A lush, magical B&B in the middle of Florence

Tuscany series #1 - The Secret Garden Firenze

I found The Secret Garden B&B while looking at Google maps back in January when we decided to go to Tuscany for my wife’s 40th birthday in May. The name is what caught my eye. I had already set the intention to find us something that was not your run-of-the-mill hotel in the middle of the tourist area of Florence. I really wanted something intimate and unique. Something with character and magic.

So, I looked up The Secret Garden’s website and literally felt immediately that this was it. This was exactly what I was looking for, but had not even imagined. I quickly typed in the dates we wanted and waited impatiently to see if there was availability.

Yesssssss!

Of the 5 rooms, there was one available and it was the one with its own terrace. I booked immediately and knew that this was going to be the perfect home for our 5 days in Tuscany.

Fast forward to May 17. We arrived in Florence on the train (after landing in Pisa and spending a day there seeing the sights) and made our way to a local bus that dropped us off practically right outside the B&B. I rang the bell and a young, beautiful Italian woman opened old, heavy wooden door and ushered us down a short, dark hall hall and into the B&B.

Inside, it smelled of incense and coffee. And we walked into the dreamiest kitchen I have ever seen. High ceilings, a large, wooden farm table, double doors open to the garden, vintage furniture, romantic and funky decorations, flowers, plants, baked goods. I could feel the good energy, the hospitality, the sense of community. It was everything I imagined an old Italian kitchen would be.

Lucrezia got us signed in, we picked out our food for the next day on the custom-made breakfast list, and then we walked down the hall, out another door and into the magical garden. It was breathtaking.

How is this the middle of Florence?

We walked through the garden and up some stairs into our room - Vine Leaves. According to The Secret Garden, they chose to name the rooms and “to recreate design places that remind us of nature, and give life to a perfect place where to rest after a long day out.” A literal oasis in the middle of Florence, both in the rooms and in the garden. Our room, Vine Leaves, represents the vine that “was planted by Noah to give new life to earth with its fruits and propitiate the birth of humanity. Vine represents hope surfing life through the toughest of tirals, rebirth after devastation. The color of this room is, in fact, the color of vine during autumn.”

As I mentioned before, our room happens to also have a terrace. A place we used multiple times during our stay. Breakfast in the sun. A glass of wine under the moon. It was pure magic, sitting there, surrounded by other Italians just living their life around us and looking down on the garden oasis below us.

Now it’s time for a few more peeks into the magical garden. Where we ate breakfast for my love’s 40th birthday, discovered the two turtles who have lived there for 30 years, and talked kitty talk with the two sweet cats of the B&B.

In order to get around The Secret Garden, you have to pass through a hallway. Usually a hallway is just a hallway, but this hallway in The Secret Garden is the most romantic, natural, lovely hallway I do believe I have ever seen. The bookshelves are filled with old books, vintage trinkets, plants, decorations, games, art, everything with a meaning and a purpose and some kind of deeper connection. It was such an inspiring space that has gotten me thinking about how I can create the same energy is some little space in my little loft apartment.

And, finally, what would The Secret Garden be without the dear owners, Lucrezia, Filippo, and Francesco? Every single second of our stay felt as if we had been welcomed into their home as a part of their family. We were so well taken care of - I even texted Lucrezia late one evening desperate for toilet tissue after searching around everywhere I could think of, only to have Lucrezia leave us two rolls outside our door at midnight after she returned home from a night away. Hehe.

The breakfasts were incredible, the service top-notch, the cappuccino *chef’s kiss*, and the personal tips of the best/favorite places to eat and visit were unmatched. And I cannot even express how grateful I am for Lucrezia and Filippo arranging a little birthday cake celebration for Lina at breakfast on the day she turned 40!

It was truly sad when the moment had come to say farewell. We just had to share some hugs and even invited Lucrezia to contact us, if and when she is in Stockholm. And, of course, it goes without saying that we will be staying at The Secret Garden again on our next visit. It is our home, our garden oasis, in Florence.

So, friends, if you are traveling to Florence and want a unique, personal, magical, eclectic, relaxing, and perfect place to stay, then book your stay at The Secret Garden. I promise you will not be disappointed.

xoxo. liz.

*This is not an ad or collaboration. We booked and paid for our entire stay. And Lucrezia, Filippo, and Francesco have no idea I am writing this. I just wanted to share my truest, deepest love and appreciation for this most amazing place.

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