Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel Guide 2017 has listed the Tuscan town of Pistoia in the Top 10 of cities to visit. Pistoia is listed in 6th place after Bordeaux, Cape Town, and Los Angeles.
Samuele Bertinelli, mayor of Pistoia, commented by saying that “the naming of Pistoia on Lonely Planet among the ten top destinations to visit in 2017 by one of the most popular and prestigious tour guides launches the city into a dimension of extraordinary international visibility it had never before had.”
Located only a 30-minute drive from Tuscany’s capital Florence, the medieval city of Pistoia is often overlooked by both foreign and Italian tourists. But it looks like Pistoia is finally getting the appreciation it deserves, receiving a nod from the online travel community and being appointed Italian Capital of Culture in 2017.
Pistoia is sometimes called “Little Florence” and the town has a lot to offer regarding history, culture, and entertainment. But not being discovered yet by mass tourism, Pistoia has retained its identity of a small town whose economy is mostly driven by the cultivation of plants and trees.
Historical center of Pistoia with the Cathedral and the Bishops Palace.
Visit Pistoia
If you are looking for a day-trip from Florence, Pistoia is just a short drive away and can also be reached by train. The best place to start your visit is on the main square where the Cathedral of Zeno and the baptistery are located, and start exploring the historic center from there. Enjoy the Romanesque and Renaissance monuments, the many churches (don’t miss the Church of San Giovanni), the picturesque squares and the Bishops Palace that houses the Cathedral Museum and the archaeological tour in the basement of the building.
Cathedral of San Zeno
Church of San Giovanni
Pistoia City Guide
On this map, you can find all the main attractions of Pistoia. You can save it in your Google maps.
Visit our Pistoia City Guide for more information about all the places listed on the map, Pistoia’s main events, history, and tourist services.
