Teen in Florence recs

[Citygirlrurallife]

DD13 and I are going to Florence in April and I need some amazing off the beaten path ideas to keep her happy and interested. She loves art (though not “old” art she says 🙄) I reckon I’ll manage to drag her to the Uffizi and then she won’t want to do any more. I’m booking an afternoon activity of either an art class or perfume making. And then I’m stumped because she’s one of those teenagers who doesn’t really want to actually do very much. I asked her what she’d like to do and her response is eat gelato. She’s excited about going but not forthcoming with ideas so if anyone has any PLEASE send them my way, I’m worried about us both being bored for 3 days…..

Gelato making class (there are lots out there, but you'll get to make your own flavour)

I would get on the train and go to Luca or Siena.

Def will have it as an option. Only thing is we’re travelling by train from London (with an overnight stop in Turin) and getting the train to Bologna on our last day as we’re flying out from there so she might object to more trains!

Walking tours with plenty of gelato stops? Lots of well reviewed tours on trip advisor

Lucca is a good shout though - station is not too far from the centre (one of the downfalls of Siena in my opinion), and you can hire bikes and cycle round the city walls.

If she likes street art try visiting Clet's Gallery. For handbags and other handmade stuff visit Mercato Nuovo - don't forget to rub the boar's nose if you do!

She loves street art so that’s a GREAT shout, thankyou

Climb the Duomo

I'd be tempted to swerve the Uffizi (if you've been there before!) and go to some smaller places for historical art- less likely to give her museum-itis hopefully?
For example- Convent of San Marco for Fra Angelico's frescos. They're astonishingly modern looking, floating hands and eyes, and it's interesting to imagine monks each having a painting in their cell, in a life before technology, to contemplate.

I went to Florence as a teen but not since - good point though about smaller places, she hated the D’Orsay when we went last year because it was so big and crowded