Introduction to Pisa

Nothing says Pisa more than its Leaning Tower, part of the Campo dei Miracoli -- literally, Field of Miracles. Gateway to the Tuscan hills, this medieval city of architectural masterpieces goes against type with its young and upbeat feel. Native son Galileo may be long gone but students still come here to study at the prestigious university where he taught. In its heyday Pisa was one of Italy's most powerful maritime republics. Follow its past in the Romanesque churches, piazzas and palaces that line the winding Arno River through the city to the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Things to Do

Seeing the Leaning Tower's lopsided beauty may satisfy, but to do it justice you can climb the 294 steps at a five-degree angle to the top for views over the Apennines and the Tyrrhenian Sea. Pisa's arcaded Borgo Stretto is the city's medieval core that bursts into life every morning with locals stocking up on fresh local produce at the food market. Cross the Arno River to marvel at the Gothic jewel box that is the Santa Maria della Spina church.

Nightlife and Entertainment

Pisa's 60,000 or so university students while away their evenings in the bars and nightclubs on Piazza Garibaldi, and along Borgo Stretto and the banks of the River Arno. On a warm evening here you'll find groups gathering outside to sip beer and aperitivos from chic bars, then wrapping the night up in laidback haunts with live music or DJ sets.

Restaurants and Dining

In Pisa's historic center simple trattorias keep the local student crowd fed and watered, and specialize in local favorites like tripe alla pisana, salt cod stewed in tomato sauce. La Mescita restaurant is a stone's throw from the central produce market so you can expect the freshest of ingredients. Vaulted ceilings and terracotta floors set a cozy scene for casual dining all over the city -- Osteria dei Cavalleri is a local favorite that keeps alive classic Tuscan cooking.

Architecture

Pisa's magnificent Cattedrale, started in 1064, was a model for Pisan-Romanesque architecture. Its dark grey marble and white stone geometric patterns influenced by Islamic art were later imitated all over Tuscany. The vast Baptistery, begun in the 12th century during the peak of the Pisa republic's power, is a mix, the lower half Pisan-Romanesque and the upper half a Gothic crown. Visit the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo to see the life of Christ depicted in the cathedral's bronze doors.