Livorno in 1 Day: all you need to know

If you only have one day to visit Livorno, don't worry, I will recommend you the best things to do to enjoy your stay in this city! Among the best things to do in Livorno are the visits to different monuments and historical buildings.

Without a doubt Livorno is one of the cities you must see in Tuscany. As it is a small city, you will be able to visit it without any problem in one day. You will have the opportunity to enjoy every tourist spot without missing anything.

Before leaving to explore the city, I recommend you to have breakfast at the hotel where you are staying. I do not advise you to have breakfast at your first destination, as many of the restaurants open after 10 am. If you organize yourself very well, you can go to Venezia Nuova, one of the best things to do in Livorno. Ideally, you should get there around eight in the morning to start your day in style.

To enter this neighborhood you must cross the San Giovanni Nepomuceno Bridge. Before exploring it, I recommend you first visit the Fortezza Nuova. This is one of the main attractions you must see in Livorno. It is a polygonal fortress made of stone and brick, built in the 16th century.

Around it you can see the Medici canals. In addition, you can visit its tunnels, vaulted halls and walkways. Here you can spend at least an hour or less. Some people recommend not to go inside and only see it from the outside. This will depend on the amount of time you want to spend at each attraction.

At around nine o'clock in the morning you can start walking around the Venezia Nuova neighborhood. Note that this is the only neighborhood in Livorno's city center that still retains much of its historical and architectural heritage after World War II. It is also known as the little Venice of Tuscany.

After visiting the Fortezza Nuova, you can continue along Via Borra so you can see historic buildings such as the Palazzo del Monte di Pietà, Palazzo delle Colonne and Palazzo Huigens. You can also cross the Domenicani Bridge to reach the Santa Caterina Church. No doubt you will love this route if you are an architect or a fan of this art thanks to its many bridges and canals. The most famous of all is the Navicelli Canal.

Also, I suggest you go through via Scali del Rifugio and via Scali Rosciano, where you will see a palace built in the eighteenth century. At the end of the streets where this palace is located you will reach Piazza del Luogo Pio. There you can enter the San Ferdinando Church and admire the beauty of many late baroque works.

Next stop is the Mercato delle Vettovaglie. This site is only an eleven minute walk from Venezia Nuova. This is an extensive and historic market that you must see if you visit Livorno. You can go inside and browse all the stores and food.

If you only have one day in this city and you don't have time to do a wine tour of Livorno, in this market you can do a little wine tasting. Inside you will find different bars where you can taste the best Tuscan wine.

You can also try different samples of pecorino cheese and ham. Not only will you be able to buy food, but also objects that you can take home as souvenirs. In addition to the tasting, you will be able to see the daily life of the locals. This tour will end at approximately 11:00 am.

Alternative option: an excursion from Livorno

If you don't plan to stay in another town in the Tuscany region, I recommend you to take a Best Day Trips from Livorno. Its location favors the transfer to other iconic cities of this region. Most of them are cities and towns famous for their wine cellars and vineyards.

Among the cities you can visit are Pisa and Chianti. In both you can take wine tours walking through the streets and tasting wine from family-owned wineries. Keep in mind that this type of tour can take at least eight hours of your time.

I advise you to take this option if you really love wine and want to explore beyond Livorno. In that case, my recommendation is to hire a private service. This way you will leave on time in the morning and you can return in the afternoon to continue visiting different points of interest in the city.

Just three minutes away from the Mercato delle Vettovaglie you can visit the Livorno Cathedral. This cathedral is located in the Piazza Grande, right in the pentagonal center. The square was built on the orders of the Medici during the 16th century.

I recommend that you take the time to explore the main Catholic place of worship in all of Livorno. Its façade has been completely reconstructed and features semicircular arches. Some people attribute its creation to the father of English Renaissance architecture, Inigo Jones.

The style of the cathedral's interior is Latin cross. On the sides you will see the chapels of the Blessed Sacrament and the Conception of Mary. Another highlight of the cathedral is the Mascioni opus 804 organ, built in 1961. If you like art and history, you will love this visit.

Just a six-minute walk along the Via Grande will take you to the Monument of the Four Moors. It is a symbol of Livorno located in Piazza del Padiglione, right in front of the old Medici dock and harbor. It was created by Pietro Tacca around 1620. It consists of a marble statue of Grand Duke Ferdinand II, in addition to four bronze statues representing the prisoners in chains.

This monument commemorates the Order of the Knights of Santo Stefano, created in 1561 by Cosimo I de Medici. Its purpose was to liberate the Mediterranean Sea from the threats of Turkish pirates. Take pictures to keep this emblematic image with you!

At this point it will be about half past twelve or one in the afternoon. If you are hungry, you can visit one of the nearby restaurants. Among them is the Gran Duca, where you can try seafood. Other options are Mare Matto or Osteria Del Mare, which is a little farther away.

Around 1:30 p.m., you can head to the Museum of Mediterranean Natural History. About four minutes from the Monument of the Four Moors is the Cogorano E bus stop. Walk there and take bus 3 to the V.Le Mameli, Palazzi Rossi stop. In total it will take you seven stops and about seven minutes to get there.

When you get to that stop you will only have to walk about five minutes to the museum. You will find yourself in the heart of Villa Henderson. This museum is a research center focused on the protection and conservation of natural heritage. It is also a meeting place for educational and cultural activities in the scientific field.

Inside you can explore different exhibits such as the Hall of Man, where you will learn about human evolution. You will also see the Sea Hall, focused on the biology and evolution of cetacean animals. You will also see an exhibition of skeletons of Mediterranean marine fauna.

At the end of the tour you can explore the museum's Botanical Garden. There you will observe typical plants of the area and see the Planetarium. This site has a dome of at least five meters in diameter.

Details of interest

• Price: about 5 €.
• Hours: open Tuesday to Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays open during the afternoon from 3 pm to 7 pm.
• Location: Via Roma, 234, 57127 Livorno LI, Italy.

Around three o'clock in the afternoon I suggest you head to the Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori in Livorno. From the above museum it is a 14 minute walk. However, you also have the option of taking the 8N bus from the P.zza Matteotti stop and getting off at V. Funaioli. It is only three stops away and the trip takes at least 10 minutes.

When you get off the bus you have to walk about five minutes to the museum. Inside you will see a rich collection of art from Livorno and the entire Tuscan region. Some of the works you will see were created by the romantic artist Enrico Pollastrini and other exponents of the Macchiaioli school.

On the first floor and second floor of the museum you will see how the 19th century style is maintained with decorations, curtains and furnishings. The artists that stand out here are Ulvi Liegi, Mario Puccini, among others. On the second floor you can see the paintings of Giovanni Fattori. Among them are the Assault on the Madonna of the Discovery, the Red Tower and Madame Martelli in Castiglioncello.

Details of interest

• Price: about 5 €.
• Hours: open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 1 pm. In the afternoon open again from 3 pm to 7 pm.
• Location: Via San Jacopo In Acquaviva, 63, 57127 Livorno LI, Italy.

When it is already five o'clock in the afternoon you can go to the Aquarium of Livorno, located nine minutes away from the Civic Museum. This time you do have to go on foot as there are no bus stops nearby although it is relatively quick to get there.

If you are a fan of the marine world you will love this visit. For starters, the aquarium is located right in front of the Cetacean Sanctuary. Inside the aquarium you will see a room dedicated to Diacinto Cestoni, where you will discover all the biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea. You can also interact with the touch pool where you can see manta rays.

Other famous animals in this museum are the Ari and Cuba turtles. Near them you will see zebra sharks, Napoleon fish, among others. If you like jellyfish, you will love to see the pool dedicated exclusively to them. Another of its attractive rooms is the one dedicated to the Caribbean Sea. You will be able to see multiple specimens of animals from that area, as well as a pool dedicated to kelp, a type of microalgae.

Interesting details

• Price: about 10 €.
• Hours: open from 10 am to 5 pm.
• Location: Piazza Mascagni, 1, 57127 Livorno LI, Italy.

Alternative option: Sanctuary Madonna delle Grazie

Instead of visiting the Civic Museum and the Aquarium of Livorno you have the option to go to the Sanctuary Madonna delle Grazie or Sanctuary of Montenero. From the Civic Museum you have to go to the bus stop Della Libertà 1 and take the Lamrossa bus. After about 18 stops you can finally get off at Montenero. From there you have to walk about 15 minutes to the Sanctuary.

This sanctuary is a sacred place for the people of Livorno and other cities. The most peculiar thing about it is its open corridors where you can see thousands of votive offerings hanging. You can also see votive pictures that have been donated by the faithful.

This place will undoubtedly give you peace. You can take advantage of this visit to relax, meditate and pray. You can also learn much more about its history in brochures usually given to tourists. I recommend that you take lots of pictures and at the end of your visit admire the scenery of Livorno from one of the nearby viewpoints.

Details of interest

• Price: free admission.
• Hours: from 6 am to 6 pm.
• Location: Piazza Mascagni, 1, 57127 Livorno LI, Italy.

When it is already six o'clock in the evening you can approach the viewpoint of the Terrazza Mascagni. In fact you don't have to walk too far, as the aquarium is located on this terrace. If you are traveling with your partner this could be the most romantic moment of your day.

From here you can see the profiles of the coast, admire the different shades of blue in the sky. It is worth noting that in this viewpoint used to be the Fort of Cavalleggeri. However, in 1925 this site was transformed into a square on the sea.

The name of this site is due to its creator Pietro Mascagni and also the pavement with its iconic black and white chess design. As a curious fact it is worth noting that it measures about 8700 square meters and has more than 34,000 black and white tiles.

Night does not mean that your day in Livorno should end. To continue enjoying this city I recommend you to take a small tour of its bars and pubs. The closest one is the Mascagni Terrace Bar which keeps its doors open until one in the morning.

About 10 minutes away from the terrace you can get more options like the Bar B52. Keep in mind that this one closes at nine at night. Near this one you can also find Bar Roma. In these places you can take advantage of the Tuscan wine and other popular drinks.

There is another bar that is popular with tourists. This is the Bar Civili where you can try the Ponche a la Livornese. This drink is made of coffee, sugar, lemon zest and rum. However, this bar is a 20 minute bus ride from Terrazza Mascagni.

This bar closes at 1 a.m., so if you are really looking forward to it and it is on your way to your hotel, it might be a good idea to visit it. After a few drinks you can call it a day in Livorno.

As with almost every trip you take, I recommend that you research what the weather will be like in the city when you travel. During the winter in Livorno temperatures drop to as low as 3°C and during the summer they can rise to 32°C or even higher.

With these temperature changes in mind, I advise you to bring several heavy coats if you are traveling in the colder months. Remember that Livorno is a coastal city, so when you walk along the coast in winter the cold will be more intense. If you are traveling in summer I advise you to bring your sunscreen and comfortable walking clothes.

Depending on the area you explore, Livorno can be explored on foot. However, if you must move to a very remote place you can use the Autolinee Toscane - Urbano Livorno buses. Each ticket has an average cost of 2 €.

This transport is very useful if you also want to visit other cities such as Pisa, Florence, Lucca, Grosseto, Siena, among others. If you have enough time it will be easy to travel beyond Livorno and get to know a bit more of Tuscany.