Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. It sits on the banks of the River Arno. Originally founded by the Romans in 9BC, it’s a city steeped in history and is considered a cultural, artistic and architectural gem. It’s also known as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance – home to Michelangelo’s ‘David’ and Raphael’s Madonna’s. Both Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo lived in Florence, this place is so dense in art and history. To see everything this city has to offer will take more than a few days. It has beautiful churches, museums, great shopping and being in Tuscany, fine wine. The historic city centre is listed as a World Heritage Site. Contained within medieval walls, you can wander the medieval streets where every step yields a story.

Florence has been popular with gay and lesbian visitors throughout its history. It’s the norm here to see same sex couples walking hand in hand, but go easy with the kissing in public places. There is no gay district as such, but alot of the gay venues are near the Santa Croce, which is possibly becoming the modern and trendy gay district. There are a few gay venues, but the gay nightlife scene is tame compared to some of its European neighbours. There are many gay-friendly places. There’s not as much for the lesbian visitor, as most of the venues are aimed at gay men. Most of the bars and clubs we’ve listed are gay venues, but we’ve also listed 2 of Florence’s most popular places for a night on the town. There are so many gay-friendly hotels here, you’ll not be stuck for choice. We’ve listed 6 of the best with a choice depending on your budget. There are no gay restaurants, but we’ve listed a few which are gay-friendly and the rest are listed because the food is good!