Certaldo
4.5
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Certaldo and nearby attractions
The area
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
49 within 5 kms
Attractions
116 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,316 reviews
Excellent
786
Very good
461
Average
51
Poor
10
Terrible
8
Brian S
2 contributions
Apr 2022
My parents & I visited this medieval hilltop city on the recommendation of a local winery and we had the best time exploring the little shops. One of our favorite restaurants was Bar Boccaccio Caffetteria & the little store across the street (this place had the best pizza & pasta dishes in town). I can't find the name but it is directly across from the Bar Boccaccio Caffetteria - check it out!
Written 2 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Finediner
Sydney, Australia3 contributions
Dec 2019
Some great old age, renaissance charm still preserved in this beautiful town. Great atmosphere and to see the locals work on their produce ie olives was great. Tourists beware- the siesta from 1 pm to 4 pm means limited options for dining.
Written 1 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christine T
Pisa, Italy34 contributions
Sept 2021
Lovely place to visit which is reached by finicular. If you are travelling with a dog it must be muzzled. The village is very small with a good selection of bars and eating places. It is not too busy and you feel very relaxed roaming around. Highly recommend a visit
Written 15 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Caleb
Yorkshire, UK142 contributions
Sept 2020
Certaldo is such a nice place. Quirky medieval streets, situated high up with views all around of Tuscany. No need to worry about walking to the old town. Certaldo has a cable cart running to the top. Shops, cafes, restaurants, museums and much much more. Well worth a visit.
Written 14 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NHDG
Alton, UK269 contributions
Aug 2020
Absolute delight!
We visited on the last day of a two week break in Tuscany. Having been to Pisa, Florence, Siena etc. Old Certaldo was a highlight for us.
It was very enjoyable to have a walk around, lunch, another wander and then coffee at a small bar. The funicular railway is the icing on the cake because it quite literally transports you up the hill and away from normal expectations of a day to day town.
If you are nearby, please do put it on your list.
We visited on the last day of a two week break in Tuscany. Having been to Pisa, Florence, Siena etc. Old Certaldo was a highlight for us.
It was very enjoyable to have a walk around, lunch, another wander and then coffee at a small bar. The funicular railway is the icing on the cake because it quite literally transports you up the hill and away from normal expectations of a day to day town.
If you are nearby, please do put it on your list.
Written 1 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ian J
Penzance, UK3 contributions
May 2023 • Solo
A beautiful and compact wall town on a hill. Wonderfully preserved. The pass for all the museums is very good value. It was nothing like as commercialised as San Giminiano, which I visited the day before, and much quieter. Although smaller this was the better experience
Written 5 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
maximPZ
Seattle, WA12 contributions
May 2023 • Solo
I went to a pottery school here. Nice little town. Certaldol Alto, the old town has nice restaurants and shops. The area around the train station has many amenities. I stayed at Testi, a villa nearby, with other students in our group. A true Tuscan experience.
Written 15 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
operalover939
Toronto, Canada2,930 contributions
Sept 2023 • Family
We parked our car in the lot at the foot of the funicular and took it up to the old town. A gently rising road then took us to the museum at the top. We walked some distance to the left and got a fine view across the fields and forests to the distant towers of San Gimignano. Well worth the walk!
Written 26 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TuscanWino
Brevard, NC157 contributions
Oct 2018 • Couples
Certaldo Alto is certainly one of the nicest medieval hilltop towns, easily accessed from Certaldo Basso by funiculare. Be sure to stop in to see the ceramics on the main street not far from the funiculare; the 'artigiani' here have hand-painted it all, and one of them should be at work in the shop.
In addition, one of our favorite places is in the low city: Bar Jam, near the train station. Here you can sit outside with the locals and enjoy complimentary nosh with your drink. They specialize in a "Jam Spritz" which uses a special grapefruit-based liqueur instead of Aperol; our visiting friends all love it. Bar Jam also has a nice selection of homemade pastry.
Free parking is available on the back side of the railroad tracks, but there may be no spaces during the day. It may be more convenient to park behind Bar Jam and pay a couple of euros. There is also parking in the central Piazza Boccaccio, metered. That piazza is at one end of the traffic-free shopping street (Via Il Giugno), with the railroad station at the other end. It's a good place for the afternoon passegiata. The book shop on the street usually has a copy of the NY Times, and the ATM at the bank works. There's also a good gelato joint.
If you need to shop for food there is a large COOP off the main street at the north end of town. The COOP is easily accessed from the bypass road that runs west of the railroad tracks, or up the main street. For household items galore, try Mr. House, which is just across the bridge to Gambassi, as the road turns left. Better than Dollar General.
There are two good pizza places near Piazza Boccaccio, and good Tuscan cuisine at Casalinga (see my review).
Finally, just out of town on the road to Gambassi there are two orange 'autovelox' speed trap boxes. They have been out of service for years.
In addition, one of our favorite places is in the low city: Bar Jam, near the train station. Here you can sit outside with the locals and enjoy complimentary nosh with your drink. They specialize in a "Jam Spritz" which uses a special grapefruit-based liqueur instead of Aperol; our visiting friends all love it. Bar Jam also has a nice selection of homemade pastry.
Free parking is available on the back side of the railroad tracks, but there may be no spaces during the day. It may be more convenient to park behind Bar Jam and pay a couple of euros. There is also parking in the central Piazza Boccaccio, metered. That piazza is at one end of the traffic-free shopping street (Via Il Giugno), with the railroad station at the other end. It's a good place for the afternoon passegiata. The book shop on the street usually has a copy of the NY Times, and the ATM at the bank works. There's also a good gelato joint.
If you need to shop for food there is a large COOP off the main street at the north end of town. The COOP is easily accessed from the bypass road that runs west of the railroad tracks, or up the main street. For household items galore, try Mr. House, which is just across the bridge to Gambassi, as the road turns left. Better than Dollar General.
There are two good pizza places near Piazza Boccaccio, and good Tuscan cuisine at Casalinga (see my review).
Finally, just out of town on the road to Gambassi there are two orange 'autovelox' speed trap boxes. They have been out of service for years.
Written 25 October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
erw49
Sacramento, CA64 contributions
Oct 2016 • Couples
The variety of veggies, cheeses, and fruits made for superb choices for homemade dinner at our apartment at Il Paluffo. Definitely for the locals so you are shoulder to shoulder with knowlegeable buyers.
Written 28 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Clausjoh,
We are headed to Mercantia this year. Would you be able to answer a couple questions about the festival and the town of Certaldo? When you say it's best to go to the back of the town, do you mean in Certaldo Alto, up the hill? I'm looking to find the best place to park. Also, does the festival take place in the lower area or in both places? Thanks!
Written 28 June 2019
When is the Farmers' Marker I'm Certaldo?
Written 18 April 2018
Leanne C
Pennyroyal, Australia
We are thinking of staying for our last 5 days in Italy. We have hired a car and I understand we are to park outside the walls. When we sight see around Florence, Pisa etc is this a good base to come home to at night? What time does the funicular stop at night? Thank you in advance Leanne
Written 27 February 2018
Bonjour, est-ce que c'est possible de demeurer à Certaldo sans avoir de voiture et d'aller visiter les villes comme Florence, Pise, San Gimignano, Volterra et Sienne.? Merci de prendre la peine de me répondre.
Lise
Written 28 November 2017
Je ne sais pas si cést possible. Nos allons avec voiture...
Written 5 December 2017
Il lunedi è aperta la casa di Boccaccio e il palazzo pretorio? E i negozi?
Grazie.
Written 30 September 2017
Credo sia aperto,non essendo più in soggiorno lì ho provato a fare ricerche e pare che a tutto ottobre sia aperto tutti i giorni
Written 30 September 2017
We have dinner reservations tonite in certaldo alto. Can we drive up there and is there parking?
Written 22 May 2017
Probably late answering this- I apologize. The best way to get to Certaldo alto is to take the funicular. You can walk back down as it isn't bad at all. Hope you have a great time!
Written 29 June 2017
Is it worth visiting LaMeridian if you're a student of pottery?
Written 29 April 2017
Yes it is, if you choose the right class. I went to a Jan Edwards workshop thinking it was more advanced than it was. She is actually a terrible instructor and we were disappointed. However, Pietro, Claudia and the team are great, the location is great, the studio space is great, the accommodation is great. So choose your program wisely and you will really love it.
Written 2 March 2018
re Certaldo, We see that a recent visitor in March found Monday a hopeless day to visit. Are the restaurants, etc, closed on Mondays in mid-July? That is when we plan to be there.
thanks.
Written 27 May 2016
I was not there on a Monday but many restaurants do close on Mondays in the towns we were in. However, there is usually something open such as a smaller pizza place. The exception seems to be the more tourist towns where most restaurants stay open every day. Certaldo is a good sized town so I would not worry about it.
Written 1 June 2016
Showing results 1-10 of 10
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing