"Few cities of this size offer such a robust array of art, architecture, and history. In 1571, Tuscany’s Grand Duke Cosimo instructed his architects to transform the then sleepy fishing port on the banks of the Arno River into a thriving destination for international trade. To this day, it’s a roaring port that shifts 30 million tonnes of cargo and attracts more than 7,000 ships each year. The entire city center is a Unesco World Heritage site, and around each bend you’ll find a feast of medieval chapels, crenellated towers, and fresco-filled churches." - Bridget Arsenault