Pisa
People arrive in Pisa and the first thing they do is tilt their heads, as if gravity changed its mind. The famous tower leans but so do the tourists, all trying to hold it up for photos, a rite of passage nobody warned me about. Walking through the streets, there is a certain rhythm—bikes whizz by, shopkeepers shout in dialect that even Google Translate waves a white flag at. You might stumble upon a little bakery hiding behind a busy square, where the owner claims his biscotti can fix jetlag, but not heartbreak. The Arno river slices through the city, and sometimes a fisherman tells you stories about the one that got away, and you wonder if he means a fish or a memory. Pasta here tastes different, maybe it’s the water, or maybe it’s the view. Time moves sideways in Pisa, just like the tower.
Local weather in Italy
SPRING
mild & temperate
SUMMER
warm & sunny
AUTUMN
mild & temperate
WINTER
cool
Accommodations in Pisa
Discover the best accommodations for Pisa and start planning your holiday.
Best things to do and best hotel in Pisa: travel destination popular for more than just the tower
Most people land in Pisa with a single goal: snap that iconic photo and run off to Florence. But staying longer, you notice things that do not make the postcards. There is a square where students eat gelato at midnight, debating philosophy or football, depending on the weather. Every second Thursday, a man with a beard longer than my patience sets up a chessboard in the market, challenging anyone for a game, and sometimes he loses on purpose, or so he says. I once spent an afternoon in a museum where the guide fell asleep mid-sentence; it must have been the heat, or my questions about the Medici.
For those hunting for the best hotel in Pisa, pick a spot near the river, unless you prefer waking up to the sound of pigeons discussing breakfast on your windowsill. Some places offer a rooftop view, but the real secret is the breakfast—if the croissants are warm, you have hit the jackpot, or maybe just good timing. And here’s a tip: never try to out-pizza an Italian, you will lose every time, but you will enjoy losing. Pisa, as a travel destination popular things to do or visit, sneak up on you, like a cat that wants attention but pretends it doesn’t. Oh, and always check your train times twice—my train left early, and nobody seemed surprised except me and my sandwich.
Other cities around Italy
These popular destinations have a lot to offer for you next holiday or city break.
