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Lucca
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
city · IT

Lucca

Recommended stay: 2 days
Getting around: Lucca's historic center is famously encircled by a completely intact set of Renaissance walls, wide enough on top to walk or bike the full 4.2km loop — renting a bicycle for this walk is one of the signature things to do in the city, and rentals are available right by the walls. Inside, the old town is flat and entirely walkable; trains connect to Florence, Pisa, and Viareggio easily, and there's no need for a car in the center.
Hours: The Guinigi Tower, topped by its distinctive rooftop oak trees, keeps standard hours with a shorter winter schedule; most churches close at midday, and the wall-top path itself has no fixed hours and is a pleasant option even in early evening once museum-going is done.

Lucca is defined by its walls — a complete, unbroken Renaissance-era fortification circling the entire historic center, wide and grassy on top, that were never actually breached in battle and have survived intact into the present as a public park rather than being torn down for modern roads, as happened in most other Italian cities. Walking or cycling the full loop is one of the best low-key activities in Tuscany, giving views into the old town on one side and out to surrounding hills on the other.

Inside the walls, Lucca has a dense, well-preserved medieval and Renaissance center without Florence's crowds: the oval Piazza Anfiteatro, built directly over the footprint of a Roman amphitheater, is one of Italy's more striking examples of ancient structure dictating modern urban form, and the Guinigi Tower, with mature oak trees growing improbably from its rooftop garden, is a genuinely unusual landmark climb. The city also has deep musical history — Puccini was born here, and his childhood home is now a small museum.

Lucca gets a fraction of Florence's tourist volume despite being under half an hour away by train, largely because it lacks a single blockbuster museum, but that's exactly why many visitors who've already done Florence find it more relaxing — a real, lived-in Tuscan city rather than one organized primarily around visitor flow.

Lucca FAQs

Is it worth biking Lucca's city walls?

Yes — it's one of the most distinctive things to do in Tuscany: a flat, tree-lined 4.2km loop atop intact Renaissance fortifications, with rental bikes available right at the walls.

How is Piazza Anfiteatro connected to Roman history?

The oval piazza follows the exact footprint of a Roman amphitheater that once stood there — medieval buildings were constructed directly on its foundations, preserving the ancient shape in the modern streetscape.

Is Lucca a good day trip from Florence?

Yes, under 1.5 hours by train, though it's also a pleasant place to stay a night or two given how much less crowded it is than Florence.

What's the Guinigi Tower known for?

A cluster of holm oak trees growing on its rooftop terrace — visible from the ground and a distinctive reward at the top of the climb.

Is Lucca connected to Puccini?

Yes, the composer was born in Lucca, and his childhood home is now a small museum in the historic center.

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