Pisa

I got the opportunity to take a tour from Florence to Pisa while I was studying abroad in Italy. I decided to share some photos and information that I think would be valuable to anyone who is planning a visit. 

The Leaning Tower of Pisa (or Torre Pendente). This tower is so famous that for some people it is the symbol of Italy. Paris has the Eiffel Tower, New York has the Statue of Liberty, London has Big Ben, and Italy has The Leaning Tower. Even from a young age I knew this tower was in Italy because it was in my history books, geometry books, and geography books. The Leaning Tower is so famous in my eyes that seeing it in person was completely surreal. I couldn’t believe THIS tower was right in front of me. I had a similar experience when I saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time, but we can save that story for another blog post.

I didn’t have a pose planned like some people do before visiting the tower so I decided to just lean on it. It might have been better to lean of the other side… If you’re not sure what pose you want to do, you can look up the Leaning Tower location on Instagram and see what other people are doing. I’m sure some people have dedicated entire blog posts on The Best Poses To Do With The Leaning Tower of Pisa as well. A lot of people went for the poking, pushing, or pinching pose (like the person behind me).

Some of you may had a similar experience, and if you did let me know, but I had no idea there were additional beautiful buildings surrounding The Leaning Tower. I imaged it to be in a large field with green grass standing all alone. Maybe it was that special in my eyes that I didn’t think anything deserved to stand next to it. Or maybe my books from school would show it alone on a grass field. It’s silly to think about now. Why would a bell tower be in the middle of fields by itself?

The area where the tower and all the other treasures are situated is called The Campo Dei Miracoli (or Square of Miracle). You will find here the spectacular Duomo, The Baptistery, The Cemetery, and The Museo dell’opera del Duomo.

The Duomo St. Mary is a Romanesque cathedral in a style known as Pisan Romanesque. If you climb the leaning tower, you may be able to see that this cathedral is shaped like a cross. Inside, it features a stunning pulpit carved by Giovanni Pisano.

If you’re finished seeing everything in Campo dei Miracoli and aren’t ready to leave Pisa, head south from The Campo to the Piazza dei Cavalieri where you can wander along Borgo stretto to see the heart of Pisa. The majority of Pisa’s sights are found north of the river.

If you think you would need more than a few hours to look around Pisa, you can easily take a train from almost any city in Italy to the Pisa train station. It’s a 25 minute walk from the central train station (Pisa Centrale) and a 15 minute walk from Pisa San Rossore. Entrance tickets are sold on site but you can also reserve tickets online to skip the long wait. Going inside the tower, cathedral, and baptistry is up to you. If you only came to take a goofy picture with the Leaning Tower, you can easily save your money. But if you’re someone who likes to learn and be guided through famous monuments, I would recommend the all inclusive guided tour.

If you’re planning to go to Pisa from Livorno because you are coming off a cruise, I found three tours that will provide you with transfer to and from the port or city center. Feel free to compare your ships shore excursion price with this one.

From Livorno: Bus Transfer to The Leaning Tower of Pisa

From Livorno cruise port: Bus Transfer to Pisa and Lucca –I only recommend this tour if your ship leaves at 7pm. That gives you about an hour and a half of leeway in case you are delayed. Always compare port times with tour times!

From Livorno: Round Trip Bus Transfer to Florence and Pisa

-Ayla♥

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