Situated in Tuscany, one of Italy’s most popular regions, is the city of Pisa. Straddled across the River Arno before it empties into the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Tuscan city of Pisa was once one of Italy’s most important maritime republics – a place of wealth, culture and power. Nowadays however, it is best known for its iconic leaning tower, where back in 1589 the scientist Galileo supposedly demonstrated the theory of gravity.
Whether you are looking for science, history, food or culture, or perhaps intent just on ticking off another sight on your bucket list, Pisa is well worth a stop. Making a 48 hour layover in the city gave us more than enough time to explore and enjoy what its terracotta-coloured streets and alleyways had to offer. We also had time to fit in a cheeky (half) day trip to nearby Lucca, a true Tuscan gem! So, without further ado, here is how I spent my 48 hours in Pisa.
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Arriving in the city after a lovely few days exploring the Swiss side of Lago Maggiore, we made for our hotel which was about a 10 minute walk from the station. We opted to stay in the Hotel Minerva on the station side of the river. The hotel was clean, pleasant and convenient for getting both into town, with all the sights, and to the station. We settled into our room, brewed an obligatory cup of tea and had a quick nap (What? It had been an early start!), before setting off to explore the town.
We followed the route that had been suggested to us by the hotel’s receptionist, walking from the hotel up to the river and then along the Lungarno Galilei as far as the Ponte di Mezzo. We crossed the bridge and slowly made our way up what appeared to be the main shopping street in the direction of the Piazza del Cavalieri.
Literally meaning ‘The Knights’ Square’ the piazza is the second main square in Pisa and was once the political centre in the medieval city. At some point after the mid 16th century, the square was transformed into the headquarters of the Order of the Knights of St Stephen (a Tuscan dynastic military order) – a bit of a mouthful! Today, the piazza is the city’s epicentre for education and is the location of the Scuola Normale di Pisa, part of the university.
From the grand piazza, we walked the short distance to the Piazza del Duomo where the sights of both the Cathedral and Leaning Tower awaited us.
Unsurprisingly, the piazza was still heaving with tourists despite it being early evening and there being a distinct nip in the air, but like many others, I couldn’t resist posing for the obligatory photo.
After our cultural walking tour, the chill of evening began to feel more pronounced so we turned around and set off back to the hotel. The return trip took us in the direction of the Porta a Lucca through a few of the less-trodden thoroughfares and then on to the church of Santa Caterina. We continued down along narrow streets past the Piazza S.Paolo all’Orto and out once again to the river, where we turned to the left in the direction of the Ponte alla Fortezza.
The following day, we were up early and I for one was eager to tuck into the Italian breakfast feast. After gorging ourselves on all sorts of goodies (the Nutella and cream filled croissants were my fav) we made our way out, towards the station where our day’s adventure was to begin.
Our morning and first half of the afternoon were spent wandering around the pretty town of Lucca, about a 40 minute train ride out of Pisa. I know I keep recommending places but I would certainly add Lucca to your Italian to-visit list as it not only provided a breath of fresh air from the hustle and bustle of city life, but was full of character with plenty of winding streets to explore (and get lost in!).
Back in Pisa mid-afternoon and after another short nap (I’m getting old, ok!) we decided to set out once again to explore a little more of the town. The weather had improved as the day had progressed and we were blessed with higher temperatures and blue skies. This time we went via the Ponte alla Fortezza bridge, the church of San Francesco, the Piazza Mastro d. Liberta and the Porta a Lucca, before finally ending up back in the Piazza dei Miracoli.
As before, the areas surrounding the tower and the cathedral were just full of tourists, all milling around, having their photos snapped and seemingly waiting for their buses to whisk them back to their respective hotels, hostels and houses.
After twenty minutes or so we decided to leave the crowds behind and stroll down the Via Santa Maria as far as the river. We were all beginning to feel a little weary so we decided to call it a day.
Our return trip took us along the Lungarno Pacinotti as far as the Ponte di Mezzo where we crossed over to the other side of the Arno. From there we took the Via San Martino and soon arrived back at the hotel where we escaped to the little courtyard for a refreshing drink and a peaceful evening.
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Pisa had been well worth a stop and whilst not as immaculately kept as its Tuscan neighbour (aka Florence) the shabby-chicness of the city was somehow endearing and added to its authenticity and the overall experience.
Have you ever visited Pisa? What was your impression? Or perhaps it’s on your bucketlist? Do let me know in the comments below!
