Pisa - city of the leaning tower

Pisa’s maritime power ensured the dominance over the Western Mediterranean area. Port of departure of the crusaders, see Piazza dei Cavalieri, it acquired many privileges in trading with the middle east from 1100. The City’s wealth is reflected in the unique Cathedral square, with the celebrated Leaning Tower, the majesty of the Cemetery and the austerity of the Baptistery.

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If we were taking this tour back in the mid 1300’s we would have been able to visit the famous Galileo, who was teaching Physics at Pisa’s university, which by the way is the oldest, dating back to 1343. Today, Pisa still maintains a very strong academic tradition because of this founding father of academics.

Pisa is very accessible, making it easy for us to walk its narrow streets and discover quaint markets, which truly define the city’s one-of-a-kind ambiance and character.

Florence - birthplace of the Italian Renaissance

The necessary introduction to the City from Michelangelo Square - The 1300 City Wall, with its towers and gates, a short drive to the centre. We then start our walking tour to see the major attractive buildings of Florence, as “Palazzo Vecchio and Signoria square, Cathedral square with Baptistery and Tower of Giotto”, ending the morning in the famous Mercato Centrale, where all Florentines still buy their traditional food. On request- traditional lunch in a characteristic “Trattoria”.

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Florence, the birthplace of Renaissance, was definitely a city built with a goal to inspire! And, it is no surprise that it was voted the most beautiful city in Europe.

So, appropriately, our tour begins at one of the most breathtaking and picturesque locales - Piazzale Michelangelo or Michelangelo Square. Nearby we will see the 1300 year-old city walls flanked with towers and gates. This is where we begin our short drive into the City Center.

Because Florence is a great walking city, walking is the only way to experience and discover its architectural gems: Palazzo Vecchio; Signoria Square; the Cathedral Square; the Baptistery as well as the Tower of Giotto.

Our tour concludes at the famous Mercato Centrale, where we will find Florentines still buying their daily traditional food.

So synonymous to Florence are the “trattorias” therefore, your travel escorts, upon your request, will take you to a typical “trattoria” for a lunch you will not soon forget (lunch is not included in the tour price).
 

The aura of isolation that has surrounded the 5 Ligurian coastal Villages known as the Cinque Terre - Rio Maggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare, together with their dramatic coastal scenery have became one of the Italian Riviera’s premier attractions.

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Visiting the “Cinque Terre” means a visit to five fishing villages suspended between sea and earth, placed on cliffs and precipices and surrounded by the greenest vineyards and olive groves.

• Riomaggiore, where the famous “Path of Love” is located, consists of a steep path which begins above the sea and actually connects to Manarola.

• Manarola was founded in the 13th century and is named after a small temple built during the Roman age. Here, houses jut out over the Mediterranean and the city is well-known for its life-size Nativity scene.

• Corniglia is known for its beautiful terraced vineyards and the church that Saint Peter built in the 1300’s.

• Vernazza is a uniquely shaped port and noted for the Shrine of Our Lady of Reggio, the towers of Belforte and Torrione and the Church of Santa Margherita d’Antiochia.

• Monterrosso al Mare is probably the most
  contemporary of the cities and we cannot miss the famous iron and cement Gigante sculpture is something to behold.

A full day experiencing this truly magical seascape and landscape will inspire even a novice painter to create something beautiful. Our last memory - watching a spectacular Mediterranean sunset as our full day tour concludes and as we say “arrivederci” to the
Cinque Terre. (In this tour boat transportation fee is not included).