Where We Stayed in Florence (And Why I'd Stay Here Again)

When I think back to Florence, I don't think about the Duomo first.

I think about opening the bedroom windows every morning.

Our apartment overlooked Borgo La Croce, and before we'd even had our coffee we'd lean out the windows and watch the neighborhood wake up. People walking to work, friends stopping to chat on the sidewalk, someone carrying fresh flowers home, the sound of Italian conversations floating up from the street below.

It felt like we had front-row seats to everyday life in Florence.

By the evening, it became a completely different place.

Restaurants slowly spilled out onto the sidewalks, tables filled with people sharing bottles of wine long after sunset, and the entire street felt like one big neighborhood dinner party. We found ourselves sitting by the open windows more often than I expected, simply watching the world go by.

Honestly, I think I fell in love with Borgo La Croce just as much as I fell in love with Florence itself.

The Apartment

The apartment we stayed in, Casa degli Aliotti, was tucked inside a building that dates back to the early 1400s, and somehow it managed to feel both historic and incredibly comfortable at the same time.

It had everything I secretly hope for when booking somewhere in Europe.

Old wooden beam ceilings.

Beautiful antique furniture.

Big windows that opened right onto the street.

A tiny little balcony where we ate breakfast almost every morning.

It wasn't flashy or overly luxurious, and I actually loved that about it.

It felt like somewhere someone could genuinely live, not a space designed purely for visitors.

After long days of walking what felt like half of Florence, coming back each evening genuinely felt like coming home.

Why I Loved the Location

If you're visiting Florence for the first time, it's hard to imagine a better area.

You're close enough to walk almost everywhere, but just far enough from the busiest tourist streets that the neighborhood still feels... real.

Borgo La Croce has this creative energy about it.

There are little independent shops, neighborhood cafés, wine bars filled with younger locals, and some of my favorite restaurants from the trip.

It feels lived in.

Not staged.

Not overly polished.

Just wonderfully Florentine.

Looking back, I actually think staying here changed the way I experienced the city.

Instead of feeling like I was checking landmarks off a list, I felt like I got to experience a tiny glimpse of everyday life in Florence.

And for me, that's so much more memorable.

Little Things I'll Remember

• Breakfast on the balcony with pastries from the bakery around the corner.

• Opening the windows and hearing Italian conversations drifting up from the street.

• Walking everywhere instead of worrying about taxis or buses.

• Watching Borgo La Croce transform from quiet morning cafés into lively restaurants by night.

• Feeling like we'd accidentally stumbled into one of Florence's best neighborhoods.

Stay Here If...

You love historic buildings.

You'd choose character over luxury.

You enjoy wandering without an itinerary.

You want to feel like you're experiencing Florence instead of simply visiting it.

One Last Thing...

I think where you stay shapes your trip more than people realize.

It's easy to focus on the big attractions, the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, Piazzale Michelangelo, but some of my favorite memories happened in between all of those things.

Opening the windows each morning.

Watching the neighborhood come alive.

Stopping for pastries before heading out.

Walking home after dinner while Borgo La Croce buzzed with laughter, clinking wine glasses, and conversations I couldn't quite understand.

Casa degli Aliotti gave us more than somewhere to sleep.

For a few days, it gave us the feeling of living in Florence.

And honestly, I can't think of a better souvenir than that.