Pisa isn’t all about the Leaning Tower. Look beyond the thousands of selfie-takers and there’s an engaging Italian city to explore.
What is Pisa all about
It’s tricky to think of another city so defined in the international consciousness by a single attraction. And, on a daily basis, thousands of visitors from the bus tours and cruise ships pour into to see the Leaning Tower.
What comes as a surprise is that this selfie stick-wielding circus manages to happily coexist with a genuinely enjoyable city that seems oddly untouristy away from the Tower. It’s not the romantic vision of ultra pretty Tuscany, but Pisa has a thoroughly engaging energy about it, propelled by thousands of university students and a compact walkability. Those who hurtle in for the Tower photo op then hurtle out are missing out on Pisa’s true appeal.
A walk through Pisa’s highlights
It’s about half an hour’s walk from the central train station to the Tower, and there are a few worthwhile sites on the way. One is the giant mural on Via Riccardo Zandonai, which features dozens of cartoonishly-drawn human characters with animal bodies, whether chicken or bat. It was the last work of heavily political US artist Keith Haring.
On the other side of the Arno River is the university’s Botanic Garden on Via Luca Ghini, which dukes it out with the one in Padua for the title of the world’s oldest. Plants from around the world are gathered and dutifully labelled, while tropical greenhouses and bamboo groves provide the eye candy.
The star attractions are all gathered around the Piazza del Duomo, though. The Tower is part of a trio with the Cathedral and the eye-pleasingly circular Baptistry. Both are marble-filled spectaculars inside, while the Camposanto is a cloistered cemetery covered in frescoes and the Museo delle Sinopie has rescued initial sketches of the frescoes that were once there. Various combination tickets are available via opapisa.it.
How to avoid the crowds at the Leaning Tower of Pisa
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is shorter than many expect it to be – rising 55m from the Piazza del Duomo. The lean is unmistakable, though, and it makes climbing the 293 steps of spiral staircase to the viewing galleries a surprisingly woozy, disorientating experience. The views out over the Piazza and city from the top make it worth it though.
Buying tickets in advance is highly advisable. And go for an early slot if you want to get there before the vast herds of coach-trippers arrive.
Pisa tours and experiences
Viator offers a good range of tour options in and around Pisa. These include a food tour, half day Chianti wine tours in the Tuscan hills and walking tours that go beyond the Tower.
You can also buy Leaning Tower and Cathedral entry tickets here, should you want all your bookings in one place.
Where to eat in Pisa
It probably doesn’t need saying, but any shop or restaurant that you can see the Leaning Tower from is likely to be utterly dire. Perhaps the most surprising thing is that you don’t have to walk too much further to get something good.
There are a few good options towards the southern end of Via Santa Maria, including the weirdly narrow Il Peperoncino, which opts for a warm but modern look and paintings of chilli peppers on the walls. Pasta dishes and pizzas are available for around ten euros, but the grilled beef fillet with honey and balsamic vinegar sauce should be enough to tempt you into upgrading.
A well-hidden, trickier find is the Hostaria Le Repubbliche Marinare, which has a homely – almost country vibe – and a seafood slanted menu. Many options are sold by the 100g.
For self-caterers wanting fresh Tuscan food, do as the Pisans do, and head to the daily market in the portico-lined Piazza delle Vettovagli.
Shopping in Pisa
The two main pedestrianised streets that thread through Pisa are the two main shopping hotspots. On the south side of the river, Corso Italia has a good mix of mid-range chains and indie outlets. Fiaschi sells solely hats and La Bottega del Tartufo specialises in truffle oils.
Borgo Stretto, north of the river, has handsome porticos and a good collection of menswear shops and leather goods specialists.
Pisa hotel recommendations
The Hotel Bologna has a bright jauntiness about it, with Renaissance-esque murals over the walls, shuttered windows, and glossy curtains in warm stripes of red, orange and yellow. Service is exceptionally friendly, and they’ve even got a weighing scale at reception so you can check how badly your case has been laden down with souvenirs.
Small, family-run and affordable, the Hotel Novecento has a courtyard-esque garden as its defining highlight. But rooms with barrel-vaulted ceilings painted with musical cherubs and a seemingly all-day help-yourself approach to breakfast snacks are nice bonuses.
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