After leaving Naples/Pompeii, stop number 2 on my cruise was Pisa; this town is famous for having a slanted tower or something?
Our cruise pulled into the port of Livorno, and it took approximately half an hour in a taxi to reach Pisa.
Due to the nature of the cruise, we didn’t have a lot of time to explore Pisa beyond the tower itself, especially as the cruise was late disembarking due to rough sea conditions, so we only had 2 hours to really take Pisa in, and we wanted to make the most of it!
The Piazza dei Miracoli, or Cathedral square in Pisa houses more than the tower, which I never knew. I expected Pisa to just be the leaning tower, but there’s a beautiful cathedral and a bapistry all within close proximity.
The swarms of crowds, both from cruises docking in nearby Livorno, and regular tourists make this a busy square, I’d recommend attending as early as possible to beat some of the crowds.
Tickets were $18 to actually climb The Leaning Tower of Pisa, whilst it is free to chill in the square, dotted with Cafés and gelato shops.
The tickets were for time slots, so we explored the Piazza until it was our time to ascend the slanted citadel.
The tower is definitely worth climbing, as it offers remarkable views of Pisa itself, and face it, how many people can say they’ve climbed a leaning tower?
Whilst knowing the tower is structurally sound, you still do ponder if your big breakfast that morning could be the straw to break the camels back.
The local football stadium Arena Garibaldi can be seen from the top, home to Pisa SC, as of 2023 a second division Italian side, as can the urban sprawl of Pisa, which seemingly goes on until the mountains in the distance.
I would have loved a full day in Pisa to explore a little beyond the tower, into some of the run down alleyways beyond the main Piazza to sample some local food, because Pisa seems a charming little City, and I’m not convinced my Snapshot of the main attractions was an adequate introduction to Pisa for me.
