Florence for Teens: A Guide to Teen-Friendly Activities and Places

Cultural venues, museums, historic buildings, and even places to have fun and meet new people define the rich offerings of entertainment for young people in Florence.

By walking, we can quickly reach interesting areas of the city, where there are associations and organizations offering activities year-round.

For teenagers, Florence is a place brimming with opportunities to enhance their cultural and social skills.

In this guide, we’ll discover the perfect activities for young people and where to enjoy them.

Interactive museums and engaging multimedia tours for young people

Knowledge combined with fun and games allow young people to engage with important topics, inventions, and moments that have changed history.

Let’s take a look at the most interesting interactive museums in Florence for young people:

Leonardo Da Vinci Museum: The museum dedicated to Italy’s greatest scientist and inventor faithfully displays the machines designed by Leonardo. These objects can be used by visitors. Interactivity is also ensured by digital reproductions of the works, mechanical weapons, and multilingual displays. It is located at Via del Castellaccio 1R;
Pinocchio Museum Experience: 1,000 square meters of exhibition space featuring interactive installations dedicated to Italy’s most famous puppet. It is located at Palazzo Gerini, at Via Ricasoli 44;
Cattedrale dell’Immagine: This is a permanent space where you can participate in immersive digital experiences, such as the one inside the “Da Vinci Experience” exhibition, with works animated by immersive projections. It is located inside the deconsecrated Church of Santo Stefano al Ponte, in Piazza di Santo Stefano;
Museum of the Science and Technology Foundation: with a planetarium and scientific collections. The planetarium boasts the Digistar Lite, a digital instrument for full-dome projections and interactive multimedia themed tours. It is located at Via Giuseppe Giusti 29.

Shopping and trendy places for young people

The city boasts numerous boutiques, shops, and stores where young people can find items and clothing specifically for their age.

Let’s discover the teen-friendly shopping spots in Florence:

Via de’ Calzaiuoli: this is the most popular street for young people, with numerous international chain stores, such as Zara, Bershka, Pull&Bear, Foot Locker, and H&M;
Via Roma and Piazza della Repubblica: with many shops selling sporting goods and fashion. Here, we find Nike, JD Sports, and streetwear and sneaker brands;
Via dei Cerretani and Via Nazionale: near the Santa Maria Novella station, it boasts accessory shops, a bookstore, and accessible clothing and gadget stores;
Oltrarno: alternative locations and atmospheres, where we find stores dedicated to vintage and creative crafts;
I Gigli Shopping Center: in Campo Bisenzio, there are over 30 shops dedicated to tech, clothing, streetwear, and food courts;
San Lorenzo Market: where you can find souvenirs, accessories, and leather goods;
Cascine Market: open on Tuesday mornings, where you can find sporting goods, affordable clothing, and streetwear.

Among the trendiest locations, where you can spend time with friends, here are:

Oltrarno: the Santo Spirito and San Frediano areas are the city’s hipster hotspot, with affordable bars and live music. San Frediano has been named by Lonely Planet as one of the coolest neighborhoods in Europe;
Sant’Ambrogio: street food, trendy bars, with a more local nightlife than the city center. Authentic and beloved by university students;
San Lorenzo and Via Faenza: informal, full of hostels. Perfect for meeting people from all over the world.

Sports and outdoor activities for kids in Florence

The parks, the Arno River, municipal facilities, and the many green spaces throughout the city provide young people with plenty of places to have fun and practice sports.

Here are the activities for kids in Florence and where to find them:

Running and Fitness:
- Cascine Park: the largest park in the city is ideal for fitness trails, training, jogging, and workouts;
- Villa Strozzi Park: with many green spaces for running and calisthenics;
- San Salvi Park: a favorite spot for sports groups and runners.

Biking and Skating:
- Arno: along the river, there are numerous bike paths for cycling, scooters, and rollerblades;
- Cascine Park: many avenues for cycling and skateboarding;
- Cascine Skate Park: a hub for BMX riders and skaters.

Team sports:
- Municipal pitches in Cascine Park: for five-a-side football and basketball;
- Basketball courts in the public gardens in Campo di Marte, Bellariva, and San Donato.

Water sports on the Arno:
- Rowing: at the sports clubs along the Arno;
- Dragon Boat and canoeing: organized activities for schools and young people;
- SUP: numerous associations organize guided outings in the summer.

Urban trekking:
- Climb to Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato al Monte: a short but scenic route;
- Fiesole and Settignano Hills: for less demanding hikes;
- Cascine Ring – Arno – Isolotto: for a route that combines running and cycling.

Yoga: at Cascine Park and Piazzale Michelangelo, where groups and associations often organize outdoor sessions.

Climbing: there is a designated area in Cascine Park;

Slacklining: practiced by young people in the parks. One of the landmarks is the Cascine Park.

Bars, ice cream parlors, and food experiences in Florence for teens

With its well-defined culinary soul, the city offers numerous venues capable of satisfying even the evolving and diverse tastes of young people, perfect for teen food experiences in Florence:

Venues:
- Space Club: One of the city’s best-known and largest nightclubs. Spread across two levels, it attracts a young, international, and student crowd. Located at Via Palazzuolo 37;
- Tenax Discoteca Club Firenze: Outside the city center, this nightclub is known for its electronic music and hosting international DJs. Located at Via Pratese 46;

Ice cream parlors:
- Gelateria La Carraia: Famous for its wide selection of flavors and generous portions. Located at Piazza Nazario Sauro 25/r and at Via Benci 24/r;
- Gelateria dei Neri: Offering traditional flavors and new trends, it is located near Palazzo Vecchio, at Via dei Neri 9/11R;

Street Food:
- All’Antico Vinaio: Famous for its stuffed schiacciate, located at Via dei Neri 65r;
- Florence Central Market: Large covered market with stalls offering various traditional dishes, such as pizza and lampredotto. Located in Piazza del Mercato Centrale.