I have travelled throughout Italy and always find it fascinating how utterly different Italian cities are from each other. Rome is full of national monuments, Milan is the commerce and fashion capital, Venice is surreal and romantic, etc. Florence also has its distinct flavour: baroque and neo gothic church façades, 16th century palaces, serious artisan culture and an overwhelming amount of renaissance art on display.

Hotels in Florence are notoriously piccolo (small) with tiny bathrooms. If you are as rich as a Medici, then you would be fortunate to stay at the old-world elegant Grand Hotel with its gorgeous views of the Arno river. Or perhaps the Regency hotel with its posh ‘Olde England’ feel and the justifiably famous Relais le Jardin restaurant. However, if you’re like me, a small, lovely hotel with unique appeal and reasonable prices is what you want.

The Balestri Hotel is a charming, 3 star perfectly located on the Arno river. It has recently been renovated, but still retains its Florentine feel in the cosy lounge and in the stylish breakfast room. Views from the guest rooms over look the river with the famous bridge, Ponte Vecchio, in the near distance. The bathrooms are adequately-sized with modern appliances.

The best feature of the Balestri is that it is within stone-throwing distance of the Piazza della Signoria, the political centre of medieval Florence. Piazza della Signoria is home to sculpture by some of Florence’s most famous sons: a 19th century copy of Michelangelo’s Davide, the Fountain of Neptune by Ammannati and the bronze equestrian statue of Cosimo de Medici by Giambologna erected in 1598.

Adjacent to the Piazza is the Uffizi Gallery, one of the world’s oldest and most famous museums. It officially opened to the public in 1865 and houses some of the most beautiful ‘Old Masters’ from the Renaissance era. I stood in hushed awe gazing at Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus and blushed at the frank, seductive Venus of Urbino painted by Titian (Tiziano). Be warned, if you don’t purchase your gallery tickets in advance you could be in an hours-long queue waiting to enter.

A visit to Florence would not be complete without viewing some of the many beautiful churches in the city. I didn’t want to make a ‘church itinerary’ as such, and so as I wandered about, I casually ducked into quite a few. Basilica di Santa Croce was awe-inspiring with its soaring neo-Gothic façade and frescoes by Giotto. Also noteworthy are the many tombs of illustrious Italians; Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli and Rossini are all buried here.

The Chiesa di Ognissanti (Church of Ognissanti) is a tranquil parish church located in the small Piazza Ognissanti. Originally founded by the Umiliati, a wool-weaving sect of the Benedictines, the church helped to establish the surrounding area as a textile district. The hushed, reverent atmosphere of the sanctuary with its Botticelli frescoes provides a welcome respite from the urban chaos.

After drinking in my fill of art and culture, a little repast is always in order. It is very easy to have a bad meal in tourist-filled Florence. However, if you avoid restaurants that list a ‘Tourist Menu’ and move out of the centre, you will better your chances of an authentic Florentine experience. Florence is a meat-eaters paradise, if you don’t love meat, pork, salami, etc. you may find the dining options difficult to navigate.

Located in the Oltrarno (the neighbourhood on the other side of the Arno river), Enoteca fuori Porta serves all of the local faves: crostini (toasted bread with a vast selection of toppings like lardo or liver paté), bruschetta (the most popular made simply with garlic, salt and gorgeous Tuscan extra virgin olive oil) and prosciutto made from Cinta Senese pork (an extraordinarily fragrant and tasty Tuscan breed). Of course they also have a huge selection of Tuscan wines as well as other Italian regions all at relatively reasonable prices. They are usually packed with cosmopolitan locals and some tourists, so either make a reservation or prepare for a short wait.

Antico Noe (Italian for Noah) is an authentic little osteria located off the beaten path beneath an archway, a bit outside of the city centre. The only language you will hear spoken is Italian, or more correctly Florentine. Don’t let that deter you, go in, sit down at the rustic tables and let the gregarious owner show you what the plates of the day are. The menu is not extensive – they only offer a few items according to what was fresh in the market accompanied by beautiful local winesr. If he’s serving a green salad with slices of fresh, red-skinned mushrooms on top – order it! It’s delicious.

The family-run Da Ganino restaurant in Piazza de Cimatori serves an excellent Steak Florentine – the meat is always a hearty thickness and cooked perfectly over a hot grill. Begin your dinner with the traditional ribollita soup (vegetable and bread soup) an icon of Florentine cuisine. But don’t skip the gargantuan chunk of mortadella (a tasty Italian bologna with spices and pistachio pieces) that will be served with your breadbasket, it is heavenly. The house wine on offer is inexpensive, utterly drinkable and stands up well to the flavourful cuisine.

If you want a bit of action after dinner, Florence offers several fashionable nightspots. Noir, located on the Lungarno (the road that parallels the river), is a seductively gothic den staffed by gorgeous twenty-somethings dressed in black. The rotating line-up of DJs is an eclectic mix of boys and girls playing everything from the Rolling Stones to the newest hip hop anthem.

Ground zero for many of Florence’s glitterati, Negroni Bar, with its terrace seating, is the perfect place to see and be seen. There is an indoor bar, but most of the action takes place outside where attractive Fiorentini (Florentines) from 18 years to 80 mill about on the sidewalk, street and terrace.

For a little after hours spice, Montecarla is a private club that is far to the left of kitsch. Decorated in the manner of a bordello, it has plush sofas with zebra striped pillows to lounge on. The crowd is an international mix of sophisticates and the music is always pleasantly conversation-friendly. There are board games and colouring books strewn about with which to amuse yourself.

The Ponte Vecchio is well known as a picturesque bridge over the river Arno populated by high end jewellery stores stocked with intricate, artisanal gold work and flawless gems. However, you are not limited to this tourist area to shop for interesting handmade jewellery. Florence has many artisans producing beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces. Bottega Degli Orafi on Via de Benci creates lovely, fanciful pieces in gold and silver.

Florence is fantastic city for shopping. Its leather-work is world-renowned, but increasingly the items are mass-produced and offered cheaply in every market and shop. There are better finds to be had in some of the cities designer outlets. Stockhouse Il Giglio on Via Borgo Ognissanti is a cramped warren filled with ladies and men’s designer clothes and shoes at deeply discounted prices. Don’t be put off by the chaotic appearance – everything is separated by size so you can focus your search accordingly. There are diamonds to be discovered there – like the gorgeously feminine linen dress by Moschino that I found at 70% off the original price.

The Guarda Roba designer outlet shop on Via Verdi is small and unassuming, but filled with fashionable items, primarily for women. From skirts and shirts to wallets and jeans, you will find many of the previous season’s remainders. I couldn’t believe my luck when I walked out with a chic ruched Alessandro Dell’ Acqua jacket at a fraction of its value.

Farmacia SS. Annunziata is the quintessential Florentine pharmacy – they produce an excellent artisanal line of natural health and beauty products and have done since 1561. Originally products were completely handmade using ancient processes such as mortar and pestle, but today they offer quality-controlled, high standard products that maintain the ancient tradition.

Whatever your interests, be it food and wine, art, architecture and design or shopping Florence can be all things to all travellers. Don’t get caught up in the ‘must see’ attractions in the guide books – take time to savour even mundane examples of Florence’s charms. To badly paraphrase Dante, the eminent Florentine poet and statesmen, enjoy the “experience of this sweet life”.