Christmas holidays are considered the most enchanting of the year, both for adults and especially for the little ones. Florence too becomes magical: as in all other Italian cities: it is filled with Christmas lights and sumptuous nativity scenes.
The cradle of the Renaissance becomes the ideal destination for celebrating Christmas Eve and the last day of the year. The illuminated city becomes an immense outdoor party, with numerous occasions to celebrate in the squares and await the arrival of the new year. All this a stone’s throw from our luxury hotels located in the most evocative corners of the historic center of Florence, between the Christmas lights and the markets.
Alternatively, you can choose from the various luxury restaurants with typical Tuscan menus. If you are thinking of spending your Christmas holidays and celebrating Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve in Florence, Lungarno Collection welcomes you with all its warmth in the most magical time of the year. According to your needs and requirements, you can choose between the different hotels that differ in their personality.
If you love privacy, you can stay in one of Portrait Firenze’s magnificent luxury suites, immersed in an intimate and reserved environment, where hospitality is an art. The Lungarno Hotel, on the other hand, is characterized by its timeless elegance enhanced by the art collection of about 450 works while from the Continentale Hotel, a design hotel in Florence that incorporates the medieval tower of the Consorti into its structure, you can admire the Christmas city .
In Florence, in early December, you begin to breathe the magical air of Christmas, the shop windows are filled with Christmas decorations and light installations throughout the historic center.
As per tradition, on 8 December in Piazza del Duomo in Florence, the lights of the Christmas tree are turned on. A magical event and the most awaited even by the greatest. Also in Piazza del Duomo, you can admire the Nativity scene, located in front of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and made with life-size terracotta statuettes.
You will find the shops open in the historic center, even on Christmas Eve, especially for last-minute gifts. Shoppers can also wait for the sale to begin, scheduled after the holidays.
For the last of the year, Florence hosts different musical events in the squares of the city, to celebrate the stroke of midnight with you.
If you prefer to spend New Year’s Eve in absolute privacy, Lungarno Collection offers you the “New Year’s Escape” package, which includes a two-night stay in one of our hotels, breakfast included, free admission to the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum and New Year’s.
You will also find the same warmth and hospitality of the Hotels on the table. If you are looking for refinement and intimacy for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve lunch in Florence, you can rely on our luxury restaurants.
For those who love to enjoy sensational and traditional dishes during Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve dinner, you can rely on the starred chef Claudio Mengoni. The festive menu at the Borgo San Jacopo restaurant, 1 Michelin star, overlooks the banks of the Arno and is able to offer you an experience of haute cuisine with a memorable view of the Ponte Vecchio.
The Christmas and New Year menus of the Picteau Bistrot & Bar are also designed by the starred chef Mengoni who offers tasty Mediterranean cuisine. The outdoor tables enjoy a wonderful view of the Arno, as if you were in a boat. Inside, however, you can admire a collection of 20th century works of art by the best known artists such as Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau, Sironi, Rosai and Marino Marini.
While, for lovers of traditional and fusion dishes, we offer menus for Christmas Eve, Christmas lunch and the New Year’s Eve menu at the Caffè dell’Oro. The restaurant in Florence is located in a privileged position and an enviable view of the Ponte Vecchio. The style inside is from the 1950s with vintage and contemporary furnishings.
In addition to the refined and tasty New Year’s Eve dinner, you cannot miss the champagne toast at the stroke of midnight at the Hotel Continentale’s La Terrazza Rooftop Bar, with magnificent views of the city.