Florence, "Florentia" to its locals, is the birthplace of art and beauty, the origin of a civilization that puts a premium on beauty, grace and class more than anything else. Florence is also known as the "City of Stone," partly because virtually every building, street and doorjam is carved out of the same stone that Michaelangelo worked with hundreds of years ago.

The city that gave birth to the Renaissance, the center of European political, economic and cultural activities for almost 250 years from before the 1300s to the 1500s is now a city undergoing a rapid series of changes in order to keep up with the times. Florence is a city where you can get lost in history just by walking on the cobblestoned Florentine streets. You can eat, drink, climb on top of the Duomo and see the city in a whole new light or spend a lazy afternoon in the Tuscan countryside-all these you can do when staying in Florence. Take a bike ride around the city or for something less strenuous stroll through the Boboli Gardens behind the Piti Palace. Finally, cap your day with a hot cup of French coffee at one of the street side restaurants as you watch the street performers by the Uffizi.