After the Pisa Marathon: Livorno

The Route: Pisa Centrale → Livorno Centrale → Pisa Centrale Logistics: A frequent train, with about 60 a day, taking 12 to 15 minutes. Livorno's centre is flat. Marathon Month: December Duration: Day trip

Pisa Centrale ──(train, 12-15 mins)──> Livorno Centrale
                                              │
                         (about 1.5 km walk or bus to Venezia Nuova and the seafront)

The Pisa Marathon runs west to the coast at Marina di Pisa, and Livorno is the next port along it, about 20 km south. The city has a different character from Pisa: it is a working port that grew from a fortified harbour, with canals, wide streets and a market, and it has few of the crowds. It is an easy way to spend the Monday after the race, because the trains are frequent and the streets are flat. Check the timetable at trenitalia.com.

December in Livorno: cool and often windy, with the sea grey and the sky changeable. Bring a windproof layer. Many shops reopen in the week before Christmas, but check the hours.

Getting there

Trains run every few minutes at busy times, and the fastest takes about 12 minutes. Livorno Centrale is about 1.5 km from the centre, so walk or take a bus. A ticket costs only a few euros.

In the city

The Venezia Nuova quarter is a district of canals and bridges, built in the seventeenth century, and a short flat walk from the centre. The Fortezza Vecchia, an old fortress by the harbour, and the Fortezza Nuova are worth a look from the outside, and check whether either is open on the day. The Terrazza Mascagni is a long seafront promenade paved in a black and white chequered pattern, and it is flat, with benches facing the sea.

The covered Mercato Centrale is a large market, with fish, meat and vegetable stalls. Check the opening times, because many food markets close in the afternoon and on some days.

Lunch

Livorno's dish is cacciucco, a spiced fish stew eaten with toasted bread, and a plate of fried fish is also typical. Book a table at midday if you want cacciucco, and ask whether it is on the menu, because some places serve it only on certain days.

Getting back

Take the train back to Pisa Centrale. Check the last trains, and allow a margin if you have a flight that evening.