Things to do in Livorno
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Cantina Senese
Food- and value-conscious harbour workers are the first to fill the long wooden tables at this wonderfully unpretentious and friendly eatery, with neighbourhood families arriving later. Ordering is frequently done via faith in one’s server, rather than by menu. The mussels are exceptionally good, as is the cacciucco di pesce (fish stew).
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Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago Toscan
According to local legend, when Venus rose from the waves, seven precious stones fell from her tiara, creating seven islands off the Tuscan coast. They range from the 530 sq km of Elba, the largest, to tiny Montecristo, at just over 1000 hectares. All except Montecristo, nowadays a closed marine biological reserve, rely mainly on income from tourism. This national park was established in 1996 to protect the delicate ecosystems of the islands.
But it's not only the land that's protected - the 60,000 hectares of sea that washes around the islands make up Europe's largest marine protected area. Here, typical Mediterranean fish abound and rare species, such as the wonderfully…
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Enoteca D.O.C. Parole e Cibi
Changes its menu weekly; you can enjoy fresh pasta dishes, superb seafood and a variety of carpaccio served with bread that - for once - is entirely worth that vexing coperto (cover charge in restaurants). The wines are excellent; it styles itself as an enoteca, olioteca (oil) and whiskyteca so you can be confident of getting top quality lubricants, whatever your preference. For dessert, a sugary, chocolate pastry, with vanilla cream.
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Osteria La Barrocciaia
The worst-kept dining secret in Livorno it may be, but locating Barrocciaia still takes a careful eye, what with it being the most inconspicuous facade and well-hidden sign in Piazza Cavallotti. Big sandwiches (€5) are sold out of the tiny front room, but with luck and timing you can score a table and enjoy the real reason every local speaks of this place with reverence.
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Beaches
The Etruscan Coast (Costa degli Etruschi) begins south of Livorno. The town's beaches stretch for some way southwards but they are pebbly and generally nothing special. Overlooking a few are some grand old seaside villas that merit more than a glance. Bus No 1 from the main train station heads down the coast road, passing via the town centre and Porto Mediceo.
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Fortezza Nuova
The Fortezza Nuova, built for the Medici family in the late 16th century, is in an area known as Piccola Venezia (Little Venice) because of its small canals. The interior is now a park and little remains of the fort except for the sturdy outer walls.
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Antica Venezia
A dog-eared, pen-written menu filled with tempting dishes can be produced, with difficulty, if requested, but servers prefer to launch straight into the catch-of-the-day specials, usually negating the need for further consideration. A giant cacciucco costs €16.
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Fortezza Vecchia
Close to the waterfront, the Fortezza Vecchia was constructed 60 years earlier on the site of an 11th-century building. With huge vertical cracks and bits crumbling away, it looks as though it might give up and slide into the sea at any moment.
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Ristorante Lavilla
Ristorante Lavilla offers gourmet cuisine and keeps a great cellar of wines and whiskies. Bus No 3 runs hourly from Piazza Grande. Driving, take the Montanero exit from the A12. Driving from Livorno, signage is criminally inadequate. Call ahead for directions.
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Osteria Buatino
Though they were still painting and picking out tile at the time of writing, keep an eye out for Osteria Buatino managed by the same people who run a much loved place in Lucca by the same name, specializing in typical Tuscan and Livorno area cuisine.
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Mercato Centrale
Mercato Centrale, Livorno’s magnificent late-19th-century, 95m-long neoclassical food market, miraculously survived Allied WWII bombing. Arrive early to appreciate the wares on offer in the amazing fish section.
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Barge
Join the effortlessly hip young crowd inside this approximation of an English pub or enjoy the breeze on one of the trio of boat-shaped waterfront terraces. It also functions as a piano bar and restaurant.
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Museo di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo
Livorno’s hands-on Museo di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo is an exhaustive, first-rate museum experience for the natural sciences. Temporary exhibits rotate continually.
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Il Giro del Cane
A Slow Food endorsed eatery, serving up classic, yet delicious Livorno seafood dishes with the occasional creative zap. It's well worth the walk to its eccentric location.
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Vecchia Livorno
Facing the Fortezza Nuova, this small, intimate family restaurant has a buzzy neighbourhood feel. Expect hearty, filling food; stick with the excellent fresh fish.
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Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori
The Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori, in a pretty park 1km south of the city, features works by the Livorno-based 19th-century Macchiaioli school.
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Cathedral
The city's unspectacular cathedral, designed by visiting British architect Inigo Jones, was later used by Jones as a model for the layout of Covent Garden.
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Ristorante Città Orientale
For a change, this Chinese restaurant offers a wide selection of dishes without the usual migraine-inducing décor. The set menus are great value.
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Ristorante Aragosta
Right on the waterfront, this is the place for seafood. A nondescript exterior masks inner pleasures, mainly of a fishy kind.
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