Explore Italy: Livorno

Terrazza Mascagni

Livorno is a city on the coast of Tuscany with a large and impressive checkered seaside promenade. As luring as that may sound, Livorno is at the bottom of my list of favorite places I’ve visited. Now, it’s still Italy and charming, but in a country full of world class beauty and charm, this is one place I won’t be urging you to visit.

More Explore Italy posts:

• San Gimignano

• Siena

• Lucca

• Orvieto

• Gubbio

• Desenzano del Garda

• Cinque Terre

• Pisa

• Naples

• Viareggio

Livorno in a nutshell

Location: Tuscany, Italy

Best known for: Its harbor, seafood, and seaside checkerboard-pattern promenade

Days needed to explore: 1+ - Livorno is small enough that a day trip is ample to explore this city.

What to see and do:

• Terrazza Mascagni - the checkerboard promenade by the sea

• Fortezza Vecchia - the old fortress standing at the edge of the Medici Port

• Fortezza Nuova - the newer red brick fortress built during the Medici period to defend against pirate attacks

• Quartiere Venezia - an area in the middle of the city made in the style of Venice, with canals, bridges, and such.

• Il Mercato delle Vettovaglie - a large covered market with more than 200 booths of fish, fruit, vegetables and more to browse

Established: “Livorna” is first mentioned in 1071, and was inhabited by Etruscans, ruled by the Romans and Medici, and is now the capital city of the Province of Livorno.

Places to eat:

• Da Gagarin di Chiappo Giuliano - for a typical Livornese snack, try the 5e5 “torta di ceci” or sandwich made with chickpeas

• Il Frataio 1920 Antica Friggitoria - head to the friggitoria off of Piazza Cavalotti and follow your nose from there to get some fresh fried donuts

Typical foods to try:

• Il Cacciucco - a very typical fish stew featuring inexpensive local fish varieties, cuttlefish, and octopus, to use up the “un-sellables” from the market.

• Nettare di Capraia - a local amber colored honey

• Torta di Ceci - the flat, savory chickpea cake typical to the region. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, it’s surprisingly satisfying!

Gazebo Terrazza Mascagni

Why I like Livorno

I like Livorno mostly because I don’t love Livorno. I know that makes no sense. Of all the places I’ve been to in Italy, I think Livorno would come the least recommended. And yet, I had such a good time here, and only good memories.

I originally wanted to see Livorno because I thought I had read another expat (Girl in Florence) writing about how well she liked Livorno, a good alternative to the ever busy Cinque Terre. I’m not sure if I mixed Livorno up with another town or I just completely missed her drift, but I found the two with very little in common aside from both being in Italy and both being on the coast.

Let me start by saying that I went on a day trip here. During the off season. On a Sunday. When it was rainy. If you could combine all of the elements to make an Italian city seem closed, those would be it. Tada, I managed to experience Livorno in as close to a closed, vacated, uninhabited state as possible, pre-Covid. So really, if you have been or decide to visit Livorno, it’s almost certain you will at least have a somewhat better impression than I do. You see, off season is nice, but in smaller towns it doesn’t always feel as full or fun. On Sunday, most businesses are closed. Then you add rain on top of that and ciao, nobody’s out and about.

We had a great time walking around, circling and circling trying to find somewhere, anywhere to eat. Laughing because nowhere was open. Trying to find a grocery or small store, anything, open. Laughing because of course they’re all closed on Sunday. Walking around to see what shops might be open. None, because it’s Sunday and it’s raining. Laughing some more. And of course, being Italy, when small shops are closed they often have those metal garage doors they pull down so you can’t even see what’s there normally, just a street of locked metal pull-down doors. Giggling some more at the wet, abandoned streets. Seeing some big building, probably important. Closed, and what a lovely fence around it. Not. Laughing some more. My biggest regret was not being able to visit the Mercato delle Vettovaglie. I had heard it was a great market, not so dissimilar from the Mercato Centrale in Florence that I love so well.

Now, the promenade is truly lovely, but I was also struck by how random it feels. The aquarium is just off to one side, with a gravel area around it, and the promenade just kinda starts. It goes on in all its elegance, then ends. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme to it. It feels like it deserves some beautiful gardens or walkways that lead up to it, not gravel and randomness. Perhaps in the summer when it’s not raining they have events or gatherings there.

Cisternone

Piazza della Repubblica

Terrazza Mascagni looking out towards the Porto di Livorno

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Explore Italy: Viareggio

Last updated November 3, 2024

Viareggio is an active town on the coast of Tuscany synonymous with beaches and Carnevale. This is the place to go for one of the largest Carnevale celebrations in Italy and beyond.

More Explore Italy posts:

• San Gimignano

• Siena

• Lucca

• Orvieto

• Gubbio

• Desenzano del Garda

• Cinque Terre

• Pisa

• Naples

• Livorno

Viareggio in a nutshell

Location: Tuscany

Best known for: Seaside access and beaches, Carnevale

Days needed to explore: 1+ Most people go to Viareggio for the beach or Carnevale, not so much the town. If you do explore the city, a day is plenty, but then again, one beach day might not be enough. In that case Viareggio is always an option to stay and take day trips from.

What to see and do: Viareggio is a very popular destination or seaside “escape” from the cities during the summer. In the late winter Viareggio hosts one of the largest and most lavish Carnevale celebrations in Italy.

Established: Viareggio is first mentioned by name in the 12th century, regarding a wooden tower built along the sea as a means of defense. It sprung up in importance when it became the sole sea port of for the Republic of Lucca in the 16th century. It was during this time that the Lucchesi built the still-present Torre Matilde to help defend against pirates.

Viareggio’s history is speckled with hardships, from originally being very marshy with mosquitos and malaria running rampant, battles and pillages, and the pestilence, to a large part of the city burning down in 1917, to being bombed during World War II. Despite all of this, Viareggio has always rallied and is today well known for its lavish Carnevale festivities as well as its beautiful beaches.

Typical foods to try:

• Tordelli - derivative of tortelli, which are very, very similar to ravioli. Fillings can vary but the sauce is always a meat sauce

• Scarpaccia - a zucchini cake that is so named for resembling an old shoe. There are two varieties, sweet and savory, but it is the sweet or “dolce” version that is purely Viareggina

• Cacciucco alla Viareggina - a very typical fish stew featuring inexpensive local fish varieties, cuttlefish, and octopus

• Pasta alla Trabaccolara - a poor man’s dish using more of those inexpensive fish varieties: Red mullet, scorpion fish, European Hake, and others.

• Spaghetti con le Arselle / Spaghetti con i Nichi - spaghetti with wedge shells (small clams)

Why I like Viareggio

Viareggio reminds me of sunburns and crowded beachs, a little mini adventure/escape from the hot cement city to the salty seaside.

I grew up in Michigan, just a few minutes drive from Lake Michigan where the water is as many shades of blue as the Mediterranean, so I am no stranger to beautiful water and beaches. Ironically, I’ve never been much of a beach person, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like my key beach days each summer. Florence has no beach, and while there are lakes just a short drive away, not having a car meant the quickest way to get to the beach was taking the 45 minute train to Viareggio. This is close enough to make it feel attainable, yet far enough that it usually happens just once or twice a summer, realistically.

Viareggio is mostly private beach, meaning you have to pay to get in. The public sections are mostly a part of the National Park. Most go for the private anyway, and if you want to experience the beach like the Italians, you should try the pay-for-beach at least once. It’s usually somewhere around 30euro per umbrella, which comes with two beach chairs. If you have more than 2-3 people in your party, plan to pay for multiple umbrellas. Rate is for the whole day, however long you plan to stay. Note the picture above, as you may not be all that close to the beach. A boardwalk will take you down to the sea, often with a little faucet where you can rinse sand off before heading back to your umbrella. There are designated areas for changing. It’s still hard for me to pay for a spot on the beach, but Viareggio is a very Italian experience that feels like an adventure.

More than half the beaches in Vaireggio are private, but there are some free public beaches. One such free beach, is Spiaggia alla Lecciona inside the natural reserve. I’ve read there is a path, stroller friendly, through the pine forest to the beach. However, getting there requires a car, so not an option if you take the train from say, Florence. I believe there are some other free beaches, but they’re often overcrowded or not as easy to get to, so even for someone like me who loathes paying for water access,it becomes inevitable to pay to keep a beach day as relaxing as possible.

Overall, while I in no way dislike Viareggio, it is not amongst my favorites. I’ve been a couple times during the summer, and I think it would be interesting to go during Carnevale. Other than that, it’s checked off my list and there are many other places in Italy that I enjoy more than Viareggio and many, many others I would still like to see.

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Explore Italy: Naples

Bella Napoli, the city famous for its pizza, mafia, poverty, trash, and charm! Maybe not all of those words jive together, but I can honestly say that Naples was one of the dirtiest cities I have been to while also being completely charming. If you can get past the chaos and unkept streets, Naples has a lot to offer, not to mention the surrounding area!

More Explore Italy posts:

• San Gimignano

• Siena

• Lucca

• Orvieto

• Gubbio

• Desenzano del Garda

• Cinque Terre

• Pisa

• Viareggio

• Livorno

Naples in a nutshell

Location: Campania, Italy

Best known for: world-class pizza

Days needed to explore: 2-3+ - to explore just Naples, you could get a nice idea in 2-3 days, but because the surrounding area has so much to explore Naples would be an ideal place to stay a week or more and use it as a base. It’s a very affordable city which makes this easier to do!

What to see and do:

Within Naples

• Quartieri Spagnoli (Spanish Quarters) - the famous residential area immediately recognizable by the close-set buildings and narrow streets, filled with locals and small shops

• Duomo - also known as the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, this is another stunning duomo to see inside and out, even if it doesn’t quite have the impressive surroundings that draw attention to it like, say, the Duomo of Florence or Milan

• Piazza del Plebiscito and the Palazzo Reale - The large square and palace that is an icon of Naples (Palazzo Reale paid entrance)

• Napoli Sotterranea (Naples underground) - explore the bowels of the city by guided tour, where you can see Greek and Roman influence and see where many Neapolitans took cover during World War II bombings (paid entrance)

• Museo Cappella Sansevero e Cristo Velato (Sansevero Chapel Museum and the Veiled Christ) - see the Veiled Christ and wonder just how one goes about carving a veil, the church, and some of the other strange sights this chapel holds. Some of the old rumors are a bit unsettling. Read more here

• Spaccanapoli - the heart of the old city with many churches and interesting sights, the street that runs between the Spanish Quarter and the Forcella quarter

• Walk the Petraio - walk up this stone path in the Vomero area, mostly steps, that leads to some spectacular views of Naples and the Bay. If you don’t prefer to walk there is always the funicular!

• Castello dell’Ovo - fortress right on the Bay with two towers

Surrounding Naples

• Reggia di Caserta (Royal Palace of Caserta) - the Versailles of southern Italy (paid entrance)

• Pompeii - ruins of a city wiped out by the explosion of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD

• Herculaneum - another town near to Pompeii that was destroyed but well preserved by the volcano ash in 79 AD

• Mount Vesuvio - The volcano responsible for all the destruction - you can hike around and on it, all the way up to the “Gran Cono”. And yes, it’s still active, but the last eruption was in 1944.

• Sorrento - a coastal town, you might have heard some songs about it

• Positano - another coastal town not far from Sorrento

• Amalfi Coast - the famous coast with viewsssss and winding roads

• Capri - the island of rugged beauty with upscale shopping and hotels

• Ischia - volcanic island with hot springs

• Procida - Naples’ third colorful island sandwiched between Ischia and Capri

Established: founded by the ancient Greeks

Places to eat:

• Pizzeria Vincenzo Costa Napoli

• L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele

• Gino e Toto Sorbillo - pizzeria

• Mennella il Gelato

• Pizzeria Salvo

The best pizza I’ve ever eaten

The fried pizza, usually stuffed with tomato, ricotta, mozzarella, some pork or pork fat, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and basil.

Mozzarella di bufala

Typical foods to try:

• pizza

• pizza fritta (fried pizza)

• mozzarella di bufala - water buffalo mozzarella, the best mozzarella you will probably ever eat

• babà - pastries soaked in alcohol, often rum

• struffoli - little fried sweets topped with honey and sprinkles

• sfogliatelle - pastries with an orange scented ricotta filling. There are two types, regular (shortcrust) and “curly” (flaky and crunchy)

Why I like Naples

It took me awhile to get to Naples. While I’ve long heard about the pizza, the mozzarella di bufala, I’ve also heard that Naples isn’t all that great. It’s a world of its own in Italy, with a dialect that even other Italians can’t understand. People either seem to love it or hate it. Those who love it usually reference the hospitality of the people, the delicious cuisine, and the beauty of the natural surroundings. Those who don’t favor Naples tend to say it’s dirty and unsafe with not much to see.

When we had an opportunity to go to Naples this past April, (read: a “necessary” reason as all of Italy was in a red zone lockdown and you could only leave your house with such), we jumped on it. I mean, worst case scenario it’s an ugly city but we’ll be eating amazing pizza, right? Well, we had a blast. After 4 days I was sad to leave, even though we were traveling with our 6 month old son and Naples’ streets are most definitely not stroller friendly. Word to the wise, if you’re traveling with a young child in Naples (or really anywhere in Italy), baby carriers are your best friends!

There’s nothing like being thrown into the different world that is Naples like stepping out of the train station and immediately witnessing a love triangle showdown by the man who didn’t realize he was in a love triangle. Yelling on the phone, accusing his lady of being with another man. Whatever she may have said to deny it, he continued to stand there on the street corner, yelling into his phone that he can see her walking hand in hand with some other guy, while completely oblivious to the rest of the world still moving around him. Welcome to Naples! Aside from masks, you’d never know Covid was a thing, let alone in a red zone.

We stayed in a lovely Airbnb not too far from the train station. Not the loveliest area, even for Naples, but I didn’t feel it was a dangerous area. The Airbnb was on the first floor (American second floor) with an elevator. Except, the elevator was so small I had to retract the stroller handle to the shortest level, suck in my stomach, and hover over the stroller to get the door closed. My husband (M) took the stairs and met us at the top, only to find the way the door opened onto the landing made it impossible to wheel out. One person had to hold the door and stand back while the other lifted the stroller out and over the steps. Every other time it was much easier for M to just carry the stroller down the steps. While the elevator wasn’t baby friendly, our host had a pack n play all set up for us!

We spent as much time exploring as we could (and eating pizza), putting it under the category of “we’re taking a walk, exercise is necessary” while still being respectful of the rules. I can also tell you by the groups of old men chatting in the piazzas and people everywhere, most certainly not everyone was out with an “essential” reason. Ha. No museums or attractions were open, but we enjoyed our strolls and getting glimpses of the culture and city life. I took hardly any photos, so as not to draw attention to myself as a tourist. Every time I wanted a photo I would pretend I was taking a photo of the baby. “Hey, Elyas! Look at mommy!” :) Not that it probably did much good, all you had to do was watch us try to cross the street to realize we weren’t locals. There was one time I don’t know that we would’ve been able to cross if it wasn’t for the obviously local young woman who barely looked up as she pushed her toddler in a stroller out into the street while texting with one hand. All the cars dutifully stopped, and we dashed along after her.

We had been warned to avoid Spaccanapoli and the Spanish Quarter, as those were the most dangerous parts of town. Mugging and pickpocketing are supposed to be big here. I was even reading this blog from a girl who used to live in Naples who suggested “when you get mugged, keep a 10euro note in your front pocket to throw at them so you can run away safely.” Not if you get mugged…when. Hahaha. Ironically those are places you should definitely see, and we stumbled across both of them. Naples might feel rough around the edges, but as long as you use some common sense and are aware of your belongings, you should be fine. Like any big city. The Spanish Quarter was actually one of my favorite parts, I think we were the only non-residents during our stroll there, and got a unique glance of life there without tourists; the little shops with lines out the door for daily purchases, people reading newspapers on benches, birds singing from their cages on the balconies.

Impressive graffiti, he looked real!

Stairs, so many stairs

Pretending to take a picture of the baby when I really wanted a picture of the trash hahaha

Duomo di Napoli

Spanish Quarter

Vesuvius looming menacingly in the background

We tried to go up towards Castel Sant’Elmo to see some views, but that didn’t go as planned. With the uphill trek, mostly stairs and us having a stroller, we opted for the funicular. We got our tickets and went up the escalator to wait, only to find we had to pass through turnstiles that the stroller most definitely didn’t fit through. Thankfully some spunky teenager saw us struggling and came over to help us haul the baby and stroller over the turnstile. Did I mention we were trying to stay inconspicuous? We looked around, panting, and…oh no. What turnstiles did we go through? Now we’re in this closed off area that we can only get this…train thing from, the area for the funicular is over there, through those other turnstiles…we were amusingly mortified and mutually agreed there was no way we were lifting the stroller back over the turnstiles to go lift it over the other turnstiles…we were stuck taking the mysterious train to a mysterious destination. It was like an above ground subway, but you had to wait for some doors to open to access the platform. We got on, and got off at the first possible stop. We were…way outside the city in some nondescript area. We took one bus back towards the center but next Google maps was telling us to take the metro, and we couldn’t find an elevator down to the metro station. We decided to walk the hour back to the apartment rather than deal with all the stairs and the stroller. The hour turned into two, with Naples not being that easy to navigate apparently. Sometimes there was no sidewalk, drivers are crazy, and Google Maps led us down all the routes with major staircases. The whole thing was ridiculous and had us laughing.

I think one of my favorite moments was trying to cross at a major intersection. Despite the crosswalk light being green, there was a wall of cars and vespas turning left. When there seemed to be a let up, all of us pedestrians started to cross. Another wave of vehicles was coming, and when a man on a Vespa saw us with the baby in the carrier, he stopped and even held out his hand to stop the car that was turning beside him. He looked at the car and pointed at us, like, “Stop! Look, don’t you see there’s a baby crossing??” And that warmed my heart, that even strangers were looking out for my son.

I didn’t hear as much of the dialect as I was expecting, but when I did, it made me really happy. It’s so fun, and even though I speak Italian, I only understood a few words here and there. I didn’t even know that the guy who was making our fried pizza asked me if I wanted some cracked pepper. What?? Pepe. Oh er, yes please! I hadn’t felt like such a tourist in a long time! I can’t wait to go back and make a fool of myself again.

I guess I should say something about the pizza. When you eat pizza in Italy, you know you’ve found something special, as long as you don’t find yourself in a tourist trap restaurant. But then you eat pizza in Napoli, and just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, your mouth explodes. The creamy mozzarella, the fresh tomato sauce that tastes like the tomatoes are still growing on the vine, and the chewy, fluffy, but not overly so, crust that may leave you speechless, having nothing to do with your mouth being full.

Overall, Napoli is a city to be enjoyed without hurry and loved with all of its chaos and rugged beauty.

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Explore Italy: Pisa

Pisa is a rather plain city with the exception of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the surrounding piazza and Duomo. Tourists throng there, so you’d think it would be a top pick on an Italian vacation, yet people I talk to would always say that Pisa is boring. So is it worth going? Yes and no. Pisa may not be the most exciting of Italian cities, but it does have its few magnificent things to see. If it’s your first time in Italy, I wouldn’t recommend Pisa as a top pick, but it’s worth seeing at some point and easy to get to.

More Explore Italy posts:

• San Gimignano

• Siena

• Lucca

• Orvieto

• Gubbio

• Desenzano del Garda

• Cinque Terre

• Naples

• Viareggio

• Livorno

Pisa in a nutshell

Location: Tuscany, Italy

The tower always trying to photo bomb

inside the Duomo

that ceiling though

can you tell by my face how thrilled I am to be taking the “iconic” Leaning Tower photo?

Did you even go to Pisa if you didn’t take a photo like this?

Best known for: The Leaning Tower of Pisa

Days needed to explore: 1+ - while you can easily see all Pisa has to offer in one day (hint, it’s all in one spot), I’m never going to discourage someone from making a smaller city a home base for doing other day trips. That said, if you’re spending one or more nights in Pisa just to discover Pisa better, I would encourage you to consider other cities instead, but that’s definitely your prerogative!

What to see and do:

• La Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles) - within this expansive piazza you will find the top attractions of Pisa: The Leaning Tower, the Duomo, the Baptistry, and the Camposanto Monumentale

• La Torre Pendente di Pisa (Leaning Tower of Pisa) - The famous tower, choose your side to take a picture, either “holding it up” or “pushing it over” (paid entrance to climb)

• Il Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta

• Il Battistero (The Baptistry) - The largest baptistry in Italy (paid entrance)

• Camposanto Monumentale - considered a holy place because here the crusaders brought holy earth from Golgotha (where Jesus was crucified), just outside the city of Jerusalem. There are many of the most illustrious of Pisa buried here.

• Stroll along the Arno River

• Walk down Borgo Stretto and Borgo Largo or “Il Borgo” as the Pisani call it; the main street of the historic Pisa center. Shopping and eating a plenty!

• Enjoy the night life; Pisa is a young university town with plenty of energy in the evening/night hours

Established: Unknown - it could be by the Greeks, could be the Ligurians; Roman and Etruscan traces have been confirmed. Some say it was most probably founded by the Etruscans.

Typical foods to try: Much of the Cucina Pisana is very similar to the rest of Tuscany. Many typical dishes are simple, nutritious, and what we now call “poor” dishes; whatever can be grown or hunted in the area. Here are some ideas:

• Bordatino alla pisana - a type of bean minestrone with black cabbage and maybe a bit of lard or prosciutto; a winter dish

• Pallette - a type of polenta usually served with with a meat ragù; another dish best eaten in the winter months, from September on

• Pappa al pomodoro - a thick tomato basil bread soup, very traditionally Tuscan. While the description might sound strange, this is one of my favorites! In fact, you can make it easily yourself, find the recipe here.

• Pasta e ceci - pasta with chickpeas

• Trippa pisana - a cow’s third stomach (these typical plates are just making you die to come to Pisa, aren’t they??) Don’t be fooled by the ick factor, I’ve tried both trippa and its Florentine cousin, lampredotto, and they’re both surprisingly delicious if you can get over what you’re eating!

• Dishes featuring seafood - a personal favorite is baccalà, or salted cod

• Cantuccini col Vin Santo - Cantuccini cookies (like what Americans call biscotti) served with “holy wine”

Notice the crowds? These pictures were taken in March, not even high season!

Il Duomo

Why I like Pisa

Don’t get the idea from my frank assessment of Pisa that I’m not a fan. On the contrary, I had a blast in Pisa and would gladly go again. Traveling is more about the company you have than the places you see.

Pisa is about an hour train ride from Florence and the ticket costs less than 10euro. It’s one of the easiest day trips you could ask for. Pisa itself isn’t hard to navigate, once you exit the train station the walk to the Piazza dei Miracoli and main sights is about a half hour pretty much straight north. Or “that way” if directions aren’t your thing.

My husband and I went in March and stayed overnight. Our cheap hotel with the stinky bathroom is not one I’d recommend, but it added to the character of our trip. Moral of the story, if you use Booking.com, make sure to read ALL fine print and read lots of reviews, especially the negative ones, before booking. They always appear nicer on the internet. I would’ve just as soon done Pisa in a day trip, but my husband and I had been talking about going for long enough that we decided we might as well make an overnighter of it. Despite it being the low season, there were still plenty of crowds. They were all concentrated at the Leaning Tower, as you can see from some of the photos, the rest of Pisa is quite tranquil during the day, but by night the city comes alive with locals and students out for a dinner or drinks and a good time. My idea of a good time is gelato, so we hunted down a gelateria. It took a surprisingly long time to find one open for being a student and tourist town, every single gelateria was closed. Sure, like I said March is the low season but usually gelato shops close around January/February, not ALL of them in March when Jenny wants a gelato. We did eventually find one open, Gelateria de’ Coltelli, and it was good! I recommend it.

Pisa was also my first experience with Indian food. I know a lot of people who love Indian food, so I suggested we try one of the numerous Indian restaurants we had passed. Really, so many Indian restaurants in Pisa. I’ve since discovered I love Indian food but that was a very bad introduction. Despite asking numerous times, water wasn’t brought to our table until after our meal was served. So thirsty, pant pant. We were charged for two bottles of water, despite only having one. Then there was this weird green mango appetizer that was so incredibly sour and the pits about took my tooth out. Then we were brought two dishes when we had ordered three, and one wasn’t even what we ordered. Indian food in Pisa? Ummmm I’ll wager any of the others would be better?? Haha! The whole experience was very amusing and a very memorable meal. Makes me laugh to this day.

The Piazza dei Miracoli is really very stunning, I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did. Pictures don’t do it justice!

While Pisa is no Paris or Rome, it’s still a fun stop!

The tiny church right on the bank of the river, dwarfed by the apartment buildings. So cute, so funny. So many questions.

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Explore Italy: Cinque Terre

Overlooking Vernazza

One of the most beautiful natural spots in Italy, arguably on Earth, with the crowds to show for it. Cinque Terre is a must-see, made up of 5 little colorful towns perched on the Ligurian Sea with hiking trails connecting each of the villages.

More Explore Italy posts:

• San Gimignano

• Siena

• Lucca

• Orvieto

• Gubbio

• Desenzano del Garda

• Pisa

• Naples

• Viareggio

• Livorno

Cinque Terre in a nutshell:

Location: Liguria, Italy

Best known for: 5 seaside towns with VIEWS of the Mediterranean and hiking trails that connect the towns

Days needed to explore: 1+ - It’s no secret that Cinque Terre is easily seen in a day, the towns are small and there are plenty of trains connecting each of them if you don’t want to hike the trails. You can comfortably see 2-3 of the villages in a day, some might say if you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all. I disagree, as I think they each hold their charm, and would encourage you to spend at least one night in Cinque Terre. This is the only way you will see Cinque Terre without the throngs of people. Even if you take the first train in and the last train out, that’s the plan of every other day-tripper. Given the tiny size of the towns and their immense popularity, it can be difficult to secure lodging. While I would recommend finding a B&B within any of the five towns if possible, Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, or Riomaggiore, another option would be to find a place in La Spezia, which is very near to Cinque Terre and the main hub from which to get to Cinque Terre.

Vernazza

Vernazza

Vernazza gelato

Vernazza

Vernazza

Vernazza

Vernazza

Vernazza

Vernazza

Glimpse of Vernazza on the hike from Monterosso

Vernazza

What to see and do: The five towns and the hikes in between each! Listed below are the five towns, in order from the direction of La Spezia/Porto Venere towards Levanto, and the hiking trails in between. Cinque Terre and surrounding area is a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage site. If you choose to hike, most paths are free, but the two most popular ones require a Cinque Terre Card.

12km / 7.5mile (5hr) hiking trail from Portovenere to the first town, Riomaggiore

• Riomaggiore

  1.5km / 1mile (30min) hiking trail (Via dell’Amore)

• Manarola

  3.5km / 2.25mile (2hr) hiking trail

• Corniglia

  4 km / 2.5mile (1.5-2hr) hiking trail (requires the Cinque Terre Card)

• Vernazza

  3.5km / 2.25mile (1.5hr) hiking trail (requires the Cinque Terre Card)

• Monterosso al Mare

  8km / 5mile (3hr) hiking trail from the last town, Monterosso, to Levanto

Established: Cinque Terre is first mentioned in documents from the 11th century. Monterosso and Vernazza were the first settled towns of the five.

Places to eat:

• Gelateria Vernazza - Naturally, I don’t have real restaurant recommendations, just gelato. The best gelato between the five villages that I’ve had is in Vernazza. The gelateria is not hard to find as it’s on the main street heading down from the train station.

Typical foods to try:

• Seafood is the shining star!

• Trofie al pesto - pasta

• Focaccia - apparently, a typical breakfast around here is focaccia dipped in cappuccino. I haven’t tried and can’t say I’ve seen anyone do it…but hey, if salty coffee is your thing, go for it!

• Schiacchetrà - wine of Cinque Terre

Manarola

Manarola

Manarola

Manarola

Manarola

More about Cinque Terre

Trains and stuff

Once you start getting into the logistics of how to get to Cinque Terre and move around once you’re there, it can seem confusing at first. Train? Which one? Buses? Boats? While getting to Cinque Terre isn’t as easy as hopping on one train, it really isn’t difficult, either. Once you have your train to La Spezia Centrale (which you could buy in advance or not) you can easily wait until you arrive at La Spezia to buy the Cinque Terre Card. Or you can buy it online here. You can get a 1, 2, or 3 day pass. From La Spezia you get the train that stops at all five towns. If you’re coming from La Spezia, you’ll get the train towards Levanto. Easy peasy. Just don’t forget to validate your train card before getting on the train the first time.

Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore

Staying in Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore

Cinque Terre Cards and hiking

There are two different cards you can get for Cinque Terre. The train card, and the trekking card.

1. The train card includes unlimited rides on the regional Cinque Terre trains, shuttle buses, wifi, trekking, and free use of restrooms.

2. The trekking card includes everything but the trains. If you only plan on taking the train once or twice, this might save you money. Otherwise it’s a better deal to get the train card.

A single train ride without the train card will cost you about 4 euros. Using the restroom without a card will cost 1 euro.

The only scenario I can think of where you probably wouldn’t need either card is if you plan on seeing 3 or less towns and only do the free hikes…and stay at least one night…even then I don’t know that that would work, as the paths are often closed so you’d have to plan carefully.

If you didn’t get a Cinque Terre Card or lost it, don’t fret. There is a little outstation shortly into the two paid hikes; they will ask to see your card or you can buy one from them, same price.

You can check ahead of time on this site to see which paths are open at the time of your trip, I’ve personally never been when all four of the hikes between the villages were open. There are alternative routes, all of which are free, even if the main ones are closed, but I don’t have personal experience with those. The whole area has 48 paths, but the main ones are those which go between the towns.

If you plan on hiking, make sure you have proper foot wear. Flip-flops aren’t allowed. I definitely wore sandals before I knew of these rules without any problems. I did the Vernazza-Corniglia hike shortly after it had rained once. Having been a professional ballerina I could say I have decent balance, but I was surprised at how slippery the trail was in certain areas. Steps and rocky areas were a bit scary. I had sneakers on and was still walking very slowly and hanging on to anything I could.

Via dell'Amore - closed

Hike from Monterosso towards Vernazza

Hiking from Monterosso to Vernazza

Hike from Vernazza to Corniglia

Fresh squeezed orange juice halfway between Monterosso and Vernazza

Swimming

If you plan on swimming, Monterosso has the largest sandy beach and sea access, with many umbrellas and chairs you can rent. That’s how beaches usually work in Italy; you rent a spot with an umbrella which usually comes with 2-3 reclinable beach chairs which is yours for the day. If you want more chairs or shade or have more than 3-4 people, you’ll probably need to rent more than one spot. Free beaches where you can just spread a beach towel are not the norm and hard to find in Italy.

Vernazza has a small harbor with water access, you can go swimming and it’s free.

Corniglia has no immediate beach or water access, but there are beaches not too far. One is known to be a nudist beach.

Manarola has some deep water swimming, accessible by ladder for the more adventurous.

Riomaggiore has a rocky beach close by.

For more details and directions, see here.

Corniglia

Corniglia

Corniglia

Corniglia

Corniglia

Corniglia

Corniglia

Why I like Cinque Terre

I’ve been to Cinque Terre a few times, a couple times by train, once by car; a couple times in the summer, once in the fall; a couple times as a day trip, once overnight. It never gets old. My favorite town is probably Vernazza, but I’ve also spent more time there than some of the others.

The first time I went was in 2014 with my family. We went for a day, the whole trip immaculately planned out, as my mom and I were the ones behind the trip planning. We had chosen to go to Cinque Terre because, well, all you need to see is one photo and you’re sold, plus my dad loves the outdoors so we figured this would be “his” part of the trip. We planned to take an early train in, start by exploring Vernazza, hike from Vernazza to Corniglia, eat dinner in Corniglia, then take the last train from Corniglia back to La Spezia and finally Florence, our home base. Everything went great, until the end. We made it to Corniglia, but had a bit less time than originally planned, so decided to get a quick aperitivo instead of dinner. We figured we had about an hour to order and enjoy some beverages, before making our way to the train station. We looked on Google Maps, the train station was just around the corner from where we were, all we need is 20 minutes to get there and get the train, with plenty of time to spare, right? Next thing we know, we have 15 minutes before the train leaves. Well golly, we better get up, tear our eyeballs away from the magnificent Mediterranean, and trot our little tushies to the train station. What we didn’t realize, was that the train station was wayyyyyyyyyyy downnnnnnnnnn a hill, many, many, many, stories of zig-zagging stairs, then a long sidewalk to the actual train platform. Google Maps, without landscape mode, did not portray the descent. I believe it’s now more appropriately called the “cliff staircase”. We zigged and zagged as fast as we could; we saw our train pull up. Did I mention this was the last train of the night, so if we missed it, we’d be forced to try and find lodging in the popular and tiny Corniglia, in August? As comfy as Italian sidewalks are, we didn’t want to sleep outside so we went faster. My dad and brother got ahead of my mom and I; they got to the train. There was a crowd of people coming from the train, including some goats. I managed to leap onto the train as I heard the door start to beep, about to close; I was holding the train doors open with the weight of my body, while we were all shouting for my mom to hurry up, give it all she’s worth, “just jump over the goats already!!!” as she was politely letting them go by, and the train is seconds from departing. She made it, the doors closed a second later, and all was well. Except for the stress that probably took a few years off our lives. We still laugh about the Corniglia train station and steps to this day. Heed this anecdote.

Monterosso

Monterosso

The next trip I took to Cinque Terre was with friends, in a car. I got to enjoy the ride, but I can tell you finding parking can be an ordeal. This time we started at Monterosso al Mare and hiked to Vernazza. There was an elderly woman trying to do the hike, I remember passing them and my party being quite worried about her. But you know what? She made it! We were all very proud. Halfway between Monterosso and Vernazza there was a man making and selling fresh orange juice. If ever there was a genius business move, this was it. It was hot and there is nothing else to eat or drink except for what you carry on the 2-3 hour hike.

Most recently I went to Cinque Terre in October 2019. My family came over to visit, and we all had such fond memories that we had to go to Cinque Terre again. While autumn can be more unpredictable with weather and the trails are more likely to be closed, I think this was my favorite trip. The moody sea and slightly lesser crowds, not to mention this was my first time staying the night. It’s so wonderful once the day-trippers go home! And sleeping with the sound of the sea, mmmm. Having more time, we explored more up and around the towns beside just seeing the main areas and hiking. Lots of stairs, hardly any people, and lots of cool houses and areas with views of the sea, showing just how high you’ve climbed up among the dwellings!

Corniglia

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Explore Italy: Desenzano del Garda

Porto Vecchio

Desenzano is a small town on Lago di Garda, perfect for uncrowded strolls down Italian streets with views of the lake and mountains. It’s a quick stop from Verona or Brescia on the train, making it an easy add on to a northern Italy trip.

More Explore Italy posts:

• San Gimignano

• Siena

• Lucca

• Orvieto

• Gubbio

• Cinque Terre

• Pisa

• Naples

• Viareggio

• Livorno

Desenzano in a nutshell

Location: Lombardy, Italy

Best known for: Views of Lago di Garda

Days needed to explore: 1+ - Desenzano makes for a great day trip, although it’s close enough to Verona, Brescia, Milan, Sirmione and other cities of note that you could make it your base, if you prefer bases to be smaller, less crowded cities.

What to see and do:

• Il Porto Vecchio / The Old Port - the heart of the town and a lovely place to find a bite to eat and enjoy the views.

• Duomo di Santa Maria Maddalena - must always see the beautiful churches!

• Castello di Desenzano - it’s a castle, and it has beautiful views. Winner winner. (Paid entrance)

• Villa Romana - built at the end of the first century AD, this is an important and interesting ruin. (paid entrance)

• Musel Archeologico - if archeology is your thing, Desenzano has a museum! (Paid entrance)

What style!

Established: Remains from the Bronze Age have been found, including primitive architecture pile-dwellings that led to it being named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Typical foods to try:

• Fish - being on the lake, the natural choice is fish!

Why I like Desenzano

Desenzano del Garda was not a city I had heard of until my husband took me there. He lived several years in Brescia and knows many of these little towns around there. We went to Desenzano for a day using Brescia as our base. It’s easy and inexpensive to reach by train. It’s a downhill walk form the train station, and small enough to wonder without a map, just enjoying the shopping, buildings, and nature. I loved walking along the lake, aside from the mountains looming in the distance, it reminded me of my hometown, Traverse City.

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Explore Italy: Gubbio

Gubbio is a small Umbrian town, known as the “città grigia” or gray city, for its uniform color and terracotta roofs with lovely views of the Appenine mountains. It’s not overly crowded with tourists which makes it lovely for exploring. It has 5 main streets parallel to each other, with each one sitting up a bit higher than the first and connected by stairs. For all its beauty and medieval charm, Gubbio will forever be known to me as the town with the 1,000 year old man and bird-cage lifts.

More Explore Italy posts:

• San Gimignano

• Siena

• Lucca

• Orvieto

• Desenzano del Garda

• Cinque Terre

• Pisa

• Naples

• Viareggio

• Livorno

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Gubbio in a nutshell

Location: Umbria, Italy

Best known for: Being the medieval town with bird-cage cable cars up Mount Ingino

Days needed to explore: 1+ - Gubbio makes an excellent daytrip, although it’s so charming you may want to stay a few nights or even make it a base from which to see some of the larger and more crowded Umbrian towns

What to see and do:

• Piazza Grande - the large, principal piazza of the city, with views of the valley

• Palazzo dei Consoli - medieval palace off the main Piazza Grande (paid entrance)

• Duomo di Gubbio (Cattedrale dei Santi Mariano e Giacomo) - not the most impressive Duomo of Italy, but still beautiful in and of itself and worth a stop!

• Basilica di Sant’Ubaldo - take the funivia (bird cages, but for humans) up Mount Ingino to get even better views of the valley and Gubbio. The funivia ticket will cost you around 6euro there and back. Max 2 people per cage and watch out, like a true chairlift it doesn’t stop! An operator is there to assist you and a partner into the cage. Once at the top, stop in to see the church and the patron Saint, Sant’Ubaldo himself, who died in 1160, entombed in a glass casket for your viewing pleasure.

Established: By the 7th century BC Gubbio, which was then known as Ikuvium, was already becoming an important city. In the 4th century BC Ikuvium came under Roman rule and became known as Iguvium. It was later known as Eugubium before becoming Gubbio.

Typical foods to try:

• Anything with white or black truffles

• Olive oil

• local cheese and meat boards, always

• Friccò all’eugabina - a dish comprised of mixed meats including chicken, rabbit, lamb, pork, turkey, duck, or even guineafowl. No, I had never heard of that last one, either. The meats are stewed together in broth, white wine, garlic, rosemary, and sometimes tomatoes.

• Crescia eugabina/torta al testo - Umbrian flatbread that can be filled with seasonal vegetables, meats, cheeses, and all kinds of yum.

Why I like Gubbio

Gubbio is a city that had never reached my radar but is now a city I wholeheartedly recommend visiting if you get the chance. A good friend of mine spent time in Italy as an au pair, and on a return trip to Europe we spent a weekend visiting her Italian “family” in Camucia. They were lovely and while we had merely planned on spending time with them and probably eating copious amounts of food, they decided to show us around. In a 3 day span we saw not only Camucia and Cortona, but also Gubbio and Assisi. It was a great time.

Having no agenda and no idea what any of these cities were like, it was enjoyable and quite unusual for me to not know where I was going and not having at least an idea of what I wanted to do/see. Instead, it was in the hands of a local family with a car and I tell you, do I love being a passenger. No, I really do. I don’t much enjoy driving. Especially in Italy. They drove, led us to see all the pretty things, and picked out the restaurants. It was like being a young kid again where you just go wherever your parents take you. And not knowing where you’re going, because you can’t understand your parents. Haha. It was great. I highly recommend you pick out an Italian family and let them take you around.

My favorite favorite part of Gubbio are those bird cage lifts. It’s possible to walk up to the church, about 30 minutes really uphill, but it’s probably a good thing i didn’t know that because I insist on walking places too much (hey, I save a lot of money this way). They’re exhilarating, a little bit freaky, and lead to a neat place. Views and that church with the dead guy. I’m sure he was a lovely man when he was alive, but it's bizarre to think that that was so long ago. Yet his mortal remains are still there and so well preserved. Crazy.

Not many cities leave impressions like Gubbio.

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Explore Italy: Orvieto

Orvieto, the old city perched on a rocky hilltop with views of Umbria that make castles look like little specks. Orvieto is reached by funicular or car, either one good for a little thrill.

More Explore Italy posts:

• San Gimignano

• Siena

• Lucca

• Gubbio

• Desenzano del Garda

• Cinque Terre

• Pisa

• Naples

• Viareggio

• Livorno

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Orvieto in a nutshell

Location: Umbria, Italy

Best known for: Being a city on a hill, once an almost impregnable establishment

Days needed to explore: 1+ - While Orvieto can be done in a day, say from Rome, I think it has enough to offer to warrant spending at least one night here.

What to see and do:

• Duomo di Orvieto (The outside itself is stunning; paid entrance)

• Pozzo di San Patrizio (Well of St. Patrick, 175ft / 53m deep; paid entrance)

• Orvieto Underground (can only be seen by guided tour, there are 1200 tunnels carved into the tuff, or volcanic rock on which the city rests.)

• Etruscan Necropolis (just a 2,500 year old cemetery; paid entrance)

• Climb the Torre del Moro (paid entrance)

• Ruins of Etruscan Temple of Belvedere

Established: Inhabited by the Etruscans and known as Velzna until the 3rd century BC when it was taken by the Romans. Orvieto became a full functioning city/state by 1200 AD.

Typical foods to try: 

Look for dishes that include regional specialties, such as black truffle di Norcia, pork, pigeon, and pasta made in house.

• Gallina ‘mbriacata (drunk chicken) - best if consumed with certain wines, such as Montefalco Rosso, Chianti, Sangiovese, and the like, since the chicken is often cooked in one of these wines

• Frittata al tartufo bianco (white truffle frittata)

• Lumachelle all’Orvietana (savory bread shaped like a snail)

• Zuppa di ceci e castagne (chickpea and chestnut soup)

• Umbrichelli (egg pasta made with wine in the shape of a thick spaghetti) - try it with a mushroom and boar ragù or a truffle Amatriciana

• Wine: Try Orvieto Classico and Orvietano Rosso

• L’Orvietan (local liquor made with more than 25 herbs including rhubarb!)

Why I like Orvieto

Orvieto made the itinerary when my family went on our first European adventure in 2014. Being on this large tuft of lava rock (called tuff), it offers delightful views of the surrounding region of Umbria, including other little towns and castles. While it is accessible by car, taking the funicular up is super fun! At the top near where you get off the funicular there is an area by the wall with lots of cats. A cat park. If you sit around long enough enjoying the views, you might see the old ladies come and feed the cats. Here, kitty kitty!

There is more to Orvieto than meets the eye. Underneath your feet as you walk around the city are more than 1,200 tunnels dug out of the tuff by the Etruscans. It makes you feel really secure that the city isn’t going to cave in or anything while you’re up there. The tunnels can only be seen by guided tour, and while I’m normally a see-but-don’t-pay-to-go-in type traveler, I’m really glad my dad convinced me to do the tour with him. My dad also decided to go to the barber while we were in Orvieto. He doesn’t speak Italian and I don’t recall the barber being able to speak English, but being my dad, he somehow not only went for it, but managed to come out with what my mom calls to this day “the best haircut he’s ever had.”

We spent 3 days/2 nights in Orvieto in a cute little hotel where the owner would make you a cappuccino or other coffee every morning. After visiting bustling London, Paris, Florence, and Rome being next on the agenda, Orvieto was a breath of fresh air and nice to see a bit of a smaller Italian city.

I also got my first taste of Italian customer service while here. One of the days I decided on a sandwich for lunch, and since I seemed to be the only hungry one in my family got to pick out this little butcher/lunch place. There was only one man behind the counter and he was on the phone the entire time. I somehow managed to order a dry pork sandwich (no menu, I don’t even know how I arrived at that) and we split a bottle of Orvieto Classico. While the man was inattentive and the sandwich nothing I’d recommend, that was our first experience with Orvieto Classico, a lovely white wine that we still buy regularly. It’s not expensive, even in the States.

If you’re looking for a break from the big cities but still want a city big enough to explore, Orvieto comes highly recommended!

Well of St. Patrick

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Explore Italy: Lucca

La Cattedrale di San Martino

More Explore Italy posts:

• Siena

• Orvieto

• Gubbio

• Desenzano del Garda

• Cinque Terre

• Pisa

• Naples

• Viareggio

• Livorno

• San Gimignano

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Of the small, but well known Tuscan towns, Lucca has to be one of my favorites. This post will give you a small taste of Lucca to help you decide if this might be a place you might want to visit.

Lucca in a nutshell

Location: Tuscany, Italy

Best known for: Surrounding rampart walls that can be walked on.

Days needed to explore: 1+ - Lucca makes for a wonderful day trip, but it could also be leisurely enjoyed over a couple days.

What to see and do:

Bird’s Eye View of the Botanical Garden from my favorite spot on the wall

• Walk or rent bikes for a turn on the walls; once around the city is about 4 kilometers / 2.5 miles

• Duomo (La Cattedrale di San Martino)

• Torre Guinigi (look for the tall tower with the tree on top)

• Botanical Garden

• Torture Museum? Nah.

Established: As far back as 218 BC, a Roman colony in 180 BC, the walls it is known for weren’t started until the 16th century.

Places to eat:

• Forno Francesco Casali (bakery)

• Gelatarium (gelato; self serve in the style of most American frozen yogurt shops)

Typical foods to try:

Walking under the wall to enter the city

• Tordelli Lucchesi (the tortelli, or ravioli of Lucca, typically filled with meat, cheese, and greens and served with a meat ragù)

• Minestra di Farro alla Lucchese (bean and farro soup)

• Rovelline (fried slices of meat in a flavorful tomato sauce with capers)

• Baccalà (cured codfish, fried)

• Pane di Patate (potato bread)

• Buccellato (a poor man’s bread, made with anise and raisins)

• Torta co’ Becchi (a type of cake, the one original to Lucca is made with herbs, pine nuts, and a touch of orange)

More about Lucca

Lucca is small, not too touristy, but has a wonderful, relaxed feel to it and is easily explored in a day. It’s not a high adrenaline city with a long list of “must see” places, but the whole city is intertwined with that Italian rustic romance and charm which makes it perfect to wander along the cobblestone streets, no map needed.

Walking on the wall

Lucca is probably best known as the town with the outer wall you can walk on. Knowing this before going but not having ever really seen any photos of Lucca’s wall, I was surprised to find how wide it was. I guess I was picturing more of a medieval castle’s battalion and narrow-ish ramparts, but Lucca’s wall is more of a high mounded dirt wall that surrounds the city. It’s wide enough for a paved sidewalk where bicycles, joggers, walkers, and trees alike can coexist peacefully. Cars can drive on the wall even, although they’re no longer allowed. A leisurely stroll around the whole city wall on foot can easily be accomplished in a couple hours, if that. It gives you a lovely view of the town, and my favorite corner has some benches where you can sit and look down into the botanical garden. The garden has a paid entrance but I enjoyed it from the wall maybe more than if I had gone in.

Why I like Lucca

I went in October and while I’m certain Lucca is lovely year round, I’ve dreamed of going back in October because it felt so autumnal and perfect. I grew up in Michigan where the fall colors are vibrant and vast, so the change through autumn and winter in Italy from green to yellow to brown to not there is so gradual I hardly notice it. This is one reason I enjoyed Lucca so much, it felt the closest to a real fall I’ve felt in Italy. Trees and nature throughout the city also help when you’re surrounded by cement and brick so often.

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Explore Italy: Siena

Last updated November 3, 2024

Welcome back to the Explore Italy series!

More Explore Italy posts:

• San Gimignano

• Lucca

• Orvieto

• Gubbio

• Desenzano del Garda

• Cinque Terre

• Pisa

• Naples

• Viareggio

• Livorno

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Piazza del Campo

Siena in a nutshell

Location: Tuscany, Italy

Best known for: Its large central piazza, Piazza del Campo, where the “Palio” horse races are held

Days needed to explore: 1+ - Siena can be enjoyed in a day, but spending at least one night will allow you to explore it more fully

What to see and do:

Duomo of Siena

• Piazza del Campo

  The main piazza of Siena, large and beautiful, the heart of the city. The famous Palio horse races happen twice year here on July 2 and August 16. If you’re able to line up your visit on one of these days or even in the days leading up to the races, it’s quite exciting! I came on June 30 in 2018, and was able to feel the excitement in the air as everyone was getting ready for the races, and ran into a parade where one “contrada” or quartier of the city was singing and parading around their horse. There are 17 contrade in all, and thus 17 horses participate in the races. Each contrada has their own flag with an animal, from a panther to an owl, unicorn to dragon. It’s easy to understand which contrada you’re in as you wander around the city because there are their flags and colors everywhere!

• Piazza del Duomo / Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta

  Here you can hang out and enjoy the spectacular duomo from the piazza, or you can get a ticket to go inside. There are several areas you can visit that require different tickets, so if you want to visit more than one or two, I suggest you go for a combo ticket. You can visit inside the cathedral, the crypt, the Piccolomini Library, the baptistry, and the Opera del Duomo museum. Children up to 6 years of age and disabled persons with their escort enter for free. Price for cathedral and library is about 8.50euro, combo ticket to see all will run you closer to 20euro.

• Basilica of San Domenico and the head of Saint Catherine

  Who is Saint Catherine and why do I want to see her head? Saint Catherine, or Catherine of Siena, was born in 1347 and one of 25 children (!). She dedicated her life to God at a young age, and grew to be a very influential figure in Italy and the Catholic church, being named the patron saint of Rome and even of Italy, alongside Francis of Assisi. In 1999 she was proclaimed the patron saint of Europe by Pope John Paul II. She was also one of the first two women to be named a doctor of the church. She died at just 33, and her popularity only grew after her death. While her body lies in Rome, her head is in a gilt bust of bronze in the Basilica of San Domenico. The church is free to enter, and yes, you can view her head. No pictures allowed, though!

• Torre del Mangia

  This is right on Piazza del Campo, part of the town hall or “Palazzo Comunale” which, at least to my mind, is the quintessential photo of Siena and I’m sure you’ll recognize it immediately. I’m always happy to admire these things from the outside where it’s free, but you can also climb the tower and for the views. And exercise. 400 some steps!

  If you are an art person, you can visit the Civic Museum and the Torre del Mangia for a combined ticket of 13euro.

Basilica di San Domenico

Established: The area we now know today as Siena was originally founded by a tribe of Etruscans called the Saina, who lived there from about 900-400 BC.

As legend goes, Siena as we know it was founded by brothers, Senius and Aschius, nephews of Romulus who, also according to legend, founded Rome. This tale explains why there are several statues of the she-wolf suckling these twin brothers, The Capitoline Wolf, around the city.

The site later became the home of a Roman town around 30 AD, known as Saena Julia. It did not thrive under Roman rule, being far from common trading routes. Eventually it was seized by the Lombards, who attributed to its flourishing, then it was seized by the Franks in 774 AD.

The Republic of Siena was created in the 12th century. It had its ups and downs, the rivalry between Siena and Florence is legendary, especially the few times Siena managed to beat Florence! The Republic of Siena survived half of its population being wiped out by the Black Death, rebuilding itself even to become one of the most important banking cities on the continent. However, Florence eventually won out, and Siena surrendered in 1555 to the Duchy of Florence allied by the Spanish. The Spanish king, being in debt to the Medici, ceded the city to their control. You just can’t get away from the Medici legacy!

Typical foods to try:

• Ribollita (Tuscan bean, bread, and vegetable soup)

• Crostini (slices of bread with differing toppings, served as an appetizer. One of the main Tuscan toppings is pureed liver. You could order the “crostini misti” which will get you a sampling of different crostini)

• Pecorino e miele (pecorino cheese and honey, a divine appetizer)

• Salumi (cold cuts, try a variety and especially some of the boar that comes from Siena’s hills)

• Pici (pasta, like a thick spaghetti)

• Cinta Senese (Siena’s pig)

• Lepre (Hare)

• Panforte (a chewy, nutty and fruity dessert)

• Cantucci (twice baked cookies, what Americans often call biscotti)

• All the wines, some of the most famous of Italian wines come from this area - Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti, Nobile di Montepulciano, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Vinsanto

How to get there from Florence: *Please note that these methods of travel are written as things were before Covid-19. As things stand, some buses aren’t running, or running fewer per day. Many sites are not updated or timetables not available and ever changing, so I will not link to them here because they won’t be of any help.

You can arrive by bus, train, or car. Bus and train options have similar prices, ranging from 5-10euro for a one way.

• Bus: There is a direct bus and a non-direct bus that makes stops in two towns before arriving in Siena. Both take off from the bus station behind the Santa Maria Novella train station, in Via Santa Caterina. The prices for the buses I believe are the same, so you might as well take the faster direct bus. Roughly two buses take off per hour, but it’s always best to get the schedule ahead of time, since weekends and holidays often have fewer buses running. Buy your tickets beforehand if possible. You can purchase them on the bus, but they will cost more.

  Likewise, there is also a Flixbus that takes off from a different area by the train station, near Villa Costanza. This may very well be a better option, since Flixbus is much easier to find times and tickets online, rather than the extraurbano buses that take off from Florence.

• Train: Another good option is the train. Similar to the buses, there are direct and non-direct trains. Prices are all the same, as of 2020 9.50euro one way, so again, you might as well take the faster direct train, which takes about 1hr 30min.

  Regardless of whether you take a train or bus, always remember to validate your tickets, otherwise you will get fined if caught. For buses, the validation machine is on board. For trains, you’ll need to validate before getting on the train.

Siena is also easy to get to from San Gimignano by bus, or vice versa. It’s very possible to see both the cities in one day if you are short on time!

What I like about Siena

See here the various flags of the contrade waving!

Siena was long a town I had heard of and imagined, and finally got to go in 2018. Aside from being bigger than expected, it’s very fun to explore and hilly! It boasts a beautiful duomo, the classic cobblestone streets and beautiful brick buildings, and the famous piazza, Piazza del Campo, where the “Palio” horse races happen.

Siena has delicious food, delicious wine (Chianti territory!), art, some shopping, and overall a general ambience to the city I really enjoy. It’s not too big, not too small, and is smack dab in the middle of beautiful Tuscan countryside.

It makes for a wonderful day trip from Florence, but also has enough to explore you may decide you want to stay a few nights here.

Personally I think Siena is small enough, even with a day trip, for you to see everything you need to see just by walking around without much of an agenda. Main points of interest you will probably come across even without a map, unless you’re me, then you can’t even find the main Duomo without walking up and down the hilly streets and somehow walking a large perimeter around it, but always just out of sight.

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Explore Italy: San Gimignano

Last updated November 3, 2024

New post series!

In honor of everyone’s favorite year ever, 2020, and all of our hopes and dreams being smashed, batted down, trampled on, and flippantly disposed of, I’m starting a new series on travel. If that seems uncorrelated or insensitive as I live in Italy and much of the world is still banned from entering the EU, allow me to explain.

Because traveling is severely diminished these days, vacations and adventures delayed, cancelled, or no longer optional due to income loss, I hoped to write some simple posts exploring my favorite cities in Italy to bring Italy to YOU. Of course a blog post will never come close to actually traveling, but maybe one of these posts will bring to light a city you’ve never been to and inspire you to start thinking about your next trip. Or cross it off your list, ha! It helps me, too, since I will not be taking any grand holidays this year. This is not all due to coronavirus, but also given we just moved apartments and we’ll be having a baby in September, it’s probably best to stay put for now and plan and prepare since we haven’t been able to do any of that yet! Ironically, I’d love to be in the US right now with my family, because having a baby is so much better with family around, ya know? But I’m not, so here’s a little trip down memory lane of some of the beautiful cities I have gotten to see in my time here in Italy!

Enjoy, and if you ever have any questions, you can always reach out to me! I’m here for you.

More Explore Italy posts:

• Siena

• Lucca

• Orvieto

• Gubbio

• Desenzano del Garda

• Cinque Terre

• Pisa

• Naples

• Viareggio

• Livorno

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Piazza della Cisterna

San Gimignano is a little walled town near Siena perched on one of the rolling hills of Tuscany famed for its medieval charm, beautiful views, wine, and one of the best gelato shops in Italy. That last one is reason enough for me to visit a place!

San Gimignano in a nutshell

Location: Tuscany, Italy

Best known for: Its medieval charm, tall towers, and gelato

Days needed to explore: 1+ - makes for an excellent day trip

What to see and do:

• Piazza della Cisterna

• Climb the tallest tower, Torre Grossa, for a fee somewhere around 5euro I believe. It’s been standing since 1298, so super safe, right? No, I’m sure it’s fine, and the views are spectacular.

Established: San Gimignano has a somewhat complex history with Etruscan roots, as testified by some of the Etruscan tombs you can still see today.

Two brothers who fled Rome built two towers, one which would eventually be called San Gimignano, and the city has been called so since at least 929 AD. It developed into a thriving city, until the plague of 1348 decimated two-thirds of its population and it submitted to Florentine dominance, never quite to return to its former independent glory. It is known for its fine towers, there were once 72, and today you can still admire 14 of them, which gives it a uniquely medieval skyline perched on its little hill. It has numerous examples of Romanesque and Gothic architecture.

Exploring off the beaten track

Being quite small, it feels like there is one main street, a large principal piazza, and the rest little side streets to wander. This makes it a very easy day trip or possibly somewhere to stay and take a few breaths away from the larger cities. Personally, I really enjoyed San Gimignano as a day trip and didn’t feel the need to stay overnight or even all day. In fact, getting up early my husband and I saw San Gimignano and Siena all in one day and didn’t feel overly rushed. It’s very easy to go back and forth between Siena and San Gimignano by bus or car.

Places to eat:

• Gelateria Dondoli. If you’re looking for the world’s best gelato, you’ve found it at Gelateria Dondoli, or so they say! I really don’t know how you decide these things, because there is an awful lot of gelato in the world, and good stuff at that, so how do you choose which is THE best?! Regardless, I had heard from people that it truly was delicious, so I went in with rather high expectations, even if I expected to be at least somewhat disappointed. Well, l will tell you, it was truly delicious gelato. Even for being hyped as the best, I didn’t leave scoffing one bit. So definitely stop and get at least one gelato. It’s found in Piazza della Cisterna. There will probably be a line, and don’t get confused by the other gelateria just on the other corner that has a large sign “World’s best gelato.” This can be very confusing for those looking for the real one, so follow the line if in doubt. They’re famous for a few flavors, including Crema di Santa Fina (cream, saffron, pine nuts), Champelmo (sparkling wine and grapefruit), and Vernaccia Sorbet (made with the famous Vernaccia wine). I particularly recommend the Champelmo and any flavor you normally like! I’ve purposefully gone away from the flavors they’re known for, to see if they put as much finesse into the lesser known flavors. And they did. YUM.

Typical foods to try:

• Saffron - a spice, not a dish, but something San Gimignano is known for. Order dishes that feature “zafferano” or take some home with you!

• Olive oil - San Gimignano produces a wonderful extra virgin olive oil. Another great product to take with you.

• Wine - While you are here you should try the DOCG white wine for which San Gimignano is known: Vernaccia di San Gimignano. For more on this wine and where to have some tastings, check out this site.

How to get there from Florence:

Porta San Giovanni where the bus will drop you off

• By car: The quickest and maybe easiest way is by car.

• By train: There is no direct train, so you’ll actually need to take a train to Poggibonsi from the main Santa Maria Novella train station, followed by a bus. Once you get to Poggibonsi you’ll get the 130 bus, San Gimignano-Siena line to Porta San Giovanni. Total time will be around 2 hours, depending on how quickly the bus comes. Train ride is about an hour, bus ride is about 20 minutes.

• By bus: To get there you will need to get two buses. There is a bus station behind the Santa Maria Novella train station from which you can take a 131 Florence-Siena Busitalia bus to Poggibonsi, where you will transfer buses. Once at Poggibonsi take the 130 San Gimignano-Siena bus to Porta San Giovanni. Total time will be about 1hr 45minutes. First bus takes about 50 minutes, second bus will be around 25 minutes. Buses are my preferred method of travel to get to San Gimignano and also the cheapest. Tickets don’t need to be purchased in advance, but buses run about once every hour on weekdays, less on Saturday and much less on Sundays and holidays, so it’s best to check the schedules ahead of time.

Where to find bus schedules? As with many things in Italy, your safest bet is to go straight to the source to get correct information, in this case the bus station behind the train station in Via Santa Caterina da Siena. Maybe check out the station and get bus departures while you’re out exploring Florence. This way you will also know where to head the morning of your trip to San Gimignano, save some time and stress.

Why I like San Gimignano

While big cities may be more adrenaline inducing for the traveler with all the activity, abundance of restaurants and shops, and sites of interest, the lovely part of these tiny cities is that there isn’t really anything you need to see or do to check off your bucket list. This creates more of a stress free, wander as you will type of experience which I think is very refreshing after running around a city like Rome or Florence. You can put away your phone or map and just enjoy. No matter where you go, you will see ancient and beautiful Italian buildings, shutters, flowers, and local goods. It is very hard to get lost here. There a few museums, of course restaurants, and the main towers and piazzas that are hard to miss.

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