Holiday apartment in Pisa: UNESCO culture, nature and history

Pisa brings together important buildings, museums, botanical collections and protected landscapes within a compact thematic area. Four masterpieces of medieval architecture stand together in Piazza del Duomo: the cathedral, the baptistery, the bell tower and the Campo Santo cemetery. In December 1987, Piazza del Duomo was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Campo Santo preserves fresco cycles depicting the Triumph of Death, the Last Judgment and the Stories of the Holy Hermits.

Culture and history

The museums also cover different periods and themes. The Museo Nazionale di San Matteo houses illuminated manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries as well as a collection of stone sculptures featuring works from the Middle Ages to the 16th century. Palazzo Blu houses a centre for cultural activities and exhibitions established by the Fondazione Pisa. The collection of the Museo delle Navi Antiche di Pisa conveys a history of trade, seafarers, shipping routes, life on board and shipwrecks. In connection with this museum, an excavation completed in 2016 recovered around 30 ships from Roman times.

In the immediate vicinity of Pisa are the Museo della Grafica and the Gipsoteca di Arte Antica dell'Università di Pisa; both are museums. Palazzo Gambacorti, a palace, and the Domus Mazziniana, a museum, are also located there. The Logge dei Banchi and the Porta del Leone are natural arches. The Orto Botanico is likewise situated nearby and is a garden.

Getting around and travelling to Pisa

Pisa's tourist wayfinding system includes interactive maps, QR codes and four themed walking tours. The PisaMover provides the connection between the railway station and the airport: it links Pisa Centrale station with Pisa-San Giusto Galileo Galilei Airport in less than three minutes. The medieval walls of Pisa were originally around 7 kilometres long. Their towers stood 300 metres apart, and there were also approximately 20 gates.

Nature and outdoor activities

The Orto Botanico di Pisa is predominantly historically divided into seven areas, each comprising one or more scientifically arranged plant collections. Around 3,000 plants are cultivated there across approximately two hectares. The Orto e Museo Botanico offers guided tours for private visitors. Monte Cascetto, a mountain, is also located in the vicinity of Pisa.

The protected natural area of Parco di Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli includes beaches, Mediterranean scrub, forests of stone pines, holm oaks and poplars, as well as wetlands. Tenuta di San Rossore can be explored on foot, by bicycle and on horseback. Along the coast, the WWF oasis Dune di Tirrenia extends across 24 hectares; it is open year-round.

Markets and festivals

An farmers' market selling organic products takes place every fourth Saturday of the month in Piazza Cairoli. A special event is the Gioco del Ponte: Twelve teams push a heavy cart on rails, positioned in the middle of Ponte di Mezzo on the Lungarni. In Pisa, the Gioco del Ponte takes place every year on the last Saturday in June.

Other places

Further local pages for regional orientation: Bientina, Capannoli, Casciana Terme, Cascina, Castelfranco Di Sotto, Castelnuovo Di Val Di Cecina, Chianni, Crespina, Lajatico, Lari, Montecatini Val Di Cecina, Montopoli In Val D'arno, Palaia, Peccioli, Pomarance, Pontedera, San Miniato, Santa Maria A Monte, Terricciola, Vicopisano, Volterra, Casale Marittimo, Castellina Marittima, Fauglia, Guardistallo, Lorenzana, Montescudaio, Monteverdi Marittimo, Riparbella, Santa Luce, Buti, Calci, Pisa, Orciano Pisano, Calcinaia, San Giuliano Terme, Vecchiano, Ponsacco, Santa Croce Sull'arno, Orentano, Uliveto Terme, Miemo, Coltano Radio, Molino d'Egola, Orciatico, Cenaia, Sasso Pisano, Calci, Castel del Bosco, Casciana Alta, Navacchio, Santa Colomba, Ponte A Elsa, Boschi, Casino di Terra, Le Colombaie, Morrona, Garetto Basso, Usigliano, Ponte a Egola, Luciana, Staffoli.

For the higher-level travel overview: Tuscany.