Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Pisa Tower, otherwise known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, really was a labor of love, taking well over a hundred and fifty years to build. This tower is the campanile of Italy's cathedral, which means that it is a freestanding bell tower. The tower is located in what is known as the Field of Miracles (Campo dei Miracles), which is behind the actual cathedral's main building. The tower's most distinctive feature is that although it was designed to stand vertically, its poorly laid foundation causes it to lean significantly toward the southeast. The lean angle is about 5.5 degrees, meaning that the tower's top is over 4 meters from where it would be if the building were correctly vertical.

When to go to Pisa

From a wheater perspective, the nicest months to visit Pisa is usually during spring and fall months when it is not so hot. However, going to Pisa during the winter season will most likely be less crowded.

Places to stay

Of course, the most strategic place to spend the night before or after your visit would be the city of Pisa itself. However, there are plenty of nearby towns in the countryside around Pisa that could also be good spots to spend the night that are a short drive from the Tower's building complex. Lucca is also a short-distance city that could be a nice option to book a hotel.

How to get there

By train

The historic Pisa Centrale Train Station offers most likely the most interesting place to go by when going to Pisa. It is a main connecting point for three important Italia Rail lines in Tuscany (from Rome, Florence and Genoa). The Pisa Tower is only at a 20-30 minutes walk or some regular buses can also drop you off by the site.

By car

There is a parking lot named Parcheggio di Piazza dei Miracoli that is close to the Square of Miracles complex but it is often hard to find a place there. There are other parking lots that are further away that may require you to walk about 15-20 minutes.

Entrance tickets

The site security normally controls the flow and number of visitors that can access the site. Therefore it may be wise to buy your tickets in advance to make sure you don't lose too much time waiting at the gate.It is free if you simply want to walk around the site and visit the cathedral. Otherwise it costs 18 euros to climb the tower. There are also smaller fees (5-9 euros) to visit other monuments.

Sightseeing from within the tower

If you can get past the novelty of its leaning shape, the tower itself is quite beautiful. If you're so inclined (no pun intended), you can follow the almost 300 steps inside the spiraling building to the belfry. From the top f the tower, you can look over the city of Pisa, and on a clear day, you can see quite far.

The city of Pisa is also worth exploring

While visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa, don't forget to check out the rest of the town as well. The city is home to several other attractions as well, including Knight's Square, the churches of St. Sixtus and St. Francis, The Medici Palace, the Borgo Stretto, and Palazzo Reale (the 'Royal Palace'). This is really a beautiful, old city and well worth a visit on your tour of Italy.