Ruled by the powerful Medicis for centuries, Florence is steeped in history and abounds in magnificent art and architecture. The capital city of Tuscany, it was the birthplace of the Renaissance and the most important city in Europe from the 14th to early 16th centuries.

With a skyline dominated by Giotto’s Campanile, Brunelleschi’s Dome and the Basilica di Santa Croce, you could be forgiven for thinking—at first glance—that you had gone back in time.

And yet in terms of style, commerce and all-round elegance, the city is bang up-to-the-minute. Sharply-dressed locals appear at aperitivo time to pose and flirt; the wide avenues are filled with drivers honking their horns and moped drivers weaving perilously around them. The finest boutiques—Gucci, Ferragamo, Armani, Prada—are packed with fashion-savvy residents.

Florence lies on the Arno River and, as well as its treasure-filled galleries, museums and churches, is known for its picturesque bridges. The most famous of these, the Ponte Vecchio, is lined with jewellery shops that seem to be suspended over the water.

A city of timeless beauty, a Renaissance jewel, a place of effortless style, Florence is surrounded by beautiful Tuscan hills and Chianti winelands. It would take a hard heart not to fall in love with it.