Rebuilt in 1345 after a flood, the Ponte Vecchio has survived everything: the 1966 deluge and even August 1944, when it was the only Florentine bridge the retreating Germans did not blow up. Since 1593, when Ferdinand I evicted the butchers, its shops have belonged to the goldsmiths: gold and silver suspended over the Arno for more than four centuries.
What to see
The workshops with their wooden rear-jetties overhanging the river; Benvenuto Cellini's bust at the centre; and overhead the Vasari Corridor, the secret passage Vasari built in five months in 1565 so the Medici could walk from Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti without touching the street. The central openings frame the Arno in both directions.
Visiting
The bridge is a public street, always open and free — and therefore perpetually full: at midday you cross at crowd pace. The goldsmiths' windows alone justify the stop, from high jewellery to historic workshop craft.
Getting there
In the heart of Florence, between the Uffizi and Palazzo Pitti: every centre itinerary crosses it. Fifteen minutes on foot from the station along Via Tornabuoni or the riverfronts.
Our editors' tip
The best Ponte Vecchio cannot be seen from the Ponte Vecchio: go at sunset to the Santa Trinita bridge — the golden profile with its hanging houses is there. Return at dawn to have it empty: at seven, wooden shutters still closed, it looks like a stage set waiting for the play.