Can anyone tell me some interesting, not so crowded and "popular" places in Fiorenze, Rome or Venice?

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Mario

In Florence you can go across river Arno in Oltrarno area, this calmer, creative side of the Arno offers an equally wonderful, yet unoccupied escape from all the tourists on the northern side of the river.

kaibebe

Go see public parks and gardens, cemeteries, libraries, and farmers markets where they sell food-you will encounter locals and fewer tourists. Venice however is a play "where there are 5 Italians and the rest are tourists"-so go there for a short while (you can see it all in half a day), and then take a water taxi to see the nearby islands, which are equally beautiful, but less crowded, and you can get the famous murano glass for less.

schnitzelbunk

Good luck. Everything is crowded. We went in early April one year and Rome was the worst as far as many, many other tourists. It's a wonderful country, though, and we went to all of those cities. Each is very different and has it's own sights to see. I would just not worry about the crowds and see as much as you can of each. Go to the bookstore and get a Lonely Planet travel guide on Italy and find out what you would like to see in each place. Their travel guides are a great resource. We've used them in about 7 different countries in Europe and several U.S. cities.

Char Aznable

In Rome "Santa Prassede" with one of most beautiful mosaic in the world. Also San Clemente with 3 basilics 1 up the other.

SFdude

Italy is crowded in general, and the three places you mention are the worse of the lot (with the exception of Catholic pilgrimage sites like Assisi, during holidays).

The only places that are both popular and not so crowded are the ones that strictly control entry like Rome's Borghese Gallery (only a number of people are allowed in at one time, and there's a 2 hour limit).

Sometimes you can visit less crowded secondary or similar sites, and still get (very) close to your actual objective. For example, if the Roman Forum itself is too busy, you can try to sneak into the nearby Palatine Hill and view it from there. Some larger museums have exhibits scattered in smaller venues too.

Otherwise, you have to be strategic about your itinerary. For every day of playing sightseeing sardine, schedule a day of leisure in less touristy areas of town. In Florence, for instance, the left bank of the Arno is always less crowded that the attraction packed right bank. Venice itself is very crowded, but some of the surrounding islands are still sleepy and quiet.

sillygoose08

Oh wow I was seriously about to ask the same question about the same exact places! Haha I'm going on a tour in a couple of weeks and Florence, Venice, and Rome are the 3 major cities we'll be visiting. I don't really have much to say except that I know I'm really excited about seeing the Sistine Chapel, Doge's palace, the Coluseum... ah the list goes on. Sightseeing and photography are going to be phenominal there (not to mention scoping for hotties in between the observance of the magestic Italian culture.... haha)

samanthajanecaroline

I think you'll be out of luck. All the popular places are tourist destinations and will be humming with crowds, especially in the Summer.

grandpa522

There are many, many possible places to visit in each city. In spite of the other tourists, you can have a good time and see many interesting sites. I recommend you purchase the Eyewitness Guides, published by Dorling and Kindersley (DK). They are available for the cities you mention, as well as other cities, and Italy as a whole. They are better than any other guide, in my opinion.

In Venice, you will want to see Piazza San Marco, the Church of San Marco, the Doge's Palace, the Island of Murano and Burano. There are also excellent museums in the vicinity of Piazza San Marco.

In Florence, the "must see" sites are: Duomo, with its Bell Tower by Giotto and Baptistry, Accademia di Belle Arti, home of Michelangelo's 'David', Church of San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapel, home to several Michelangelo works. Also the Bargelo sculpture gallery, Santa Croce, Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi Gallery (second only to the Louvre in Paris), Ponte Vecchio, Pitti Palace, Brancacci Chapel.

In Rome, You will want to visit the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, the Vatrican Museums and Sistine Chapel, as well as St.Peter's Basilica, the largest church in the world. Also, there are many more sites, such as the catacombs, the Church of ST. Peter in Chains, home to Michelangelo's 'Moses', the Church of St.Paul Outside the Walls, Santa Maria Maggiore, St. John Lateran, and many more.

This is a sampling of the major sites in each city. There are an unimaginable number of interesting sites to visit. Rome, for example, has over 500 churches, each contains works of art.

I am a travel agent. My agency is in Ohio. If I can help you in any way, send me an e-mail and I will give you my toll-free number. I do several trips to Italy every year, accommodating individuals, families, and groups.

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