Northern Italy (Florence, Milan, Stresa)

ptruong0220
Aug 11, 2021
5 min read

Updated: Aug 2, 2024

Sept 2021

Florence, Venice, Milan, Lake Maggiore-Stresa

We went to Italy for our lovely friends Emily and Aaron Gentry's wedding. It was our first international wedding and probably the most beautiful black tie wedding we've ever been to. So grateful that 100 friends travelled all this way from mainly northern California to Northern Italy. Along the way, we made several pitstops.

“Italy is a geographical expression.” – Klemens von Metternich

Florence, Italy

We spent 3 days in Florence and we thought this was just enough time.

🏠Airbnb

A 30 sq m TERRACE WITH 360° VIEWS

with the best views in a great location!

Breakfast

🥐 Breakfast at Rooster Cafe (American breakfast)

☕️ The coffee in Italy is out of this world. No extra sugar needed, you drink as is =)

Appertivo

Always a must before dinners!

🍸We walked only 5 minutes after dinner to where the locals hung out at Santo Spirito where people drank, smoke, and hung out

🍷 Ponte Vecchio- wine with a view of oldest bridge

🍸 Odeon Bistro where the locals go

🍦 Perche No- Gelato

Recommendations:

Other Appertivo that we didn’t get a chance to go to

Hotel Excelsior-(Westin) beautiful panorama, walk in welcome no reservation needed

Hotel Continental- more intimate panorama

Il Local-$$$$ brand new hotspot. Creative Tuscan dining & inventive cocktails in a 1500s palazzo with a 13th-century basement.

Odeon Bistrot and Colle Bereto- hit place for the locals

Procacci- A MUST!!! Hystoric place in the heart of Florence with unique mini truffle sandwiches that cost approximately 1,50 each to eat along with a great glass of wine or a bloody mary, do not miss a quick pit stop to this place.

Il Santino $$ wine bar

Volume- located in Piazza Santo Spirito

Dondino- located in Piazza Santa Croce top wine bar

Flo- Nightclub

Forte Belvedere 1500s hilltop fortress offering sweeping vistas of the Florence skyline & frequent art exhibitions.

Dinner

Dinners are late in Italy!

🥘 10pm Dinner @Trattoria 4 Leoni

- They give you free champagne!

- The Tortinellini dish was the best we've ever had

🥘 9:30pm Dinner @ La Giostra

- Ceilings of this building were still intact from 1640s

- There is a Prince that will entertain you

- Mike had their special truffle steak

🥘 7:30pm Dinner @ Buca Lapi (known for their steaks)

Other dinner spots recommendations

- Enoteca Pinchiorri $$$$

- Cibreo-quite expensive, but it is a must in Florence, very appreciated by the locals (Entree is like $30)

- Leggenda Dei Frati $$$$ the view from this restaurant is mind-blowing

Sightseeing Spots

🏤 11:30AM Uffizi museum (check out the Bottiicelli, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Michelangelo rooms)

🕍 Gallery of Academy (statue of David)

🕍 Duomo

🌅7pm- grab a bottle of wine and walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset

List of other cultural sites to check out that we didn’t see

-Galleria deli Uffizi-art museum

-Chiesa di Santa Maria In Fiore-cathedral

-Palazzo Vecchio e Torre di Arnolfo- cathedral

-Ponte Vecchio- oldest bridge

-Piazza della Signoria-Main Plaza in Florence

-Palazzo Pitti and Giardini di Boboli…museum with garden

-Medici museum

-Piazzale Michelangelo

Tuscany Winery

SantA’gnese Farm

The best food pairing and balasamic vinegar place in the Chianti region
Wow. We were referred to this place by good friends we have traveled with before. hey know what we like and our style. This place didn’t miss at all! Carlo, Alessandro, and gloria were nicer than can be. Endless food and wine. Literally. We live near Napa and we’ve ever had a better (or longer lol) tasting. These people take pride in what they do and it shows. Amazing time and highly recommended.
We were totally overwhelmed with the entire experience. First we met Carlo and we toured through the property, vineyard and cellar ... tasted the extraordinary balsamic and was totally impressed with his knowledge. Then there was the tasting and light unch ... bruschetta, prosciutto, salami, melon, parmigiano.. then homemade lasagne pasta .... then roasted chicken .... then torta della donna ... All matched with amazing five wines.
4 hours of the most wonderful food, wine, views and people.

Transportation

🚆 Bullit Train Station Location

Piazza della Stazione, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy

VENICE

Venice, the capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region, is built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. It has no roads, just canals – including the Grand Canal thoroughfare – lined with Renaissance and Gothic palaces.. Venice is all on the water so there are no cars, no bicycles, no motorcycles you will have to either walk or take a taxi boat

🏠Hotel

Residence La Fenice

San Marco district, behind the La Fenice

Sightseeing spots

The most popular cultural sites in Venice:

-Piazza San Marco

-Torre dell’Orologio

-The Doge’s Palace and St Mark Campanile (they are all in the same main square walking distance from each other)

-Ponte dei sospiri (Bridge of Sighs) you can both go under it with a gondola or walk through it from inside the Doge’s Palace

http://palazzoducale.visitmuve.it

-Ponte di Rialto

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rialto_Bridge

Most famous book store in Venice to make a quick stop is Libreria dell’Acqua Alta ("Bookstore on high water")

-Peggy Guggenheim Museum

a privately owned house of art collector Peggy Guggenheim with a collection worth millions that she decided to donate entirely to the city of Venice and it was transformed into an art museum.

-Punta della Dogana for sunset, you guys can visit the museum Palazzo Grassi then watch the sunset on the shore while you enjoy a glass of wine

http://www.palazzograssi.it/it/museo/punta-della-dogana

-La Biennale of Venice is the most important exposition there is, because it covers literally every aspect of art and culture in the world : art, cinema, architecture, music, theatre, historical archives…

if there is a sunny day you are also able to enjoy the beautiful gardens there

http://www.labiennale.org/en/Home.html

If you would like to go a day on the beach (if it’s not too cold) you can rent a tent for the day at the Hotel Excelsior and enjoy the sun at the Lido

http://www.hotelexcelsiorvenezia.com/en/