Leaning Tower of Pisa

I remember growing up and seeing so many fascinating monuments and buildings from far away lands - including the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

I never once, however, imagined that I would actually travel to any of them and see them in person.

I was thrilled when I realized that I would have the opportunity to see the Leaning Tower in person. We were heading from Florence to the Cinque Terre by train and had set aside a few hours for a pit-stop in Pisa, Italy.

From the train, it's fairly easy to locate. It takes 20 minutes or so to get there, but it is virtually the only thing in the town that people go to. We ended up just following everyone else who got off of the train with us. That's likely the easiest path.

Upon arriving, you'll see loads of restaurants and tourist shops surrounding the area. Additionally, there's a large church to the side of the tower.

You can pay a fee to enter the tower and travel up, if you so desire.

There are multiple signs telling the history of the tower and why it still stands today instead of falling to the ground.

Also - pictures. Everyone and their dog (sometimes literally) will be posing for strange pictures of themselves holding up the tower. I even joined in the fun just to see what it would look like.

We allotted ourselves just over two hours for the stay, which was perfect timing. Twenty minutes there and 20 minutes back, plus pictures at the Leaning Tower. We even had time for a nice meal close to the tower.

If you plan on traveling here, I would definitely recommend just staying for a few hours. It will make for an unforgettable experience, though.