I went to Pisa many times for various reasons. But the most unforgettable experience was the first time when I did a day trip to Pisa to see the Leaning tower and other attractions in Pisa city with a group of friends by train.
Before going to Pisa
When I was a child, I heard about the Leaning Tower of Pisa. After I went to school, I learned about the famous experiment of two iron balls falling from the Leaning Tower of Pisa at the same time, which was conducted by the renowned physicist Galileo Galilei. That’s basically everything that I knew about Pisa.
When I first arrived in Italy, I didn’t really visit any places, let alone go to Pisa. I just attended in a party and played with a group of friends from different countries until 04:00 am. As a result, everyone had a great time and decided to travel together immediately. The group went back to rest for an hour, then set off to Pisa at 05:00am.
Going to Pisa by train
I never imagined that Pisa would be the first stop on my trip to Italy like this, especially when I set off without any psychological preparation at all. Our group went straight to the train station. After buying the train tickets, we boarded the train and waited to get off at the Pisa Station.
But when we arrived at the Empoli station, one of the friends said: “Get off everyone, we need to change trains here.” “What? change trains? Impossible?” Everyone shouted in disbelief. After all, the friend who told us get off was the last one on the train, barely caught our train. We felt the information he provided was very unreliable, plus the ticket didn’t indicate any transfers at all.
The funny thing was that one of the friends was carrying a luggage to Pisa to take the plane, so he refused to get off the train. Because if there was no need to change trains and the information was wrong, he would definitely not be able to catch the plane.
The friend who told us to get off the train said that he had been to Pisa before, and that if we didn’t change the train, we wouldn’t be able to get to Pisa at all, and the one who had to catch a plane would definitely miss the plane.
After repeated persuasion, everyone was still skeptical and reluctantly got off the train. The friend who asked us to change trains checked the electronic information board and tried to understand the train in which platform that we need change.
Finally, we went to another platform, and everyone boarded the train reluctantly. The group began to sigh, thinking that if we take the wrong train, it would be ridiculous.
Arrive in Pisa
When we arrived at the Pisa station, everyone realized that what he said was right. If we hadn’t changed trains, there would have been no Pisa at all. The friend who was about to take the plane was surprised to find himself taking a train to another city’s airport without knowing anything and almost missing the plane.
It was from this experience that I realized that taking a train in Italy is not that simple, but once understanding How To Travel By Train In Italy, traveling by train in Italy becomes very convenient.
Therefore, the friend who let us get off the train immediately gained trust from all of us and became the “tour guide”. Wherever he said that we needed to go, the group followed the suggestions.
At this moment, the friend who was going to take the plane suddenly said that he wanted to buy a local brand of pasta. So, he entered a shop near the train station and started searching frantically. When he couldn’t find it, he changed to another shop, and then went to yet another shop.
We were all surprised: “Your plane will take off soon, you don’t have time to search for pasta, why don’t you go to the airport directly?” He insisted on finding that brand of pasta. A bunch of us accompanied him to search for pasta, and we all said, “It seems that he’s going to miss the plane.”
Finally, he found the brand of pasta he wanted in a store, and then happily went to the airport. and we all joked to him, “If you miss your flight, come back and visit Pisa with us.”
Leaning Tower of Pisa
From the train station to the center of Pisa, the first stop is, of course, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. After we arrived at Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles), when I saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa, I felt like I was in a dream. In my memory, the tower was immaculate white. When I looked at the photos later, I found that the Leaning Tower of Pisa was not as white as I remembered.
The construction of the Leaning Tower of Pisa began in 1173. The tower was designed originally designed to be erect but the tower started to lean during the construction. Many efforts and methods were used to correct the leaning, but the result was not as expected. The tower was completed in 1372 but the leaning was not corrected.
The interesting thing is that the leaning of the tower creates an unimaginably unique beauty and people around the world come to admire this special tower.
What surprised me most in Pisa was that the tourists under the Leaning Tower were in various poses to push the Leaning Tower down, or to lift the Leaning Tower, and stood still, waiting for others to take pictures of themselves. If you don’t know that there is a leaning tower here, these people look like a gathering of aspiring acrobats from a distance. The various still poses of the tourists give the place a hilariously unique atmosphere.
Of course, we couldn’t resist the atmosphere, and began to pose for pictures in various positions. One of us was always unsatisfied with her photos, so she stayed like a sculpture for a long time and took many shots.
The Square of Miracles
A difficult decision of what to visit at the Square of Miracles
Then the situation became complicated because the group began to discuss whether to climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa. When a group of people wants to decide on something, the decision can sometimes become very difficult. Some people want to climb the tower, some people don’t want to climb the tower, and they both want to persuade each other.
When it came to an emotional moment, friends who hold different opinions even decided to not to travel together anymore, instead, to separate into two groups and follow different itineraries. Because those who don’t want to climb the tower don’t want to waste time waiting.
However, in the end, everyone still put unity first, saying that we must act together no matter what. The final unified decision is not to climb the tower, but to first explore further the square of miracles.
Explore the six monuments of the Square of Miracles
The six monuments of the Square of Miracles
There are a total of six tourist attractions in the Square of Miracles divided in four monuments and two museums: the leaning Tower, the Cathedral, the Baptistery, Camposanto, Sinopie Museum and the Opera del Duomo Museum.
We have mentioned before that the Leaning Tower is the simbol of the city.
The Duomo di Pisa is a Catholic cathedral, which was built from 1063 to 1092. The cathedral has amazing frescoes, mosaics, marble work, and a pulpit inside.
The Baptistery of Pisa was built from 1152 to 1363 and it also leans a bit. The special design of the Baptistery of Pisa creates echo if anyone makes any sound inside. You can experience it by clapping your hands inside.
The Camposanto is a cemetery, which was built from 1278 to 1464. The impressive parts of the Camposanto are the fascinating arches, columns, incredible details of Gothic style and many beautiful frescoes.
The Sinopie Museum is an art museum and also shows how artworks were created for the frescoes. The museum provides deep insight of creative process and it is very rewardable for who study art or are interested in art.
The Opera del Duomo Museum has a massive collection of sculptures and artworks from well-known artists, Treasury of Cathedral, and art and artifacts related to the Baptistery and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
How to buy tickets for the 6 monuments of the Square of Miracles?
You can buy the tickets for all the six sightseeing spots on the website of the Opera della Primaziale Pisana. If you want to visit everything, the cost is 27 euros. If you want to visit everything (5 sightseeing spots) except the tower, the cost is 10 euros.
The Cathedral is a religious area dedicated to prayer, so you don’t need to pay to enter. Thus, the Cathedral ticket is just a free pass to monitor how many tourists enter there.
Camposanto is free of charge the 1st and 2nd November.
Therefore, travelers can buy a ticket to visit one of the other 5 tourist attractions + the free pass to the Cathedral. The ticket to enter the Leaning Tower + the Cathedral costs 20 euros. The ticket to enter one of other 4 sightseeing spots (Baptistery, Camposato, Sinopie Museum and Opera del Duomo Museum) + the Cathedral costs 7 euros.
The sightseeing spots are open every day of the year:
- Summer 2023 (until 8th October), open from 09:00 am to 08:00 pm.
- Autumn 2023 (9th October – 1st November) open from 09:00 am to 07:00 pm.
- Winter 2023 (after 2nd November) open from 09:00 am to 06:00 pm.
Just remember that the Cathedral open at 10:00 am and close together with the other attractions.
In any case, you need to check in advance, because some days the sightseeing spots may change the schedule due to religious activities or restorations. To access the leaning Tower, you need to book an exact time. For all the other sightseeing spots, the ticket is valid for one year from the chosen date.
Other attractions in Pisa
Then we continue to go to other attractions：
The Mural “Tuttomondo” by Keith Haring: one of the last murals painted by one of the most famous artists of the 80s, before he died of HIV. The wall (painted in 1989) reprises the figures that made Haring world famous and can still be seen in gadgets and shirts.
Corso Italia: the main shopping street in Pisa, where you can find clothing shops like Zara and Benetton as well as a bookstore like Feltrinelli.
Logge dei Banchi: a nice covered square in front of the Pisa town hall.
Ponte di Mezzo: the main Pisa bridge with the Pisa coat of arms painted in the middle. Here Pisan people play the Gioco del Ponte (Game of the bridge) where the north and the south part of the city challenge each other every year.
Borgo stretto: the main street in the historical center, where the shops are surrounded by portici (porches).
Piazza dei Cavalieri the biggest and most famous square except Square of Miracles. It hosts Scuola Normale Superiore, which is the top University in Italy that can admits only a few students per year.
Chiesa della Spina, the most beautiful church in Pisa. The church is very small and decorats the street along the Arno River thanks to its peculiar Gothic style.
Palazzo Blu: a historical building with a blue façade that hosts temporary exhibition.
Is 2 hours in Pisa enough?
We traveled slowly because we had the full day to spend in Pisa. As there are not too many attractions in the city of Pisa, many tourists will only stay in Pisa for two hours and then leave. Generally, if you want to visit more, half a day is enough. Since we planned to stay all day, we saw a lot in Pisa and traveled in a very relaxing way. we also wandered around the city in a group, such as walking along the Arno River.
Although later I went to Pisa many times, I really think that it is not a bad idea for tourists to spend two hours visiting Pisa.
Anything special to eat and drink in Pisa?
Local food
For a fast lunch in Pisa you can eat the main local food, which is the “Focaccia con Cecina”. It is a tiny bread with the Cecina (also called torta di Ceci), which is a salty cake made with chickpea flour, water, salt and olive oil inside. This a famous food between Liguria and Tuscany. In Toscana there are three main shops where to eat it:
Pizzeria il Montino, Vicolo del Monte, 1, Pisa. It is located in a tiny street between Borgo Stretto and Piazza dei Cavalieri.
Torteria da Gagarin, Via del Cardinale, 24, in front of the central market of Livorno.
Pizzeria Lapo, Corso Giacomo Matteotti, 64, in the main street of Cecina.
Just be aware that this food is called “Focaccia con Cecina” in Pisa and “Cinque e Cinque” (five and five) in Livorno and Cecina. So, be careful to call this food with the right name in the right place. Because the rivalry between Pisa and Livorno is one of the most famous in Italy. If you had call it wrong, though you might think that you went out peacefully, in fact, you will already be punched black and blue on your face in the seller’s mind.
Dessert
For a dessert, you can enjoy an ice cream in “La bottega del gelato”, which is in piazza Garibaldi, just in front of Ponte di Mezzo, before to enter Borgo Stretto. Here you can enjoy one of the soft ice cream flavors, which are “Meringa” (Meringue) and “Mousse al cioccolato”. Just be aware that you cannot combine those two tastes because they are so soft that they cannot provide enough support to hold each other.
Drink
If you stay until the evening or you want to spend the night in Pisa, you can enjoy drinking a beer in Orzo Bruno, a pub in via delle Case Dipinte 6, nearby Borgo Stretto. The pub provides a selection of interesting artisanal beers produced in a brewery near Pisa since 2003. The most common beer for university students is called Montemagno and it is a strong ale with 7.3% alcohol and a honey flavor.
Eat Pizza in Pisa
It is also convenient to choose sliced pizza in Pisa, which saves time, effort, and is more economical, especially if you don’t want to stay long in Pisa. After all, pizza is a special food in Italy, it’s interesting to try pizza in different cities.
Anything else interesting about Pisa?
There is a Pisa University in the city of Pisa, and many people from nearby towns have come here to study at the university. There is a medical school in the University of Pisa, so some medical students will find opportunities to work in the hospitals in Pisa after graduation. The mutual potential support between the university medical school and the hospital often facilitates the locals. Many people from all over Italy come to the Pisa hospital for treatment.
There is a Pisa International Airport in Pisa. Because the Ryanair plane tickets are economical and often discounted, many people come to this airport to take planes. Unlike many airports that are far away from the city, Pisa Airport has a very good location, only 1.5km away from Pisa Central Railway Station, which saves the time to go to the airport.
In the end, our group spent a lot of time chatting, and everyone spent the day happily. When we went back, we all reached a consensus that the most important thing is that everyone gets along happily together, which brings us more happiness than sightseeing. So after finally taking the train back, the group reached an agreement to go to Florence next time.
Author: Hua
