Tips to climb on top of Pisa leaning tower and to visit awesome Piazza dei MiracoliPisa leaning Tower is one of the most iconic places in Italy and climbing on top of it is a not to be missed experience.
However, if you plan to climb on top of Pisa tower you should reserve well in advance your ticket and be prepared to share the monuments with a massive quantity of tourists. So here are some tips to get the most out of your Pisa leaning tower experience.
The first sight not to be missed is Piazza dei Miracoli (“Square of Miracles”), the huge square hosting the tower, the Cathedral, the Baptistery and the monumental graveyard. The square is surrounded by a beautiful green lawn, and the contrast between the green grass and the dazzling white monuments has always struck me.
Santa Maria Assunta, the awsome Cathedral, dominates the square with its beautiful Romanesque architecture. It hosts many important works of art, such as the great mosaic of St. John the Evangelist in the apse (1302) by Cimabue, or the Pulpit, a masterpiece by Giovanni Pisano.
But the main attraction is of course the leaning Tower of Pisa (actually, it’s the cathedral bell tower!) and climbing on it is an absolute must!
Since the massive restoration at the end of past century aimed at increasing the tower stability, the once opened archways have been blocked, making the climb fairly secure. The Leaning Tower is 55 meters high and is inclined 5° southward. One has to climb up 294 steps to reach the top,Therefore, be prepared to a rather steep and strange climb due to the sense of imbalance that comes from climbing the spiral stairs of a seriously tilting edifice!
That said, the view from the top of the tower is definitely worth the climb!
Visit tips
Campo dei Miracoli entrance is free, and if you have time you can easily spend hours laying on the grass and enjoying the amazing setting (and the funny efforts of the many tourists trying to avoid the tower to fall down, click here for a bunch of funny pictures…).
All the other monuments require an admission ticket and a reservation, even though the only real restriction is for climbing Pisa tower. The chances of you getting tickets by just wandering up and slim at any time of year are non-existent if you visit Pisa Tower in high season.
You only get 30 minutes to climb the tower, take in the view form the top, and climb back down—but that’s pretty much enough time. Note that you must pick up your tickets to the tower 30 minutes before your entry time—so, all told, a visit here takes at least an hour.
The official site offers all the explanation and the convenient opportunity to purchase your ticket voucher on line http://boxoffice.opapisa.it/Turisti/
If you would like to know how to visit Pisa and the leaning tower in a day trip, have a look at my post: How to travel from Florence to Pisa in a day.
In case you prefer to join an escorted tour, here is a good one, here is a convenient and fairly priced half day Pisa tour from Florence.
Enjoy your visit to Pisa!
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