Florence has long been perceived as one of Italy's most enchanting cities. And it's easy to see why, with some of the most famous art in the world (by Michelangelo, Botticelli, et al) on display, a beautifully romantic setting, shopping aplenty and superb Tuscan food. What's more, if you feel like exploring further, you can be deep in lovely Chianti countryside in less than half an hour.

The following hotels, owned by the fashionable Ferragamo family, are reviewed in-depth within our special feature on Florence Ferragamo hotels.

HOTEL LUNGARNO
Borgo San Jacopo 14 (39 055 27264000; www.lungarnohotels.com). Hotel Lungarno was the first Ferragamo-owned property to open in 1995. ££

THE LUNGARNO SUITES
(39 055 27264000; www.lungarnohotels.com). Across the street from Hotel Lungarno, this opened in January 2002. ££

GALLERY HOTEL ART
Vicolo dell'Oro 5 (39 055 27264000; www.lungarnohotels.com). The 'designer hotel' in the portfolio, Gallery Hotel Art opened in 1999. ££

THE CONTINENTALE
Vicolo dell'Oro 6r (39 055 27264000; www.lungarnohotels.com). The most recent addition to the Ferragamo hotel stable. ££

ANTICA DIMORA FIRENZE
72 Via San Gallo (00 39 55 462 7296; www.anticadimorafirenze.it). This gorgeous six-bedroomed guest house offes great value for money and is only a ten minute walk from the Duomo. Bedrooms are individually decorated with different colour schemes, antique furniture and oriental rugs on tiled floors. One even has a private terrace where you can sit in the summer months and enjoy the views over the rooftops of Florence. The comfortable sitting/breakfast room is well-stocked with books and you can choose a DVD to watch in your room. A lovely, discreet place to stay. £

BERCHIELLI
Lungarno Acciaioli 14/Piazza del Limbo 6 (00 39 055264061; www.berchielli.it). This 76-room hotel, occupying what were three 14th-century palazzi, enjoys a fabulous position on the river Arno and many of its rooms have a waterfront view and are spacious and comfortable. ££

GRAND HOTEL
Piazza Ognissanti 1 (00 39)(055) 27161; fax: 217 400; www.starwoodhotels.com). Facing a Renaissance square overlooking Florence's river Arno, The Grand Hotel, Florence is housed in an 18th-century palace. Many of the 107 bedrooms look over the Arno and are decorated in early Florentine style with frescoes and traditional paintwork, marble inlay and rich fabrics. Tuscan restaurant InCanto has its own entrance on Piazza Ognissanti, there is also an outside terrace, perfect for alfresco summer dining. £££

GRAND HOTEL VILLA CORA
Viale Machiavelli 18 (00 39 055 27 18 40; fax: 055 271 84 199; www.villacora.it). This impressive villa, set in spacious gardens, dates from the mid 19th-century. It is now a luxury hotel with 48 rooms, but its relatively small size means that it is able to maintain the feel of a grand country house. Public rooms are lavish, with ornate plasterwork, lashings of gold and rich fabrics. The bedrooms vary enormously, from the cleaner, classical lines of the second and third floors to the formal grandeur of the first. All have plasma screen TVs and Wi-Fi connection. £££

HELVETIA & BRISTOL
Via dei Pescioni 2, 50123 (00 39 055 26651; fax: 288 353; helvetiabristol.warwickhotels.com). Despite the Helvetia & Bristol's undeniable exclusivity, it manages to avoid stuffiness. Built as a hotel in the 19th-century and completely renovated in 1987, illustrious past guests include Stravinsky and Bertrand Russell and the building preserves a strong sense of its long and distinguished history. The loungey H&B Hostaria Bibendum Bar and Restaurant serves aperitifs, lunch and dinner. Bedrooms are sumptuous, furnished with inlaid armoires and antique tables, Chinese porcelain lamps and art. Bathrooms are kitted out in Carrara marble and have whirlpool baths. £££

HERMITAGE
Vicolo Marzio 1 (00 39 055 287 216; fax: 212 208; www.hermitagehotel.com/eng_new/about.htm). Book well in advance for this delightful 29-room hotel. It enjoys a superb location, by the Ponte Vecchio. The sunny public areas are on the top floors, while the comfortable and intimate bedrooms occupy the lower three floors, and feature pastel-striped wallcoverings, antique armoires, and bright-white tile baths. ££

HOTEL SAVOY
Piazza della Repubblica 7 (00 39 055 27351; www.hotelsavoy.it). This Rocco Forte hotel, designed by Olga Polizzi, has 88 rooms and 14 suites in an elegant, classic-contemporary style. Centrally-located on the Piazza Repubblica, the hotel is a short walk from the Uffizi Gallery and the Ponte Vecchio. Already a hit with a chic young Florentine crowd, its L'Incontro restaurant offers al fresco dining in summer and simple, sophisticated Tuscan food. The bar is open until 1am. There is also a fitness centre and highly-efficient concierge who will magically find sold-out tickets for the Uffizi and Accademia. ££££

JK PLACE
Piazza Santa Maria Novella 7, Florence, Italy (00 39 055 264 5181; fax: 265 8387; www.jkplace.com). This 20-room townhouse hotel, designed by architect Michele Bonan, has been much patronised by the fashion crowd. JK Place has the discreet atmosphere of a luxurious private house, with a real fire burning in the cosy sitting room, cashmere throws draped over armchairs and a sideboard laden with home-made cakes for the guests. The decor is traditional-meets-modern with creams and greys contrasting with dramatic black. The rooms are furnished with fine antiques, lacquered oriental pieces and an eclectic collection of artworks. The bedrooms, ranging from cosy little dens to the spacious Master Room overlooking the piazza, are built around an internal courtyard hung with Moroccan lamps. There is also a roof terrace for summer evenings. JK Place was featured in The Hot List 2004. £££

LOGGIATO DEI SERVITI
3 Piazza Santissima Annunziata (00 39 55 289 592; www.loggiatodeiservitihotel.it). The Loggiato dei Serviti overlooks one of the city's most beautiful piazzas. The 16th-century building, originally a convent, has been elegantly restored, with many of its original features still intact, and now has the feel of an upmarket luxurious hotel with history. The 38 bedrooms are individually decorated with antique furniture. For a real treat, book one of the four suites. Service is discreet and efficient, and the hotel sees many repeat guests. ££

RELAIS SANTA CROCE
87 Via Ghibellina (0039 055 234 2230; www.relaisantacroce.com). Housed in a grand 18th-century palazzo, this hotel is contemporary and luxurious in style. The elegant and vast Music Room has frescoed ceilings and an original wooden floor. Rooms have a more modern feel, with light colours and fun design details. Make sure you book a table at Enoteca Pinchiorri, one of Italy's most famous restaurants, housed on the ground floor, (see Where to eat). ££

THE WESTIN EXCELSIOR
Piazza Ognissanti 3 (00 39 055 27151; www.starwoodhotels.com). Neighbouring the famous Ponte Vecchio, Uffizi Gallery and Pitti Palace, this hotel offers luxury accommodation without being stuffy. The staff are charming and helpful. The 163 bedrooms are sumptuously decorated with fine antiques and marble bathrooms. ORVM Restaurant serves Italian food. The concierge will organize trips into the surrounding countryside, to Pisa, Siena and the Chianti area. £££

TORRE DI BELLOSGUARDO
Via Roti Michelozzi 2 (00 39 055 2298145; fax: 229 008; www.torrebellosguardo.com). This exceptional hotel at Bellosguardo is housed in a honey-coloured Renaissance villa. Now carefully restored, it has a historic feel while being comfortable. Each bedroom is different and each has its own charm. The real appeal lies in the setting, soak it up by wandering through the ornamental gardens or just lazing by the pool. ££

UNA HOTEL VITTORIA
Via Pisana 59 (00 39 055 22771; fax: 055 22772; www.unahotels.it). The opening of Una Hotel Vittoria follows that of the Ferragamo hotels in the city. Una Hotels & Resorts is a relatively new Italian group which specialises in urban, four-star properties. The entrance lobby is dominated by a walk-through spiral sculpture that appears, from a distance, to be lined with a heavy Arts and Crafts brocade. Bedroom are playful with bed cubicles lined with leather and lit by a grid of fibre-optic stars. Most of the bathrooms have large picture windows giving on to the bedroom's narrow entrance corridor. For more space, ask for rooms 107 or 207. Most rooms are small with no views, but it can't be beaten for style on a budget. £

ALLA VECCHIA BETTOLA
Vila e Ariosto 32-33r (00 39-055 22 41 58; www.florence.ala.it/bettola). This is popular with locals and foodies. You sit on stools and benches at marble tables, and just pay for what you drink. The menu changes daily but regular features include tagliolini con funghi porcini and superb carpaccio.

ANGIOLINO
Via Santo Spirito 36r (00 39 055.2398976). A bustling, barrel-vaulted taverna which serves a range of traditional Tuscan dishes at reasonable prices.

BORGO ANTICO
Piazza Santo Spirito 6r (00 39 055 210437). Situated opposite Santo Spirito church, this restaurant is consistently busy. In summer, you can sit outside.

CAPOCACCIA
Lungarno Corsini 12/R Florence (00 39 055 210 751). Near the Arno river, this elegant café is popular with a fashionable Florentine crowd, and boasts a small outdoor area for the summer months. On the menu are light offerings: sandwiches, salads, cheese and salamis. Come for the great cocktails prepared by the barman, and the weekend brunch. In the evenings, a DJ entertains the crowd.

CARABÉ
Via Ricasoli 60 Florence (00 39 055 289 476). The best ice-cream in Florence is from this gelateria near the Duomo. Try the almond, pistachio, or hazelnut flavours, all made with nuts from Sicily. In summer, you can buy fresh fruit granita. Closed Monday.

CIBREO
Via A. Del Verrocchio (00 39 055 234 11 00; 39 055 244 966 www.cibreo.com/cibreo.html). Cibreo is one of Florence's best restaurants, serving food, and particularly good fresh fish, cooked with real flair. Menus change daily, and include a lengthy selection of appetizers, first courses (soups and polenta) and main dishes (fish, meat). Desserts are delectable: chocolate cake, cheesecake, and Bavarian cream feature. For half the price, eat at he less formal Cibreo Trattoria, right next door, which serves a limited version of the same menu at communal dining tables, what's more, you don't have to book.

DA STEFANO
Via Senese 271, Galluzzo (00 39 55 204 9105). This is an excellent fish restaurant; try the spaghetti alla Stefano, a platter of perfectly cooked spaghetti with buttery, chilli-spiked lobster, langoustines and prawns.

ENOTECA PINCHIORRI
Via Ghibellina 87 (00 39 055 242 757; www.enotecapinchiorri.com). Housed in a grand Renaissance palazzo near Santa Croce (see Where to stay), this is one of the city's most exceptional restaurants and boasts two Michelin stars. It is suitably formal, and diners are expected to dress accordingly. Dishes include monkfish risotto, sautéed rabbit, and dark chocolate and banana tart. Worth splashing out on.

GIUBBE ROSSE
Piazza della Repubblica 13r (00 39 055 212280; www.giubberosse.it/home.asp).This café has partly panelled dark wood walls and paintings donated by artists. It also hosts exhibitions. A good breakfast spot.

MERCATO CENTRALE
Via del Ariento Florence. Florence's central food market, housed in a 19th-century glass and iron building, is a must for foodies. On the ground floor you will find deli, meat and chicken stalls, while upstairs are magnificent offerings of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Stock up on olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried porcini mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes. Plus, cheeses, hams and salamis. Open Mon to Sat, 7am.to 2pm, and Saturdays only in winter.

OLIO & CONVIVIUM
Via Santo Spirito 4 Florence (00 39 055 265 8198; www.conviviumfirenze.it). This gastronomic emporium in the Oltrano serves imaginative Tuscan cooking in the back room and stocks an impressive selection of packaged foods, wine, cheese and salami up front to take away. Closed all day Sunday and Monday eve.

OSTERIA SANTO SPIRITO
Piazza Santo Spirito 16r (00 39 055 238 2383). Being an osteria, you don't have to eat a full meal, and there is plenty of choice between snacks and more substantial dishes. There is also often fresh fish on offer and great pasta.

STENIO DEL PANTA
Via Sant' Antonino 49r (00 39 055 216 889). This deli, close to the central market, is famous for its preserved fish. They also sell hams, salamis, cheeses, olives and artichokes. If you are hungry, order a panini to take away.

DELIS AND PASTICCERIAS

ROBIGLIO
Via de' Servi 112r (00 39 055 212784; www.robiglio.it/index_ing.asp). Pietro Robiglio opened his first pastry shop in Florence in 1928 on Via de' Servi, after visiting the visited the city and falling in love with it. The original, an old-fashioned pasticceria, has a delightful tea room, and serves superb pastries and wonderful Italian ice-cream. Try their cioccolato caldo, thick hot chocolate.

VESTRI
11 Borgo Albizi (00 39 055 234 0374; www.cioccolateriavestri.it). Just north of Piazza Santa Croce, Vestri sells an unusual selection of handmade chocolates. Highlights include chocolates flavored with Earl Grey tea, nutmeg, chili and pepper, as well as more conventional choices. Drink delicious hot chocolate in winter, and sinfully creamy ice cream (think fresh strawberries and white chocolate) in summer.

DUOMO
The cathedral, inlaid with pink, white and green marble, soars above the surrounding buildings in the Piazza del Duomo. In the 13th-century, it was decided that the old cathedral of Santa Reparata was no longer fit to represent the city's power, wealth and excellence. A competition was held to find an architect and the prize went to Arnolfo di Cambio, a sculptor and architect who had trained in Pisa. The cathedral was consecrated just over a century later, in 1436.

PONTE VECCHIO
There has been a bridge spanning this point of the Arno since Roman times. The current structure was built in 1345 to replace a 12th-century bridge swept away by flood in 1333. Originally favoured by butchers and tanners, it is now favoured by gold and gem merchants and is a tourist hotspot.

PALAZZO STROZZI
Piazza Strozzi (00 39 055 288 342). Mercantile Florence was at its zenith in the 1400s and in the course of the century over 100 palaces were built. The largest and most magnificent is the Palazzo Strozzi. The palace now houses a number of learned institutions and stages prestigious exhibitions.

PALAZZO PITTI
Piazza Pitti, via Romana. Palazzo Pitti was built in 1457 for Luca Pitti, a rival of the Medici family, probably to a design by Brunelleschi. Proving too grandiose for the Pitti, they were forced to sell out to the Medicis. The Museums of the Palazzo Pitti house magnificent works by Tintoretto, Botticelli and numerous works by Raphael in its Galleria del Palatina.

BOBOLI GARDENS
Piazza Pitti, Via Romana (00 39 055 218 741). The entrance is via the main palace entrance. The Boboli, the only park in central Florence, was laid out by a number of artists for Eleonora di Toledo and Cosimo I. Be sure to wander along the Viottolone, a long avenue lined with cypresses and in summer to have a snack and a coffee at the rococo Kaffeehaus built in 1776, while gazing out over the city.

SANTO SPIRITO
Piazza Santo Spirito. This is one of Brunelleschi's most remarkable buildings, although you cannot gauge this from its nondescript 18th-century façade. Inside however, you enter a world of perfect proportions, a church surrounded by a continuous colonnade of dove grey pietra serena columns.

UFFIZI GALLERY
Piazzale degli Uffizi 6 (00 39 055 23 885). Open Tues-Sat from 8.30am to 6.50pm; 8.30am to 1.50pm Sun. If you're a fan of Renaissance art, be prepared to step into heaven. The name means offices, which is precisely what Vasari designed the building to be used for in 1550. The two most famous paintings are Botticelli's Birth of Venus (1485) and Primavera (1478). You will also find works by Michelangelo, Titian and Raphael.

APROSIO E CO
11 Via Santo Spirito (00 39 055 265 4077; www.aprosio.it). Housed in a chic shop on the ground floor of a Renaissance palazzo in the Oltrarno, this popular shop sells hand-made jewellery and accessories, made up of thousands of tiny glass beads, intricately crafted into necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, belts, and evening bags.

ARMANI
48 via Tornabuoni (00 39 055 219 041). Just across the road from Prada, Armani's gorgeous shop, designed by Claudio Silvestrin, opened earlier this year, with sand-coloured stone walls and ebony furniture.

ASSUNTA ANICHINI
59r Via di Parione (00 39 055 284 977; www.anichini.net). Opened in 1912, Assunta Anichini is the oldest children's clothing store in Florence. It sells beautifully-made clothes for newborns to ten or twelve year olds, from christening robes and bridesmaid dresses to sailor suits and pretty party dresses. Buy something made in-house under Anichini's own label; although expensive, it's worth it as all its embroidery and smocking is done painstakingly by hand.

EMILIO PUCCI
20-22 via Tornabuoni (00 39 055 265 8082). The dazzling white-and-silver interior of Pucci's new boutique sets the stage for the fabulously psychedelic fabrics.

FERRAGAMO
2 via Tornabuoni (00 39 055 33601). You can't visit Florence without visiting the fashion house's flagship store, housed in Palazzo Spini Feroni, which has also been home to the Ferragamo Museum since 1995.

IL BISONTE
Via del Parione, 31/33 (00 39 055 215 722; www.ilbisonte.net). Bisonte's famous leather bags originate in Florence, in 1970 the first shop was established at Via del Parione. Workmanship is of the highest quality, the leather is unbelievably soft and long-lasting. Buy suitcases, handbags, briefcases and accessories.

IL TORCHIO
17 Via dei Bardi Florence (00 39 055 234 2862). Il Torchio sells beautiful hand-made, decorative paper, in the form of boxes, albums, stationery and other items. A great place to hunt for imaginative gifts.

LUISA VIA ROMA
1921r Via Roma (00 39 055 217 826; www.luisaviaroma.com). One of Florence's most cutting-edge boutiques, renowned for its highly original, fun window displays. Inside, the multi-level shop has an extensive choice of designer fashions for men and women, including Issey Miyake, Roberto Cavalli, D&G, Stella McCartney, John Galliano, Balenciaga, Jil Sander, Yohji Yamamoto, and Helmut Lang. It also sells shoes, jewellery and accessories.

MADOVA
1r Via de' Guicciardini (00 39 055 239 6526; www.madova.com).This tiny shop near the southern end of the Ponte Vecchio is one of the best places for stocking up on exquisitely made leather gloves, all made on site, in every colour and fabric imaginable, from simple styles to cashmere-lined classics and mens driving gloves.

PRADA
51 via Tornabuoni (00 39 055 267 471). This is Prada's second shop on via Tornabuoni. The remodelled 19th-century interior is entirely devoted to the women's collection.

RASPINI
2529r Via Roma (00 39 055 213 077; www.raspini.com). There are several branches of this one-stop shop which has its own label, and sells both men's and women's fashions and an array of designer shoes by Romeo Gigli, Armani, Prada, Miu Miu, Anna Molinari, Dolce & Gabbana, and many more. This shop is the biggest.

ROBERTO CAVALLI
83 via Tornabuoni (00 39 055 239 6226). Cavalli's first solo shop in Florence opened this spring on the site of Caffe Giacosa, a city landmark where the Negroni cocktail was invented. Cavalli relaunched the café two doors away on via della Vigna Nuova.

THE OFFICINA DI SANTA MARIA NOVELLA
Via della Scala 16 (00 39 055 216 276; www.smnovella.it/smn.htm). This has been a pharmacy for 300 years but was once a rococo chapel. You can buy alchemical lotions and potions beneath a pink-and-indigo ceiling decorated with gilded griffins.

AIRPORT
Florence has its own airport, Vespucci, situated about 5km west of central Florence. Visit www.aeroporto.firenze.it

AIRLINES FROM THE UK
Ryanair (0871 246 0000; www.ryanair.com) flies to Pisa airport, 80km west of Florence. Alitalia (0870-000 0123; www.alitalia.co.uk) flies to Florence via Milan. Meridiana (0845 3555588; www.meridiana.it) flies there direct.

Wimco Villas (0870 850 1144; www.wimco.com).

Florence is a small city and relies on buses for public transport. However, it is often easier to walk around on foot. Parking is always a problem, and not all of the city is accessible by car. Licensed taxis are painted white and yellow and have a meter.

Florence is heaving with tourists for the best part of the year, particularly from early spring to summer when the weather makes for pleasant wandering. The surrounding hills means it can be extremely cold in the winter, and blisteringly hot in the summer, with temperatures soaring to 40 degrees plus in late July and August. Spring and autumn are warm and pleasant.

Visit www.firenzeturismo.it