The leaning tower of Pisa is definitely one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world. It is widely known for the fact that it stands at an angle on a flat piece of land. This angle has been slowly increasing during the past eight hundred years! Thousands of tourists from around the world visit the town of Pisa annually just to see this tower. Not too many people know that the leaning tower of Pisa that is actually an ancient Bell Tower is not just a standalone attraction. Instead it’s part of the architectural ensemble that also includes Pisa Cathedral (Duomo di Santa Assunta), Campo-Santo cemetery, Miracle Square (Piazza dei Miracoli) and San Giovanni Baptistery.
The leaning tower of Pisa has 7 bells each located in its own arch on top of the construction. Each bell has its own unique tone and name. You can hear the ring of these bells before each mass that is served at the adjacent Pisa Cathedral.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa Facts
- It is actually a Bell Tower.
- 2,000,000 tourists visited the leaning tower of Pisa in 2014.
- The 3 attractions located on the Miracle Square are constructed in a specific order. The first building is Baptistery that symbolizes birth, the next building is Pisa Cathedral that symbolizes life and then the cemetery symbolizes death.
Leaning Tower of Pisa Tickets
The tickets to the leaning tower of Pisa cost 18 Euros per person and can be easily purchased online . This ticket also allows the admission to the Pisa Cathedral.
I think that the best time to visit this town is in May when the area is not too crowded with tourists and it’s not too hot outside. The working hours of the Pisa tower are 9 a.m. till 9 p.m.
Pisa Weather
Pisa weather can be characterized by increased humidity. This means that during summer when the temperatures reach 30 degrees Celsius it can feel quite uncomfortable especially under the direct sun light. At the same time during winter when the temperatures lower to 5 degrees Celsius above zero it can feel much colder especially when humidity rises to the levels above 90%. You can catch the best Pisa weather in the middle of May when the cold temperatures are left behind and summer heat is still waiting to take over.
Pisa Airport
There is Pisa airport located just 15 minutes away from the city of Pisa and its attractions. It is the 10th largest airport in Italy and it is used both for international and domestic flights. Of course it is a lot smaller comparing to the Rome International Airport. Just so that you’ll have the idea, the Pisa airport is used by about 4.5 million passengers a year while the Rome Fiumicino Airport is used by almost 40 million people per year. Nevertheless it can be used by tourists that wish to fly directly to the region.
The Conclusion
It’s definitely worth visiting the Leaning tower of Pisa and all of the adjacent attractions. This way you’ll be able to see everything by yourself and will not confuse it with the leaning tower of Pizza 🙂
On the other side I wouldn’t spend more than 2 hours there. I didn’t like the tourist crowds that filled the whole area around the tower and all those huge tourist busses that kept on bringing more and more people there every 30 minutes. There was a huge line of people who wanted to go inside the tower and walk upstairs to the observation point. The problem is that only 40 people are allowed to be inside simultaneously, so getting to the entrance may take a lot of time. It can get even more exhausting standing there in summer under the burning sun.
Pisa didn’t really impress us neither with its restaurants nor with its architecture. Most of the eating places we saw looked way too touristic. So after we finished with the tower we took a brief walk around the town, had an espresso and started driving towards another town that we planned to visit called Forte dei Marmi located on the Tuscany seaside.