Must-See’s During Your Perfect Day Trip to Pisa

Check these places out if you want the full Pisa experience.

If you’re in Tuscany, a great day trip to take is to the little town of Pisa. While you might think its leaning bell tower is the only attraction worth visiting, there are a few other places you’ll definitely want to check out if you want the full Pisa experience. Below we’ve laid out the groundwork of must-sees and must-do’s in this beautiful Italian city.

The Leaning Tower

Your first obvious stop would be to see, and take pictures with, the leaning tower of Pisa. It’s official use is as the cathedrals bell tower, but today it’s mostly used as a backdrop for ridiculous photo ops. It’s lean is due to weakening of the soil around the site while it was being built, but don’t worry, a support base stabilized it so that it will never actually fall. For great views of Pisa itself, you can climb the towers 284 steps to the top. We advise booking a time slot in advance, as the towers capacity is limited to 40 people at a time.

The Cathedral

Believe it or not, Pisa’s Duomo was Europe’s largest and most stunning cathedral when it was first finished. (That title now belongs to St. Peter’s in Vatican City). It’s striped marble, tiered exterior, 16th century bronze doors, a ceiling decorated with 24 karat gold and huge marble pulpit in the center, demonstrates why Pisa is known for some of the best Romanesque architecture in Italy. Make sure to check out the mummified body of San Ranieri, the patron saint of Pisa, located by the altar.

The Baptistry

If you want to stand in the same spot where Galileo was baptized then you’ve come to the right place. Pisa is the birthplace of Galileo, and he supposedly came up with the laws of the pendulum while inside the baptistry. The Pisa baptistry has a beautiful marble facade that mirrors the cathedrals, as well as a multi-tiered dome roof. The views from the upper gallery, both of the baptistry itself, and the rest of Pisa are not to be missed. While there, every half hour you can listen to the custodian demonstrate the double dome’s remarkable acoustics and echo effects.

Camposanto Monumentale

Camposanto is Italian for cemetery, and if you’re in the mood, you should definitely check out Pisa’s Camposanto Monumentale. It was built upon dirt brought back from Golgotha, which was where Christ was crucified. Here you’ll find buried the most important people of Pisa, mostly the nobility. There are still a few original frescoes visible and it is filled with funerary monuments like sarcophagi, floor tombstones and memorial plaques. Legend has it that bodies buried here will decompose within 24 hours so don’t let its beauty fool you.

Mackenzie Diamond

Business Associate

Mackenzie is a Connecticut native who loves finding the next big adventure. She enjoys cooking, dogs, and relaxing on a beach with a great book. If you want her heart, you find it on top of the Duomo in Florence.