The Boboli garden

Palazzo Pitti
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The 'Giardino dei Boboli' is located behind the 'Palazzo Pitti' and it is said to be the most beautiful garden of Tuscany.  I love to come here for a stoll together with my kids , being  fortunate residents of Florence we have free entrance to this beautiful garden (not indicated for strollers as there are some steep paths).

Amfitheater
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Do not miss the Boboli garden if you're in Florence. This wonderful and hilly oasis of peace is filled with statues, and designed in the typical Italian style. You can enjoy quiet walks on a cool summer days, but for me the autumn is the most perfect season to visit this city garden/park.

Neptunes fountain
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The colors, the smell, the stillness .. absolutely fantastic. And to think that all the traffic is buzzing beneath you but here in the park, you will not hear a thing. Why not relax a bit on a bench near the Neptune Fountain, or climbing the beautiful spiral staircase up to the Rose Garden and the Porcelain Museum, here you find yourself on the highest point of the garden with a magnificent view of the hills that surround Florence.

View from Rose garden
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Walk down the beautiful cypress avenue (Vialone), where you will find the mysterious Isolotto pond. If you are lucky you can see the large collection of citrus plants in large terracotta pots in the middle of the pond on the little island (in the winter they stay in the 'limonaia').

Isolotto
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From the Boboli garden you can also visit 'La Specola' historic Zoological Museum (the oldest museum of science in Europe). You can also visit the beautiful garden of Villa Bardini, Giardino Bardini. On the left side of the Forte Belvedere (close to the Kaffeehaus) you can take Costa San Giorgio (take a left), half way down you can find the entrance to the garden and the villa Bardini.

One of the paths in the park
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The Rose Garden, an oasis of peace in the city

View from Rose Garden
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Florence has several gardens and parks, a few are well known others less. The Rose Garden (Giardino delle Rose) is one of the last category. Untill this year the Rose Garden was only open during the months of May and June, but fortunately that's changed. Since spring (2011) of this year, you can admire the Rose Garden all year long from early in the morning until sunset.

Photo By: R v/d Wielen for Discover Florence

A brief history of the 'Giardino delle Rose "
In 1865, the "Giardino delle Rose" (the rose garden) was built by Giuseppe Poggi (Piazzale Michelangelo's Architect). The garden consists of 2,5 acres and is situated on the hill of San Miniato, just below Piazzale Michelangelo. From the Rose Garden you have a beautiful view of the city and the old city walls.

One of the statues of Belgian artist Folon
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The Japanese garden and Folon
The Rose Garden was restored last year and enriched by 12 permanent pieces of art (mostly statues) from the Belgian artist Folon  There is also a small part of the garden dedicated to a Japanese garden (The Shorai garden), donated together with the Zen Temple "Kodai-Ji" to Florence in 1998 by the Japanese city of Kyoto.

A part of the Japanese Garden donated by the city of Kyoto
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An oasis of calm also for children
In this oasis of calm and nature you can enjoy walking along the paths of the garden or rest on one of the wooden benches. You can also just lay down on the grass and enjoy the view. The Rose Garden is also suitable for children. You can also visti the garden with a stroller, almost all paths are paved. Keep in mind that the garden is built on terraces so there are some stairs.

In the back another statue of Belgian artist Folon
Photo By: R v/d Wielen for Discover Florence

There are several entrances to the Rose Garden;
1. If you come from San Niccolò ("below" the Piazzale Michelangelo)
you can enter a small gate at the intersection of Via del Monte All Croci and Via di San Salvatore
al Monte (stairs)
2. The main entrance of the garden is halfway down/up the stairs (Via di San Salvatore al
Monte) on the left side of the Piazzale Michelangelo (just before the ice cream parlor).

A statue of Belgian artist Folon with in the back the Villa of the Rose Garden
Photo By: R v/d Wielen for Discover Florence

Opening Hours:
- The garden is open all year round from 8:00am to sunset!
- The best months to visit the garden are May and June, when there are over a 1,000 different roses in bloom (including 350 ancient species).

Photo By: R v/d Wielen for Discover Florence