Pisa was one of those places I almost skipped. Like most people, I thought it was just the Leaning Tower and a quick photo op. I’m so glad I gave it more time, because Pisa turned out to be one of the most charming and underrated cities I visited in all of Tuscany 🇮🇹🏗️.

I took a day trip from Florence, hopping on a regional train from Firenze Santa Maria Novella to Pisa Centrale. The ride took just under an hour and cost less than ten euros, winding through the gorgeous Tuscan countryside with rolling vineyards and hilltop villages flashing past the window 🚂. From Pisa Centrale, it’s about a 25-minute walk to the Piazza dei Miracoli, or you can grab a bus right outside the station.

Getting There & First Impressions

Nothing quite prepares you for the Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles) in person. The entire complex — the Tower, the Cathedral, the Baptistery, and the Camposanto — sits on this impossibly green lawn that makes the white marble buildings look like they’re glowing. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, and walking in for the first time honestly felt like stepping into a postcard 📸.

The Leaning Tower itself is, of course, the main event. Construction started in 1173 and the lean began almost immediately because of the soft ground on one side. It took nearly 200 years to complete because construction kept stopping due to wars and the engineers trying to correct the tilt. Today it leans at about 3.97 degrees, and climbing the 294 steps to the top is a genuinely disorienting experience — you can feel the lean in your legs as you spiral upward, and the views from the top over Pisa’s rooftops are incredible 😵‍💫.

Top Highlights & Must-See Spots

But here’s what most tourists miss: the Cathedral (Duomo di Pisa) right next to the Tower is arguably even more impressive. Built starting in 1063, it’s a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture with a stunning interior featuring a gilded ceiling, intricate mosaics, and a pulpit by Giovanni Pisano that’s considered one of the greatest works of medieval sculpture. Entry to the Cathedral is free, and yet most visitors walk right past it to take their holding-up-the-tower photo 🤦.

The Baptistery is the largest in all of Italy, and inside, the acoustics are legendary. Every 30 minutes or so, a guard demonstrates the echo by singing a few notes that reverberate around the dome for what feels like forever. It gave me chills. The Camposanto, a monumental cemetery with ancient Roman sarcophagi and haunting medieval frescoes, was equally moving — and almost completely empty of other visitors 🎵.

After the Piazza, I wandered into Pisa’s actual city center, and this is where the real magic happened. The Borgo Stretto is a beautiful covered arcade street filled with local shops, cafes, and gelaterias. I had a perfect espresso at a tiny bar where the barista didn’t speak a word of English and we communicated entirely through smiles and hand gestures ☕. The Lungarno, the walkway along the Arno River, is stunning — colorful buildings reflect in the water, and at sunset, it honestly rivals Florence for beauty.

More Things to See & Do

I also stumbled upon the Keith Haring mural on the side of the Church of Sant’Antonio, one of the last public works the artist created before his death in 1990. It’s this massive, joyful explosion of color depicting peace and harmony, and finding it completely by accident in a quiet Pisan square was one of those perfect travel moments ✨.

For lunch, I had cecina — a traditional Pisan chickpea flatbread that’s crispy on the outside and creamy inside. Paired with a slice of focaccia and a cold Moretti beer, it was one of the simplest and most delicious meals of my entire Italy trip 🍕.

Final Thoughts

Pisa taught me an important travel lesson: never judge a destination by its most famous attraction. The Tower is wonderful, but the city behind it — the quiet streets, the river, the art, the food — that’s where the real Pisa lives ❤️.

Planning a trip to Pisa? 👉 Check out my full Pisa travel page for all the details and tips!