5 things to do around Pisa in the summertime

The San Rossore and Massaciuccoli Park is really close to the Leaning tower. If you enjoy walking it can be reached by foot, otherwise by car or by train (the closest train station is Pisa San Rossore) and from there, you can reach the park only by taxi. San Rossore is known for its hippodrome where racecourses take place, the restaurants with typical Tuscan foods and the boundless green park where you can do all kinds of sports, or simply rest under the big pine trees! In San Rossore you’ll see many species of Tuscan flora and fauna included the “Mucco pisano”, a big local cow!

Do you like sandy beaches, dancing and having a drink with friends? The Pisan coast is the deal place for things like these! The long, sandy beaches here are free but you can also pay to enter a full service bathing establishment. There are lots of pubs, clubs and pleasant locations where to spend your Saturday evenings, possibly having an "aperitivo" with friends or maybe looking at the sunset while sitting on the beach… it would be so romantic!

Two of the most authentic jewels not to be missed in Tuscany are located in the Pisan hills: San Miniato and Volterra. The medieval village of San Miniato preserves, on the hilltop, a beautiful historic featuring the Cathedral, the Episcopal Palace, the Municipal Palace and the Tower Fortress dominating the Arno, the Era and the Egola valleys. It is famous for its truffle fair that takes place every year in November: truffle hunters, chefs, experts and journalists come to taste the local gastronomic speciality. But it is also worth a visit in the summer, especially if you'd like to walk along the Via Francigena, following the path that goes from Altopascio to Gambassi Terme.

If you want to discover the natural beauty of this territory, head for the Pisan hills, cradle of artistic, cultural and gastronomic treasures. For example, take a tour by bike or drive around by car and have a rest in Santallago, just a few kilometres from Calci (see below) where there BBQ grills are available for a picnic in tranquillity. The region’s most well-known gastronomic products include olive oil (try it on some bread!), honey and - of course - wine.

Calci is just 10 kilometres far from Pisa and is known for its amazing Certosa, a Baroque-style monastery founded in 1366. This Certosa is a monumental complex used by Carthusian monks until the 1970s and now it's open to tourists who can visit its large internal courtyard surrounded by buildings, the cellars, the orchards and the wing of the complex that hosts the Natural History Museum of Pisa University, where important paleontological and zoological collections are preserved.

 These are just some suggestions, can you recommend any others? Tell us on our Facebook page!