Livorno travel guide

Livorno, Italy

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Livorno

Introduction

Livorno is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea, on the western coast of Tuscany in central Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, and you may also see it referred to in English by its traditional name, Leghorn.

Before you go

Before you go, know that Livorno sits on the Tyrrhenian Sea and serves as the port on Italy's western coast. In the days of the Grand Tour, upper-class travellers heading to Rome often arrived by sea from Marseilles or Genoa, calling the town "Leghorn" — a history that explains the substantial English cemetery you can still find here. The source offers little else in the way of practical preparation, so plan around what it does tell you: this is a coastal port city with a long-standing connection to sea travel, and its sights reflect that maritime past.

Getting there

Livorno is served by Pisa airport, Galileo Galilei. Regular trains connect the city with Florence, Pisa and Rome, and buses arrive from Pisa, Piombino, Florence and other cities. The main train station is Livorno Centrale, but despite its name it sits well away from the centre; take the "LAM BLU" bus to reach the town centre and then the port, a trip of about 20 minutes. By sea, direct ferry routes run to Bastia, Golfo Aranci, Olbia and Palermo, and once a week, generally in summer, a ferry links Livorno with l'Île-Rousse. It is best to book early to avoid overbooking. Many cruise ships stop here for at least a full day so guests can tour Florence or Pisa. If you are not on a cruise-organised tour, a shuttle supplied by the port takes you to the downtown area, which offers a decent shopping experience, though not comparable to Florence. From there, a further 10- to 20-minute walk, or another bus ride, brings you to a train station with frequent departures for Pisa or Florence. Note that tours claiming to cover both cities give you no more than a rushed look at a few icons, and if you arrive too early or too late for any of them, they may well be closed. For maximum time in Florence, take an early cab, perhaps shared, from your ship to and from the Livorno train station, then ask for a train to Firenze Santa Maria Novella; locals will happily help.

Getting around

Livorno is a compact port city, and most of what you want to see sits close together in the centre, so you can cover the historic core on foot. It is flat and walkable, and a day of sightseeing rarely needs any transport at all. One local quirk is worth knowing before you set out: cyclists here often ride on the sidewalks and sometimes go the wrong way down one-way streets, so keep an eye out when walking. The flatness of the city and its surroundings also makes cycling almost as popular as it is in the Netherlands, and it is a practical way to cover more ground than you would on foot. Bikes can be rented from Green Bikes at Scali del Corso, 7, in the Venice Quarter.

Buses are the main form of public transport within the city and are useful for the stretches between the centre, the port and the station. Bus number 1 runs as a shuttle between the train station and the port in both directions, and the LAM BLU bus connects Livorno Centrale to the town centre and on to the port. For self-reliant cruise passengers, the bus is part of the most economical route to the trains for Pisa and Florence. Livorno Centrale is the main train station, with regular services to Florence, Pisa and Rome, but despite its name it sits some distance from the centre, so plan on taking the LAM BLU bus in. Taxis are a straightforward option for direct trips, particularly with luggage or an early station run. Driving around is not recommended: the local police are very vigilant and will quickly ticket you if you park in the wrong place. If you do arrive by car, there are several large parking areas, and many hotels also offer parking.

Where to stay

For a comfortable mid-range stay, consider the Hotel Hermitage in Marina di Bibbona, a modern four-star option set near the Etruscan coast, or the Hotel Europa on Via Dell'Angiolo, a basic but friendly three-star hotel that puts you within easy reach of the main sights. If you're after something grander, the Grand Hotel Palazzo on Viale Italia offers old-style luxury, positioned directly in front of the Terrazza Mascagni.

Food & drink

Livorno's signature dish is cacciucco, a hearty fish stew you should seek out at the city's trattorias. Another local staple is riso nero, a black rice risotto darkened with squid ink. For a mid-range meal, Trattoria Sottomarino on Via dei Terrazzini, near Piazza della Repubblica and Fortezza Nuova in the Venezia District, serves fish cuisine and is known for its cacciucco; note that it closes on Mondays and Tuesdays. Cantina Senese on Borgo Cappuccini is famous for both cacciucco and black rice, while Osteria La Volpe e l'uva in the Venice Quarter offers innovative cooking blended with traditional Livornese and Tuscan dishes. If you're after a splurge, Il Tegolo on Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi is a seafood restaurant specialising in oysters and caviar. To finish your meal, try a ponce alla livornese, a warm drink made with coffee and rum.

What to see and do

Start with the Quattro Mori, the monument that gives the city one of its best-known landmarks, then make your way to the Old English Cemetery, the oldest of its kind in Italy, which opens by reservation through the Misericordia. The Venice Quarter, a small grid of canals running between the city and the sea, rewards a slow wander. Among the churches, look for the Duomo di San Francesco di Assisi, San Giovanni Battista, Santa Caterina, the Madonna del Soccorso and San Jacopo in Acquaviva, along with the Sinagoga and the Santuario di Montenero. The two fortresses frame the city's history: the Fortezza Vecchia, and the Fortezza Nuova, built by the Medici to add to the protection the older seaward fortress already gave. Climb the newer one for views over the canals, though little survives inside after the destruction of the Second World War. Elsewhere you can visit the Palazzo Comunale, the Torre del Marzocco, the Teatro Goldoni and the Palazzo Gherardesca, and among the museums the Museo Provinciale di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo, the Museo Civico G. Fattori and the Acquario Comunale Diacinto Cestoni. For a wider view, head up on the Funicolare di Montenero, one of the few cable railways still running, and take in the Tuscan islands from the coast. If you want to pair sightseeing with treatment, the spa at San Giovanni, overlooking the Gulf of Portoferraio, sits on marshland whose silt is prized for its therapeutic qualities and is the only thalassotherapy centre in the western Mediterranean. The thermal waters at Venturina, known since Etruscan and Roman times as Aquae Populoniae, flow year-round at a constant rate and are classified as calcium-magnesium-sulfate-bicarbonate-alkaline.

When to go

Livorno has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, so the season you choose shapes your trip considerably. Summer is hot and dry, with warm days and heat that lingers through the night. Rain is scarce, so expect plenty of sunshine — and crowded beaches.

Winter is mild for the latitude, tempered by the Mediterranean Sea. This is the wet season, so rain is frequent, though temperatures rarely drop low enough for snow. Spring brings gradually warming weather and a mix of rain and sun as the wet season winds down, with lighter crowds than in summer. Autumn sees temperatures cool and rain return as the dry summer pattern gives way to the wet season; early autumn can still be warm, but wetter days become more common.

Three days in Livorno

Day one: Arrive in Livorno, a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea in Tuscany, Italy. Begin by getting your bearings along the Scali and Corso, the streets that trace the old harbour and give you a feel for the city's maritime character. If you have come by train, you will have arrived at Livorno Centrale; from there, the LAM BLU bus is the straightforward way into the centre. Once settled, spend the afternoon on foot, watching the ferries and cargo traffic that link Livorno with Bastia, Golfo Aranci, Olbia, Palermo and Rousse. Livorno has long been a stop on the Grand Tour, and its English connections earned it the name Leghorn.

Day two: Use Livorno as your base for a day trip into the wider region. Pisa and its Galileo Galilei airport are within easy reach, and regular trains also run to Florence, arriving at Firenze Santa Maria Novella. If you prefer to stay closer, Piombino lies down the coast. Back in Livorno, consider hiring a bike: the city is flat and there are Green Bikes available, and cycling is a pleasant way to cover more ground than you would on foot. The Netherlands influence is often noted in the city's layout and trading history.

Day three: Give Livorno itself a full day. Return to the Scali and Corso with more time, and follow the waterfront where the city meets the Tyrrhenian Sea. The port remains the heart of the place, with routes to Bastia, Golfo Aranci, Olbia, Palermo and Rousse, and the constant movement of ships is part of the everyday scene. Before you leave, take one more look at the canals and the streets of the old centre, then head back to Livorno Centrale for your onward train, whether towards Pisa, Florence or Rome.

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