Many people who find themselves spending a few days in Levanto don't just stop here with us, but take the opportunity to see the beauties of the surroundings and maybe also to make some trips out of town in Tuscany. Pisa is certainly one of the most popular destinations in our region, also due to the fact that it hosts an international airport and has beauties that attract tourists from all over the world.
In this post we assumed that a tourist in Levanto wanted to take a day trip to Pisa and these are the things not to be missed in the beautiful Tuscan city. There is the Leaning Tower, the Lungarni and Corso Italia, but there are also more unknown gems that are worth seeing. Let's go!
Da Levanto a Pisa: come arrivare
Many of the tourists who want to reach Levanto arrive with a flight to the international airport of Pisa, connected to various national, European and international destinations. Levanto is about a hundred kilometres from Pisa, to be covered by public transport, especially by train, or by car. Some, arriving in the morning, take advantage of the first day to visit Pisa and only after a visit to the city do they head towards Liguria.
The section from Levanto to Pisa by train has around 29 trips a day operated by Trenitalia. The train journey from Levanto to Pisa takes about an hour and a half (the fastest train from Levanto to Pisa Centrale without changes takes 1 hour and 16 minutes) and the ticket price starts from €7.90 if you book in advance. Prices vary according to travel class, time and date of departure; the average price is 12€.
What to see in Pisa in a day
Needless to deny it, most of the people who arrive in Pisa have only one goal in mind: to take a picture with the Leaning Tower of Pisa in the background. In fact, the world's most famous leaning tower attracts millions of visitors every year. Assuming you arrive at Pisa airport and want to go directly to Piazza del Duomo, we therefore recommend that you take a bus of the city company which takes you near the tower in less than 20 minutes.
If, on the other hand, you are not in a hurry and want to enjoy the day in Pisa at your leisure, we advise you to visit it on foot as much as possible. In fact, for most of the central streets, Pisa is a pedestrian city on a human scale, where you can stroll among shop windows and churches, murals and historic places. From the airport you can approach Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II with a bus and start walking around the city from there.
The first pedestrian street you come across is Corso Italia, but it is worth immediately making a small detour to the Church of Sant'Antonio a few steps away on the left. On the outside wall of the church, in fact, stands out an enormous mural by Keith Haring called Tuttomondo which deserves a look and a souvenir photo. Returning to Corso Italia, this is the city's main shopping artery and it is here that you will find cafes, clothes shops and bookshops. Before reaching the end of the pedestrian street and then the Arno river, it is worth a small detour to Piazza Gambacorti, also called Piazza della Pera, where you can breathe a student atmosphere.
After a while we meet the Logge dei Banchi (where indoor markets are held) the Comune di Pisa and, in front of you, the Ponte di Mezzo that crosses the Arno. You are about to cross the river, in the so-called tramontana part, but first skirt the Arno on the left and reach Palazzo Blu, site of interesting exhibitions in every season, and the Church della Spina, a small Gothic church set like a jewel on the Lungarno.
Beyond the Ponte di Mezzo is Piazza Garibaldi and from there starts Borgo Stretto, called by the Pisans simply Borgo and characterized by being the good living room of the city, with arcades and 14th- and 15th-century buildings, as well as historic cafes and shops. The extension of Borgo Stretto is called Borgo Largo and from here a street on the left, via Ulisse Dini, will lead you to a beautiful square in Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri with the Scuola Normale, the church of Santo Stefano and the Palazzo della Carovana.
From here we advise you to follow the signs for Via Santa Maria and, finally, for Piazza del Duomo. Get ready for a powerful dose of beauty: here, in fact, in addition to the famous tower, you will be struck by the grandeur of the whole square where the Duomo and the Baptistery also stand out. Of all this architectural complex included among the World Heritage Sites by Unesco, the Tower of Pisa is the bell tower of the Duomo (or cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta) and the beginning of its construction dates back to 1173. Once here you can decide to visit the interior of the Cathedral or climb the Leaning Tower or, again, wander around the square with your eyes upturned.
A day in Pisa is already pretty full like this, but if you still have some energy left, the things to do don't end here: there is a walk on the Walls of Pisa, a visit to the National Museum of San Matteo, the Museum of Ancient Ships and many other things to do before heading to Levanto.
Foto di copertina: Alex Vasey su Unsplash.
