Thinking of visiting Florence in winter? You’re in luck—we think it’s one of the best times of year to come! (Really!) Here are a few reasons why you’ll like Florence in the off season… as well as some other (maybe not as great) things to keep in mind about the off season in Florence. The off season in Tuscany is from November to Easter, excluding Christmas and New Year’s.

Florence is a small city that gets big tourist crowds. In the off season, this doesn’t go away entirely (it never can!), but it does lessen a lot. You might not have Michelangelo’s David to yourself, for example, but you might be sharing him with only one or two dozen other people—and you probably won’t have to worry about a line to get in.