Exploring Florence on foot

Florence is a lovely medieval city best explored on foot. A small paperback titled Florencewalks, by Anne Holler (Holt, Rinehart & Winston; New York; $9.95) , describes four special walking tours of the city's most historic and enchanting neighborhoods - leading the walker down quiet alleys pervaded by the aroma of spices and pasta, around corners that hide marble gods and goddesses, and out onto sun-washed piazzas flanked by churches and open-air markets. The titles of the tours are Dante's Florence, the Streets of the Renaissance Princes; Markets, Bazaars, and Antiques; and the Artisans' Quarter.

Each walk is designed to be easily completed in a morning or afternoon, and includes plenty of recommended spots along the way to sit and read, rest, snack, or browse. The book has detailed maps and many black and white photographs, along with general visitor information and advice, as well as a list of particularly good trattorias and shops in Florence.

''Florencewalks'' is invaluable as a way to get to know the city quickly but intimately. Other books in this series include Pariswalks, Londonwalks, Jerusalemwalks, and the forthcoming Romewalks.