Leaning Tower of Pisa

The famous bell tower that began to lean while it was being built in the 12th century, because of soft ground. Engineers stabilised it in the 1990s and 2000s. You can climb the 251 steps to the top on a timed ticket. It stands on the Piazza dei Miracoli, the 'Square of Miracles', with the cathedral, the baptistery and the cemetery, all in white marble on a green lawn.

Book the tower climb online; children under 8 aren't allowed up. Pisa is an easy day trip from Florence by train (about an hour).