Why the Wonderful Oltrarno Is the Best Neighborhood in Florence
The Oltrarno is one of the neighborhoods of Florence Italy.
This neighborhood sits across the River Arno from the historic center where most of the sites are.
But I would argue that the Oltrarno is the best neighborhood in Florence — for a short stay or even a longer stay.
Let’s dive into my reasons why I love this Florence neighborhood and why I highly recommend it to you!
Oltrarno is away from the tourist crowds
This neighborhood definitely has far more quieter spots.
Because Oltrarno is on the other side of the river, it’s away from the main tourist sites, so it’s away from the hordes of tourists.
Now don’t get me wrong.
The historic center of Florence is fabulous.
The Duomo, the Palazzo Vecchio, Piazza Repubblica, Uffizi Gallery…
So much beauty in all of Florence!
But as a result, it gets pretty crowded.
Florence is a compact city with a lot of the sites relatively close together.
This means loads of people — travelers/tourists and locals — concentrated in certain areas of the city.
The Oltrarno is less site-filled so it’s less crowded.
Oltrarno is the best neighborhood in Florence for this reason, in my opinion.
Well, it’s one of the reasons!
It has a more “real” feel to it
Because, as I mentioned above, Oltrarno is on the other side of the river and away from the main tourist sites AND high end shopping areas, it has more local shops — you know, the places the residents go to for food or to buy the basics they need.
You won’t see Gucci or Prada here!
What you’ll find are many of the locals living their lives — walking to the store or work, taking kiddos to school, chatting with each other in the streets.
I bought some fresh produce at a wee little (very very small) shop run by an older woman.
I pointed and used my limited Italian to buy cucumbers, tomatoes and strawberries.
Behind me in the queue were other locals and a traveler or 2.
I love these experiences!
And you can’t always get this in the jam-packed highly-touristed parts of a city.
I actually also spent the better part of one day at a co-working space in Oltrarno.
It was enlightening to see so many people sitting at desks working away — just very “everyday life”.
Just another reason Oltrarno is the best neighborhood in Florence.
And maybe my favorite reason!
There are some amazing sites
Despite the fact that most of Florence’s sites are across the River Arno from Oltrarno, there are still some fabulous sites in this neighborhood.
You’ll find the Pitti Palace with its gardens, Boboli Gardens, on this side of the river.
The Basilica di Santo Spirito and Piazzale Michelangelo with its gorgeous views over the city of Florence are also in Oltrarno.
So while this isn’t packed with sites, it does have a few that are worthy of your time making it another reason Oltrarno is the best neighborhood in Florence.
Oltrarno has some awesome places to hang out
In my opinion, one of the top reasons Oltrarno is the best neighborhood in Florence is due to its cool, hip, fun places to hang out.
There’s a student vibe here.
Cafes and coffee shops.
Wine bars.
I love La Cité which was right downstairs from my accommodation.
It was a coffee shop, lunch spot and wine/cocktail spot all rolled into one.
I worked from there one day for a few hours.
What a great vibe and cool, eclectic decor.
Kind of an old bookstore or old library feel and look.
Good coffee too!
At night, people would be having cocktails or wine or beer, often outside.
Il Santino was THE wine bar for me.
I literally sat at the bar and made new friends.
I drank some wine, had some small plates and chatted with the folks I sat next to as well as the employees.
What a cool place!
And good wine!!
It is one of my favorite memories of Oltrarno and Florence in general.
I also came upon a small town square — piazetta — that was just delightful.
It was a lovely Saturday and the locals were out enjoying the sunshine.
See.
Awesome spots to hang out in Oltrarno
It’s often a wee bit less expensive for accommodation
Oltrarno is the best neighborhood in Florence for those watching their budget.
It tends to be slightly less expensive in this neighborhood than the areas close to the Duomo or Palazzo Vecchio.
Yes, you are walking a bit further to visit the Uffizi or the Duomo or Piazza Repubblica, but … you’re walking through FLORENCE — FIRENZE.
One of the most iconic and beautiful cities in the world!
I loved being able to leave the crowds behind and come back to the quieter side.
And I loved that my euros went further when it came to my accommodation.
Oltrarno is the best neighborhood in Florence
At least that’s my opinion.
I really enjoyed my week staying here.
It is quieter and the vibe is more authentic.
While I hate using that word because the historic center of Florence is still authentic, you have to wade through all the hordes of tourists to get to the authentic — to truly meet the locals and make a connection.
It felt easier to do in Oltrarno.
The cooking school — Florence Food Studio — where I took my cooking/pasta making class was in Oltrarno.
And the woman that taught the class lived just around the corner from the school with her family.
There was a local, artisan gelateria in Oltrarno that she recommended that had delicious gelato.
*Sigh*
I am so sold on this neighborhood.
It’s an amazing area to stay to get a more local feel of Florence yet be able to easy access the famous sites.
Best of both worlds!!
I’ll be honest, after staying here for a week and going to a co-working space, I was thinking about a longer stay in an apartment in Oltrarno.
Maybe!
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