Surely when you think of Pisa the first thing that comes to your mind is its leaning towerright?
The same is true for the millions of tourists who pass through each year.
But you know what?
Most of them are missing out on the best of Pisa.
What if you could escape the crowds and enjoy the real Pisa from another point of view?
Continue reading 😉
Piazza dei Miracoli: baptistery, duomo and leaning tower
Most tourists arriving in Pisa canned in buses from different parts of the country have only one goal in mind: to see or climb the Tower of Pisa.
Thus, almost everyone crowds en masse in the famous Piazza dei Miracoli (Miracle Square) during the central hours of the day.
Do you have all day to see Pisa? Then change your tour and leave your visit to the tower of Pisa for sunset.
Here's how:
How to visit the Tower of Pisa
Paid entry
If you want to climb the tower of Pisa and visit the Baptistery, I recommend you to buy your tickets online at least 15 days in advance (I leave the link to the official website in the useful links at the bottom of the page).
The best time to book will be late afternoon or early morning (although there are a lot of early bird tourists, I warn you) 😉.
Undoubtedly, the afternoon is the ideal choice if you are spending a more relaxed vacation in Pisa and surroundings. If this is your case, take the opportunity to take a look at Voyage Privé's offers of accommodation and premium experiences in Tuscany.
By the way, this paid ticket gives you access to the Duomo (cathedral) at any time, with no restrictions.
Free admission to the Duomo
If you just want to walk through the Field of Miracles (another name for the square) and enter the cathedral, you will have to go to the ticket office located in the Sinopie museum building.
Usually you are given a ticket that allows you access for one or two hours later than the time you pick it up.
This is one of the reasons why Piazza dei Miracoli is always full of people resting on the grass or sitting on the curbs and steps in the area.
Want to know a trick?
When you request your free ticket to the Duomo at the ticket office, ask to be given one as late as possible, at the last available entrance.
This way you can spend the day visiting the rest of Pisa and then return at sunset to enjoy the cathedral and the rest of the area with a little less stress (but never alone).
What's more, the Plaza de los Milagros is a delight to behold when night falls thanks to the spotlights that illuminate its buildings.
A different tour of Pisa
So, what else can you do in Pisa?
1. Get lost in the narrow streets of its medieval center.
The center of Pisa has little to envy to the medieval towns of the rest of Tuscany and other parts of Italy:
- Arched colonnades in Borgo Stretto street, in the style of Bologna.
- Colorful facades with trompe l'oeil and hanging clothes.
- Narrow pedestrian streets with local stores waiting to be discovered.
- Palaces and temples from another century at every crossroads.
- Squares with monumental buildings, irresistible terraces and fresh produce markets.
I have marked the medieval area in yellow on the map at the bottom of this page. So you can't get lost... or can you? 😉
2. Enjoy the gastronomy and the university atmosphere of its squares.
As it is a university city, its squares are full of bars and inexpensive restaurants, always full to overflowing.
Piazza Garibaldi and Piazza Cairoli can be a good starting point to begin with an aperitif and end with dinner in a trattoria, osteria or pizzeria in the old town.
Any recommendations?
Thousands. And as you can imagine, I didn't try them all. But here are two very different experiences:
- Pizzeria il Montino: it is well known (and authentic). Inexpensive and fast service. You'd better book 😉.
- Da Nando Pisa: a trattoria specializing in fish and seafood where you can get the boots with its seafood (medium-high price).
By the way, in Italy there is no bad ice creamand this is also true in Pisa. Check. 😉 😉
3. Stroll among palazzos along the banks of the Arno river.
One of the quietest areas of Pisa is the bank of the Arno river, known as the Lugarno.
On both sides of the river are concentrated the most striking palaces of Pisa (the Palazzo Blu). Palazzo Blu), so it is the perfect place to walk admiring the beauty of the city without crowds or crowds.
And when you get tired of the wide expanse, you can walk down to the south, across the river, along the Corso Italia boulevard, the most commercial area of the city. At the end of the street you will come across the huge Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II and, a little further down, the central train station.
4. Escapes to the neighboring villages of Tuscany
Do you have more days to visit Tuscany?
These are some of the places you should not miss:
- Lucca and its curious oval square.
- The thousand and one corners of Florence.
- Siena and the Vall d'Orcia.
- The unspoiled beaches of the natural park of Maremma.
- A roofless cathedral in Tuscany.
- The Cinque Terre, just a stone's throw from Tuscany.
How to get to Pisa
By train
If you are touring Italy on your own, one of the best ways to get around is to use its train connections:
- It is an economical and sustainable means of transportation.
- You save yourself the trouble of parking.
- There is a station in the main towns and cities.
I leave a link to the official Trenitalia website at the end of this article.
By car
Living in Genoa for 5 years, I had the opportunity to visit Pisa on several occasions, both on my own and to take on tours.
And sometimes it was more convenient to take the car, so in time we discovered a free parking area, although far from the city center: Via Andrea Pisano.
As you can see on the map, it is quite far from the center, but we almost always found parking.
Alternatively, you have many pay parking lots in Pisa. I have marked on the map one that is very close to Piazza dei Miracoli(it was always my plan b).
By airplane
Yes, Pisa has an airport 😉.
And it is connected to the city by an inexpensive city bus that takes only about 15 minutes to travel between the airport and the central train station.
Once you arrive at the station just follow the bus signs. If you can, buy your ticket at the information desk at the airport, it will be cheaper.
By boat
By boat? Yes, unfortunately yes.
And I say unfortunately because one of the sources of crowds of tourists in Pisa is the proximity of the port of Livorno, where almost daily stop several massive cruise ships that send their passengers en masse to Pisa crammed into buses.
I don't like cruises as usual. You can tell, can't you? 😅
Where to stay
During the time I resided in Genoa I always made day visits to Pisa; that is, I never spent the night there.
Therefore, I can't recommend (or de-recommend) any specific accommodation. But I am sure you will find something to your liking among the hotel offers on Booking or shared apartments on Airbnb.
Useful Links
- Official website of the historical complex of Piazza dei Miracoli (tickets).
- Trenitalia.
- Hotels in Pisa.
- Flights to Pisa: Trabber, eDreams, Momondo and Vueling.
- Get 5% off when you purchase travel insurance with IATI.
Are you on the road in Italy? Then you might also be interested:
- A photographic tour of Tuscany.
- Florence in a weekend.
- Exploring the five villages of the Cinque Terre.
- Descubre los encantos de Camogli.
- Things to do in Rome.
- Venice in the off-season.
- A tour of Umbria—have you been there?
- The hot springs of Lake Garda.
- A romantic getaway to Lake Como.
- A Tour of the Amalfi Coast.
Map
And now, what do you think, do you agree with me that Pisa is much more than a leaning tower?
Tell me about it in the comments.