Italy is the fifth most-touristed country in the world and had an enormous 46.1 million international visitors in 2011, nearly as many as its population of 61 million people. Florence is almost always on the itinerary and for a good reason: the architecture and renaissance grandeur of the city shine out of every nook and cranny. Art history lovers adore the city’s many galleries and museums, (The Accademia Gallery, Uffizi Gallery, The Palatine Gallery and over 70 more) including the Piazza della Signoria which boasts an impressive outdoors sculpture collection. It’s worth booking tickets in advance for galleries and museums as they usually have extraordinarily long queues.

Florence’s position in Tuscany, well-known for its stunning scenery and countryside, also helps its popularity. It is certainly worth a visit and I personally keeping postponing my trip to the Uffizi just so that I’ll always have a reason to go back to this incredible city.