dentifying the most beautiful places, the 10 best cities to visit in Tuscany, is difficult because of the remarkable beauty hidden around every corner of the region.
This is an area packed with attractions and numerous sites of outstanding architectural, cultural, scenic and artistic interest.
Here are suggestions for 10 cities, 10 iconic places, so that everyone can pick the best place to visit in Tuscany, the place of their dreams.
Best 10 cities to visit in Tuscany
Discover thebest cities to visit in Tuscany by train:
- Florence: the cradle of the Renaissance and the global capital of fifteenth century art. It has a historical center and many of the most famous museums in the world. Not to mention artisan craft stores, working-class neighborhoods, and picturesque streets leading to nearby hills.
What is there to see in Florence?
Piazza della Signoria, the Cathedral, Brunelleschi’s Dome, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery of San Giovanni, Ponte Vecchio, Uffizi Gallery, Bargello National Museum, Basilica of Santa Croce, Rose Garden, Piazzale Michelangelo, San Miniato al Monte, Boboli Garden, Palazzo Pitti, Brancacci Chapel, Palazzo Strozzi, Basilica of Santa Maria Novella; Medici Chapels and Piazza di San Lorenzo, Mercato Centrale, Galleria dell’Accademia and Michelangelo’s David; - Pisa: a world-famous city, especially because of the famous Leaning Tower, an iconic local symbol. For centuries, Pisa was one of the major thriving centers in Italy and one of the four Maritime Republics. Legend has it that it was founded by Achaean warriors after the Trojan War. Historians, however, date it to the Etruscan period.
What can you see in Pisa?
The historical city center, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Camposanto Monumentale cemetery, Pisa Cathedral, Baptistery of San Giovanni, Museo delle Sinopie, Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Piazza dei Cavalieri, Borgo Stretto and Borgo Largo, Palazzo Blu, Palazzo Reale, Lungarno river banks and the Arsenali shipyards, Keith Haring’s Tuttomondo; - Lucca: a city of art, merchants and weavers, is home to a beautiful old town and sixteenth-century city walls. It began as a Roman administrative unit and then became a wealthy independent state until it was conquered by the French. Today it is among the most important cultural centers in Italy, with one of the best universities in the world and the organization of numerous multicultural events.
What is there to see in Lucca?
he Cathedral of San Martino, city walls and gates, Guinigi Tower, Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, Basilica of San Frediano, National Picture Gallery, Ducal Palace, Church of San Michele in Foro, Botanical Garden, Nottolini Aqueduct. - Siena: the home of the Palio, good wine, and teeming with unique architectural wonders. . Visiting Siena is like diving into the Middle Ages thanks to its fine buildings, streets and atmosphere. It is nestled in the Tuscan hills and described by UNESCO as “a masterwork of dedication and inventiveness in which the buildings have been designed to fit into the overall planned urban fabric”.
What can you visit in Siena?
Piazza del Campo, Palazzo Pubblico, Torre del Mangia, Civic Museum, Siena Cathedral and Baptistery, Teatro dei Rozzi, Rocca Salimbeni, Basilica Cateriniana di San Domenico, Santa Maria della Scala Museum, Pinacoteca Nazionale, Botanical Garden, San Galgano Abbey and Sword in the Stone. - Livorno: has been Tuscany’s port to the world since the 1600s when it was commissioned by the Medici family who transformed it into a genuine city. A place that bustled with merchants and diplomats who over the centuries made it famous worldwide with its fine buildings and culture. A part of Tuscany that became a haven for the religiously, politically or racially persecuted. Don’t miss the numerous bridges, canals and historical buildings reflected in the waters turning it into a mini Venice.
What is there to see in Livorno?
La Venezia district with Fortezza Nuova, Fosso Reale and Medicean moats; Fortezza Vecchia; Monument of the Four Moors; the Cathedral and Via Grande; Vettovaglie Market; Terrazza Mascagni; seaside promenade from Bagni Pancaldi Acquaviva to Antignano; Tamerice dei Fattori; Amedeo Modigliani’s birthplace; Cisternino; Boccale Castle, Torre di Calafuria and Sonnino Castle.
Let’s take a look at the best cities to visit in Tuscany by car:
- San Gimignano: one of Tuscany’s many characteristic medieval villages, a Unesco heritage site that has remained virtually untouched from the late 14th century to the present day. It is a town that wins you over from the first time you set eyes on the spectacular sight of the 14 tall, imposing medieval towers. Especially the majestic Torre Grossa, 54 meters in height. It is an amazing little town with stunning landscapes, relaxing atmospheres and fine architecture.
What can you see in San Gimignano?
Piazza Duomo and Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta, Palazzo del Podestà and Rognosa Tower, Town Hall and Art Gallery, Piazza della Cisterna, Raffaele De Grada Modern and Contemporary Art Gallery, Campatelli Tower and House, Church of St. Augustine, Rocca Park, Church of San Lorenzo in Ponte, Medieval Springs. - Cortona: the strategically positioned and picturesque town. It is located at an altitude of 500 meters in Val di Chiana. Cortona is one of the most characteristic and visited medieval towns in all of Tuscany. A little gem made even more famous by Roberto Benigni’s film “Life is Beautiful”, who chose Cortona to shoot the outdoor scenes. Packed with interesting sites, it is surrounded by a spectacular Etruscan city wall.
What is there to see in Cortona?
The historical city center, Museum of Etruscan Civilization, Diocesan Museum, “Le Celle” Franciscan Hermitage, Fortress of Girifalco and Basilica of Santa Margherita, Sodo Archaeological Park, Santa Maria delle Grazie del Calcinaio, Church of Santa Maria Nuova, Villa Bramasole, La Tanella di Pitagora, and Via Janelli. - Orbetello: is one of the most beautiful seaside destinations in Tuscany. The city is surrounded by water and features a lake of the same name.
A highly attractive landscape on a narrow isthmus of land with two wonderful beaches, Giannella and Feniglia. It is the gateway to the tourist area of the Argentario promontory.
What is there to see in Orbetello?
The historical center with Porta Medicea Coeli, Spanish Mill, Palazzo del Podestà, Guzmàn Powder Magazine, Oasis and WWF Natural Reserve of the Orbetello Lagoon, Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, Porta Senese, the Cyclopean walls.
Lastly, the best places to visit in the Tuscan countryside:
- Montepulciano: the medieval town lies between Val d’Orcia and Val di Chiana. It is located on a limestone hill in the heart of the Tuscan countryside. The perfect place in which to relax, admire the breathtaking scenery and enjoy a glass of Vino Nobile.
What is there to see in Montepulciano?
Piazza Grande, Via Ricci, San Biagio, Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, Crociani Civic Art Gallery Museum, Palazzo Cervini, Pulcinella Tower, Palazzo Avignonesi, Church of Sant’Agostino, and the Montepulciano Museum of Torture. - Pienza: one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Val d’Orcia, with a historical center packed with artistic treasures and streets that offer breathtaking views of the Tuscan hills. A town that is also famous for the renowned pecorino di Pienza sheep’s cheese- well worth trying.
What is there to see in Pienza?
The historical center and Piazza Pio II, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, Palazzo Piccolomini, Palazzo Borgia, Pienza Town Hall, Parish church of Saints Vito and Modesto in Corsignano, Campi Elisi, and the Chapel of Madonna di Vitaleta.
