After the Firenze Marathon: Oltrarno

The Route: Ponte Vecchio → Palazzo Pitti → Piazza Santo Spirito Logistics: On foot from the Duomo area across the Ponte Vecchio, about 20 minutes. The streets on the south bank are mostly level. Marathon Month: November Duration: Day trip

Duomo ──(walk 20 mins)──> Ponte Vecchio ──(walk 5 mins)──> Palazzo Pitti ──(walk 10 mins)──> Piazza Santo Spirito

The Firenze Marathon crosses the Arno several times. Runners see Ponte Vecchio at around km 19 and Palazzo Pitti just before it, generally at a pace that leaves no room for looking at anything. The day after, the same ground is worth revisiting at walking speed. Oltrarno means "beyond the Arno", and it is the part of Florence where people still repair furniture and cut leather in the front rooms of old houses.

November in Florence: cold, damp and often grey, with daytime temperatures of about 8 to 13 °C and a good chance of rain. The tourist crowds are thin and the light is low and gold when the sun does appear. Pack a waterproof.

The day

Cross the Ponte Vecchio, the medieval bridge lined with jewellers' shops that spans the narrowest point of the river. The paving is cobbled and can be slick in the wet, so take it slowly on stiff legs.

Palazzo Pitti is a fifteenth-century palace that became the Medici family's main residence, and it now holds several museums. Check the opening days, since several Florentine museums close on Mondays, and check current ticket prices. Behind it, the Boboli Gardens climb the hill in terraces. The gardens are steep and it is a poor choice on the day after a marathon. Look at the lower terraces if you must, and skip the summit.

The best walking is in the streets around Piazza Santo Spirito. The square is level and paved, with plane trees, benches and cafes, and the basilica on one side has a plain Brunelleschi-designed interior. Check its hours. Nearby streets hold artisans' workshops, and it is a good place to browse without any particular aim.

For lunch, look for a trattoria in the back streets of the quarter. Ribollita, a thick bread and vegetable soup, is the typical cold-weather dish. Bistecca alla fiorentina, a large T-bone steak, is sold by weight, so ask the price before ordering. Check whether your chosen place is open on a Monday.

The view over the city from Piazzale Michelangelo is reached by a steep path or a bus. On a rainy day it may not be worth the trip.

Getting back

Walk back over any of the bridges to the Duomo. The route is flat, and the Ponte Santa Trinita is a less crowded alternative to Ponte Vecchio.