miércoles, 27 de abril de 2011

ITALY: TUSCANY AND LOMBARDIA

After travelling to Rome last year, I have come back to Italy to visit two nice areas of northern Italy: Tuscany and Lombardia. There are really lovely villages in these two provinces of Italy, as well as the beautiful city of Florence.

This time I didn't rent a car because I could arrive at the cities and villages I wanted to visit by bus or train. Besides, I had read that it's easy to get lost on the winding roads of Tuscany.

However, I would recommend renting a car since you have more freedom, it's less tired and there are some lovely villages like Volterra, Monteriggioni o Montepulciano which can only be reached by car.

If you don't rent a car, you can easily reach Pisa and Lucca from Florence, and Lago di Como and Bergamo from Milano, by train. You can go from Florence to Siena and San Gimignano catching a SITA bus in Santa Maria Novella Station.

Next you can see the cities and villages I visited:


- Tuscany



- Lombardia

Florence


Piazzale Michelangelo in FlorencePiazzale Michelangelo is one of the places in Florence I liked the most. From here the views of Florence were fantastic


View of Florence from San Miniato al MonteFrom San Miniato al Monte, a church located near Piazzale Michelangelo, I could enjoy this view of Florence with the Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio


Campanile and view of Florence from the dome of the DuomoThe campanile from the dome of the Duomo. From here the views of Florence are also fantastic


Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria in FlorencePalazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria, one of the places in Florence I like the most, together with Piazzale Michelangelo and Ponte Vecchio


Sculptures in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della SignoriaSculptures, among them the David, in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria. Next to the Palazzo Vecchio you can see The Uffizi



Ponte Vecchio in FlorenceColourful look of Ponte Vecchio. I was really surprised by this bridge when I walked along it for the first time


Ponte Vecchio in FlorencePonte Vecchio is always truly crowded and its look is quite medieval with the flags and wood shops

San Gimignano


Piazza della Cisterna from Torre Grossa in San GimignanoPiazza della Cisterna from Torre Grossa, the highest tower in San Gimignano


Piazza della Cisterna in San GimignanoPiazza della Cisterna is one of the most crowded places in San Gimignano. It's better to visit this lovely village after 2am to avoid the massive presence of tourists

Siena


Piazza del Campo in SienaSpending a lovely afternoon at Piazza del Campo in Siena, a huge and charming square next to the Palazzo Vecchio


Doumo of SienaThe Doumo of Siena is impressive, and it's still more beautiful on the inside

Pisa

Campo dei Miracoli in PisaCampo dei Miracoli in Pisa with the Battisterio in the foreground. Behind, the duomo and La Torre de Pisa, which I found more leaned than I thought

Lucca

San Frediano church and Pfanner Gardens in LuccaFrom the city walls of Lucca, certainly incredibly well preserved, I enjoyed this nice view of San Frediano church and Pfanner Gardens


Lucca city wallsIt's possible to walk along or to cycling along Lucca city walls, a really beautiful environment

Milano

Terraces of the duomo in MilanoWalking along the terraces of the duomo of Milano is one of the things you have to do in Milano


Parco Sempione in MilanoParco Sempione is the most beautiful place I visited in Milano. It's huge and, while I walk along this park, I felt as if I weren't in a big city


Castello Sforzesco in MilanoCastello Sforzesco in Milano. Behind this castle is the Parco Sempione


Il Navigli is one of the most lively areas in MilanoIl Navigli is one of the most lively areas in Milano, especially at night. There are a lot of restaurants and pubs where you can dinner at a good price


Lago di Como and Bellagio


Lago di Como from BellagioRomantic view of Lago di Como from Bellagio


Bellagio, a beautiful village beside Lago di ComoBellagio is a fantastic village to spend a lovely day in the area of Lago di Como



Colourful street in BellagioColourful street in Bellagio, a really nice village next to Lago di Como with a medieval look I liked a lot


Bergamo


BergamoThe old city of Bergamo is amazing. Here, one of the gateways to the old city


Piazza Vecchia in BergamoOne of the most beautiful places in Bergamo is Piazza Vecchia, with a nice fountain in the middle and some of the most interesting buildings in Bergamo next to it


Piazza Vecchia in BergamoFountain in the middle of Piazza Vecchia in Bergamo with the Palazzo della Ragione behind


Capella Colleoni in BergamoCapella Colleoni, the most impressive building in Bergamo, appear behind the Palazzo della Ragione

This post is a summary of all the interesting places and nice villages I visited during my trip to Tuscany and Lombardia. In future posts I will give more information and show more pictures about all the places I visited in each village, beginning by Florence.



Finally, you can see more pictures of the days I spent in Rome last year clicking on the next links:



Other great cities and countries I have visited are:

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