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
Florence
Piazzale Michelangelo is one of the places in Florence I liked the most. From here the views of Florence were fantastic
From San Miniato al Monte, a church located near Piazzale Michelangelo, I could enjoy this view of Florence with the Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio
The campanile from the dome of the Duomo. From here the views of Florence are also fantastic
Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria, one of the places in Florence I like the most, together with Piazzale Michelangelo and Ponte Vecchio
Sculptures, among them the David, in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria. Next to the Palazzo Vecchio you can see The Uffizi
Colourful look of Ponte Vecchio. I was really surprised by this bridge when I walked along it for the first time
Ponte Vecchio is always truly crowded and its look is quite medieval with the flags and wood shopsSan Gimignano
Piazza della Cisterna from Torre Grossa, the highest tower in San Gimignano
Piazza 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 touristsSiena
Spending a lovely afternoon at Piazza del Campo in Siena, a huge and charming square next to the Palazzo Vecchio
The Doumo of Siena is impressive, and it's still more beautiful on the insidePisa
Campo 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 thoughtLucca
From the city walls of Lucca, certainly incredibly well preserved, I enjoyed this nice view of San Frediano church and Pfanner Gardens
It's possible to walk along or to cycling along Lucca city walls, a really beautiful environmentMilano
Walking along the terraces of the duomo of Milano is one of the things you have to do in Milano
Parco 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 Milano. Behind this castle is the Parco Sempione
Il 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 priceLago di Como and Bellagio
Romantic view of Lago di Como from Bellagio
Bellagio is a fantastic village to spend a lovely day in the area of Lago di Como
Colourful street in Bellagio, a really nice village next to Lago di Como with a medieval look I liked a lotBergamo
The old city of Bergamo is amazing. Here, one of the gateways to the old city
One 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
Fountain in the middle of Piazza Vecchia in Bergamo with the Palazzo della Ragione behind
Capella 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:
- Barcelona
- Berlin
- New York and Washington
- London
- Dublin in Irleland
- Istanbul in Turkey
- Saint Petersburg
- Rome and The Vatican
- Paris
- Lisboa in Portugal
- Madrid
- Venezia
- Dubrovnik in Croatia
