When you are in Firenze (Florence) and you don't have too much time, it becomes very hard to decide what to see, what to visit, what priority to make as this city has so many sites and attractions. However, after the walks in the city center, I bet you can't skip exploring the bird's-eye view of this amazing city. For this experience, the best you can do is going there by foot, as also the way from the center to the garden is picturesque. The distance from Ponte Vecchio is about 1. 5 - 2. 0 km and after taking the way along the river Arno, you go up on the stairs starting from Piazza Giuseppe Poggi. This square was named in honour of the guy who designed this nice garden.
The view from the sightseeing place is really amazing. From it you can admire the river Arno and bridges over it, il Duomo (Cathedral), Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace) and many other nice architectural buildings. Just remember you are in the heart of Italy which is well-known for its architecture. After enjoying the breath-taking view for some dozens of minutes, you can begin your way down. And then you definitely have to go across the Garden of Roses, Giardino delle Rose.
We weren't lucky with the weather, as it can be seen on the attached pictures. It started and stopped raining several times during the day we visited Firenze. Fortunately when it started to rain heavily we always found some shelter in a restaurant or a cafe :)
When you walk through the garden you are going in the direction of the city center. In another way from climbing and like this you will have always a continuous panoramic view. Also the garden is a perfect place to make some nice wedding pictures. Not occasionally many celebrities have organised their weddings here; )
Of course you can find plenty species of roses and other flowers that are worth even more than a glance each. Apart from the botanical experience, you also have the chance to admire some art, if that interests you more. All over the garden are several modern sculptures mainly from a Belgian sculptor: Jean-Michel Folen. (Note: in Belgium 50% of the names of men start with "Jean").
These pieces of art are really nice and give additional value to the visit of the garden. Among them there is a sculpture of a man sitting on a bench and reading a book. Watching it you can realize that the garden is just perfect place for sitting and reading if the weather conditions are good. Unfortunately I have pictures of the "man" only with my friends appearing as well... But instead of that, I can show you a picture of a strange horse in a strange position in the middle of a mini lake :)
Be aware that the park stays opened only during day (From 9 am till sunset mainly). It is closed in the nights, but there are many other possibilities in the city and I'm pretty sure you can organise your evenings well enough in such a romantic city...; )
Don't miss this garden if you have more than 5 hours in Firenze! And of course, if you have more than 1 day, not only Firenze but all Toscana is marvellous. Enjoy! :)
