Florence Ranked Europe’s Most Overcrowded Tourist City

A new analysis commissioned by Icelandair has placed Florence at the top of a list of Europe’s “most overrated” destinations, highlighting how the city’s extraordinary popularity brings with it significant challenges for visitors. The findings were reported by the British newspaper The Mirror.

The study compared 30 well-known European destinations using data from TripAdvisor, Numbeo, LightPollutionMap.info and official tourist sources. Each city was scored across five “stress factors”: tourist density, hotel density, noise, light pollution and crime rates.

Florence, with a population of about 362,000 residents, attracts more than 5.2 million visitors annually — the equivalent of 15 tourists per local every year. According to the report, this intense flow of arrivals, combined with a very high concentration of hotels in the city centre, makes the historic heart of Florence one of the most crowded areas in Europe. High levels of noise and light pollution further added to the city’s ranking.

The Mirror described the experience of visiting Florence’s most famous landmarks, such as Michelangelo’s David at the Accademia Gallery and Botticelli’s masterpieces at the Uffizi, as often hindered by crowds, queues and a forest of selfie sticks. The article compared the experience to the difficulty of viewing the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris.

While Florence was recognized as a must-see city at least once in a lifetime, the study also pointed to quieter alternatives in Tuscany. Lucca, about an hour away by train, was highlighted for its Renaissance walls, medieval atmosphere, and more relaxed pace — offering cultural attractions such as the Guinigi Tower, the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, and the birthplace of composer Giacomo Puccini.

The report underscores a broader issue for Florence: balancing its global cultural appeal with the pressures of mass tourism, and coping with the profound transformation the city has undergone in the last two decades.

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