Florence vs Siena: Two Tuscan Gems, One Very Different Vibe

Florence and Siena are 75km apart and centuries different in personality. Florence is the Renaissance — grand, artistic, world-famous. Siena is the Middle Ages — intimate, brick-red, fiercely local. I've spent weeks in both, and the right choice depends entirely on what you want from Tuscany.

Art & Museums

The Uffizi alone (25 EUR, Botticelli, Leonardo, Raphael, Caravaggio) justifies a trip to Tuscany. Add the Accademia (Michelangelo's David, 16 EUR), the Duomo complex (30 EUR for dome climb + baptistery + museum), and the Borghese-rivaling Palazzo Pitti (16 EUR) — Florence has more world-class art per square meter than any city except maybe .