The Oltrarno -- literally beyond the Arno -- is the south-bank district that keeps the most genuine neighbourhood life in central Florence. Historically the artisan quarter, it is still home to goldsmiths, bookbinders, and restorers working amid wine bars and family trattorie, and it offers a noticeable drop in tourist intensity the moment you cross any of the bridges from the centro storico.
Its grandest sight is the Palazzo Pitti, the colossal Medici residence whose galleries and the rising terraces of the Boboli Gardens behind it can fill a whole day. The leafy Piazza Santo Spirito, with Brunelleschi's church and its evening aperitivo scene, is the social heart, while the hill of San Niccolò climbs toward the great panorama at Piazzale Michelangelo. Wander south and let the streets lead you.