Venere Travel Blog - It's our business where you sleep!

I sometimes feel a bit sorry for the children when they’re taken around cities like Florence and dragged to boring places like museums, galleries, churches and shops. They might realise what they’ve missed out on in about twenty years but that’s not what they want to hear there and then. What they want to hear is they’re heading off to somewhere really fun today. So here are a few ideas for days out in between the Duomo and the Academy of Fine Arts. If Brad and Angelina can do it then so can you.

Costoli Pool – Viale Paoli

Swimming is always a smart one to keep the whole family happy for a day. You can rest assure they will sleep that night too if you’ve exhausted them enough jumping around and splashing in the waves. This is a perfect place to spend the entire day. You can dip in and out of the large outdoor pool and get some more serious lengths of swimming in as a parent while the other parent is with the kids in the playful paddling pool nearby, complete with water slides and plenty of noise and splashing. It’s fairly cheap at around 6 Euros for an adult.

Leonardo Da Vinci Museum

This place is an absolute gem for the children. Imagine the most hands on museum in the world and a place where children can learn and have fun in equal measurements while at the same time not boring their parents all day in the process. Don’t leave Florence having missed this place. Da Vinci must have known one day his elaborate wooden mechanism would be turned into museum artefacts because they work so well. The museum boasts a number of cranes, levers, and various other machines and the mums and dads will be just as amazed at their young ones.

Il Museo dei Ragazzi – Piazza della Signoria

This museum is directly aimed at children. Imagine a scene from a chemistry class, mixed with the dressing up box and you’ve got this place in mind. There are rooms where the children can see what a person from the 6^th Century would have walked around dressed in, a room devoted to the magical world of Galileo where the wonderful early telescopes are a window into the past. Then there’s a brilliant younger children’s games room where they can take part in a drama called Lapo and the Duca. It’s open late until 7pm and is only around 14 Euros for a family of four. Well worth a trip.

Zoo di Pistoia

This zoo is in Verginina, located just outside the town of Pistoia and about 45 mins by car north of Florence.  The zoo resides at the foot of a beautiful pine-tree surrounded hill. The landscape is dotted with lakes dotted. Highlights of the zoo include big cats such as tigers and lions. It’s not cheap, (around 12 Euros for adults and 9 Euros for children under 10) but it is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser with the little ones.

Hotel Deals in Florence

Hotel Delle Nazioni, Florence
Located in the very heart of Florence, Hotel Delle Nazioni offers a 30% off for guests who stay 3 nights on a double or twin room and book with venere.com!

Hotel Alamanni, Florence
Hotel Alamanni is situated in the historic centre of Florence and

Check out other special offers for hotels in Florence!

Photo by MizaPhoto.