Livorno is a main port town in Tuscany. It was traditionally called Leghorn in English, nowadays the name is used to refer to a breed of chickens which were exported to North America from the Livorno port.
Understand
Livorno is on the Tyrrhenian sea in Italy. It is the third-largest port on the western coast. Upper Class travellers heading to Rome in the days of the Grand Tour would often go by sea to "Leghorn" from Marseilles or Genoa. This explains in large part the presence of a substantial English cemetery in the town.
Get in
By plane
Pisa airport (IATA: PSA) Galileo Galilei.
By train
There are regular trains to and from Florence (1:20 hr journey), Pisa (15 min), and Rome.
Train station Livorno Centrale, 43.554165°, 10.336115°. The main train station. Despite its name, the station is far from the center. Take bus "LAM BLU" to go to town center and then to the port in about 20 minutes. 2019-05-13
By bus
From Pisa, Piombino, Florence and other cities.
By boat
Direct ferry routes exist to Bastia, Golfo Aranci, Olbia and Palermo. Once a week, generally during summer, there is also a ferry to Livorno from l'Île-Rousse operated by Corsica Ferries. It is best to book early to avoid overbooking.
Many cruise ships stop here for at least a full day to allow guests to tour Florence and/or Pisa. Guests not taking cruise ship arranged tours can take a shuttle (supplied by the port) to the downtown area. It offers a decent shopping experience, but not compared to Florence. A further 10-20 minute walk (or another bus ride) gets you to a train station. There you can take frequent departures for either Pisa or Florence. Many experts advise seeing Florence or Pisa on a one-day port visit by cruise ship. Though some tours claim to cover both, you'll get no more than a rushed look at a few icons...and if you're too early or late for any, it may well be closed.
If hoping for maximum time in Florence...
- Take an early cab (perhaps shared with another couple) from your ship to and from the Livorno train station.
- At the station, ask for a train that goes to the Firenze Santa Maria Novella. Locals will happily help.
By car
Get around
By bus
Bus number 1 is a shuttle from train station to the port and vice-versa. A ticket for 75 minutes of travel is €1.5. For self-reliant cruise passengers, this is part of the most economical way to reach trains to Pisa and Florence.
By bike
Livorno and the surrounding area is very flat, which means that cycling is almost as popular as it is in the Netherlands. When walking, beware of the tendency of the locals to cycle on sidewalks and to cycle the wrong way down a one-way street.
- Bikes can be rented from Green Bikes (dead link: December 2020) at Scali del Corso, 7 in the Venice Quarter.
By car
Once you have arrived in the centre nearly everything can be visited on foot or bike. Driving around is not recommended, not least because the local police are very vigilant and will rapidly give you a ticket if you are parked in the wrong place. There are several large Parking places to leave your vehicle during your stay and many hotels also offer parking.
See
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Quattro Mori
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Old English Cemetery (Oldest in Italy, open on reservation). For info call Misericordia: 0586/897324 or write an email to [mailto:livornodellenazioni@gmail.com] Association Livorno delle Nazioni.
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Funicolare di Montenero (dead link: January 2023) one of the few cable railways still in service (another one is in Montecatini Terme near Pistoia.
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Venice Quarter. This is a small area of canals between the city and the sea, hence its name. Very pleasant to wander around.
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Duomo 📍 Duomo San Francesco di Assisi
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Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista
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Chiesa di Santa Caterina
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Chiesa della Madonna del Soccorso 📍
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Chiesa di San Jacopo in Acquaviva
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Sinagoga 📍
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Santuario di Montenero 📍
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Fortezza Vecchia 📍
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Fortezza Nuova 📍 New Fortress. Built by the Medici family to provide additional protection for the city to that provided by an older fortress closer to the sea. Good views of the canals from on top of the fortress but little to see in the fortress itself as much was destroyed in WW2.
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Palazzo Comunale 📍
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Torre del Marzocco 📍
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Teatro Goldoni
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Palazzo Gherardesca
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Monumento dei Quattro 📍
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Museo Provinciale di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo 📍
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Museo Civico G. Fattori
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Acquario Comunale Diacinto Cestoni
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Piazza della Repubblica 📍
Do
Spas
- San Giovanni's spa. The San Giovanni Spa, overlooking the Gulf of Portoferraio, stands on an area of 5 hectares of marshland which yields a silt with high therapeutic potential, making this spa establishment the only Thalassotherapy centre in the Western Mediterranean.
- Venturina's spa. The thermal waters Venturina were known by the Etruscans and Romans, hence the name "Aquae Populoniae. Flow in 45 ° Celsius throughout the year, with constant flow, and are classified as calcium-magnesium-sulfate-bicarbonate-alkalines.
Buy
Eat
- Cacciucco - fish stew
- Riso nero - Black rice risotto darkened with squid ink)
Budget
Mid-range
- Trattoria Sottomarino, Via dei Terrazzini 48/50 - ph. +39 0586 887025 - Close to Piazza della Repubblica and Fortezza Nuova (Venezia District). Fish cuisine, don't miss the gorgeous cacciucco - Closed on MO and TU.
- Cantina Senese (dead link: August 2020), Borgo Cappuccini 95 - ph. +39 0586 211604 - famous for cacciucco and black rice.
- Osteria La Volpe e l'uva, Viale Caprera 11 (in the Venice Quarter), +39 0586 885033. Innovative cooking blended with some traditional Livornese and Tuscan dishes. €25-35 plus wine
Splurge
- Il Tegolo, Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, 10, 43.55363°, 10.31502°, +39 0586 219405. Seafood restaurant specialising in oysters and caviar. 2021-08-09
Drink
"Ponce alla livornese" is optimal to finish a meal (warm drink with coffee and rum).
Sleep
Budget
Mid-range
- Hotel Hermitage, Via dei Melograni 13 57020, Marina di Bibbona, Tel. +39 0586 600218 Fax +39 0586 600760. . 4-star modern and comfortable Hotel Hermitage in Marina di Bibbona near the splendid Etruscan coast
- Hotel Europa, Via Dell'Angiolo 23, hoteleuropalivorno@libero.it. Basic but friendly 3-star hotel convenient for the main sights. €50-100
Splurge
- Grand Hotel Palazzo, Viale Italia, 195 (in front of Terrazza Mascagni), 43.53303°, 10.30271°, +39 0586 260836, ricevimento@ghpalazzo.it. Old-style luxury hotel. 2021-08-09
Stay safe
Connect
Cope
Go next
Livorno is a good starting point and base for a tour of Tuscany. You can reach Pisa in half an hour, Lucca and Florence in somewhat over an hour. (See note under "Get in"/"By boat" above). In a well-organized day you can tour from a hotel in Livorno you might sample Chianti-side, Monteriggioni, San Gimignano, Siena and Volterra and be back for dinner.
Caution: one should bear in mind that the return trip by expected time for a cruise ship departure could be quite problematic, and another cab ride may be needed.