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 must-see cities 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 going out 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 are open after 10am. If you organise yourself well, you can go to Venezia Nuova, one of the best things to do in Livorno. Ideally, get there around 8am to start your day in style.

To enter this neighbourhood, cross the Ponte San Giovanni Nepomuceno. Before exploring it, I recommend a visit to the Fortezza Nuova. This is one of the main attractions to 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. You can spend at least an hour or less here. 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 9am you can start walking around the neighbourhood of Venezia Nuova. Note that this is the only neighbourhood in Livorno's city centre that still preserves 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 to 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. You'll love this route if you're an architect or a fan of this art thanks to its many bridges and canals. The most famous of all is the Navicelli Canal.

I also suggest you pass through via Scali del Rifugio and via Scali Rosciano, where you will see a palace built in the 18th 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 place 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 shops and food.

If you only have one day in the city and don't have time to do a wine tour of Livorno, you can do a little wine tasting at this market. 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 you will also be able to buy souvenirs. In addition to the tasting, you will be able to see the daily life of the locals. This tour will end at approximately 11am.

Alternative option: an excursion from Livorno

If you are not planning to stay in another town in the Tuscany region, I recommend you to take a Best Day Trips from Livorno. Its location makes it easy to travel to other iconic towns in the region. Most of them are towns and villages famous for their wine cellars and vineyards.

Among the cities you can visit are Pisa and Chianti. In both of them you can take wine tours through the streets and taste wine from family-owned wineries. Please note that these tours 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 from the Mercato delle Vettovaglie you can visit Livorno Cathedral. This cathedral is located in the Piazza Grande, right in the pentagonal centre. The square was built on the orders of the Medici during the 16th century.

I recommend 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 interior of the cathedral is in the Latin cross style. 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 harbour. It was created by Pietro Tacca around 1620. It consists of a marble statue of the Grand Duke Ferdinand II and 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 aim 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 further away.

At around half past one in the afternoon, 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 stop V.Le Mameli, Palazzi Rossi. In total it will take you seven stops and about seven minutes to get there.

When you reach this stop you will only have to walk about five minutes to the museum. You will find yourself in the heart of the Villa Henderson. This museum is a research centre 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 Hall of the Sea, which focuses 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 see typical plants of the area and the Planetarium. This site has a dome at least five metres in diameter.

Details of interest

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

Around 3pm 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 to take bus 8N at the stop P.zza Matteotti and get 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 ground floor and first floor of the museum you can see how the 19th century style is maintained with decorations, curtains and furnishings. Artists of note here include Ulvi Liegi, Mario Puccini and others. On the first 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.

Interesting details

• Price: around 5 ¤.
• Opening hours: open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 1 pm. In the afternoon they are open again from 3pm to 7pm.
• Location: Via San Jacopo In Acquaviva, 63, 57127 Livorno LI, Italy.

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

If you're a fan of the marine world, you'll 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 wrasse, 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.

Details of interest

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

Alternative option: Sanctuary of the 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 bus Lamrossa. 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 a lot more about its history from brochures that are usually given to tourists. I recommend that you take lots of pictures and at the end of your visit admire the landscape of Livorno from one of the nearby viewpoints.

Interesting details

• Price: free admission.
• Opening 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 travelling 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 this viewpoint used to be the site of the Cavalleggeri Fortress. However, in 1925 this site was transformed into a square overlooking the sea.

This site is named after its creator Pietro Mascagni and also the pavement with its iconic black and white chess design. It is worth noting that it measures around 8700 square metres and has more than 34,000 black and white tiles.

Night doesn't mean your day in Livorno has to end. To continue enjoying the city, I recommend a short pub crawl. 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 find more options such as the Bar B52. Nearby 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 the Terrazza Mascagni.

This bar closes at one in the morning, so if you're really looking forward to it and it's 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 it can rise to 32°C or even higher.

With these temperature changes in mind, I would advise you to pack several heavy coats if you are travelling 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 travelling 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 need to move to a very distant 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 see a bit more of Tuscany.