the same flavor twice, but tried new ones wherever we went.
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I had some good opportunities to get pictures from the market. And I try to order different flavors of gelato, but then I see something like Nutella flavor and I keep choosing it anyway!
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