Virginia Postrel, Columnist

How to See Less of Florence

Hit the hidden high points, and linger.

June 23, 2015 at 1:00 PM UTC

Virginia Postrel is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. She is a visiting fellow at the Smith Institute for Political Economy and Philosophy at Chapman University and author, most recently, of “The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World.”

Don't let them get in your way.
Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images

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Thanks to the strong dollar, larger than usual hordes of American tourists are thronging to European destinations. If you’re headed to Paris, I can’t offer you much advice other than to skip the "Mona Lisa" -- seriously, you cannot see her at a distance and behind that glass. If you’re going to Florence, however, where I’ve spent extended periods, I have some tips for keeping your sanity amid the madding crowds.

Unlike the Mona Lisa, Florence’s most famous masterpieces are big enough to see even in a throng, and greater than you can possibly imagine from photos. To experience Michelangelo’s David and Botticelli’s "Primavera" and "Birth of Venus," you’ll just have to brave the crowds at the Accademia and the Uffizi. Either buy tickets online in advance or get both at the Uffizi box office, where the lines are shorter.1435001904786 Try first thing in the morning at the Uffizi, before the large tour groups show up.