Funny how we’re often so convinced the highlight of our trip will inevitably be the [insert top tourist site like the Leaning Tower of Pisa or the Uffizi Gallery in Florence]. For me this time, it was Lucca. Not a dashing Italian, a quiet walled town in northwestern Tuscany. Only 30 min by train from Pisa and a little over an hour from Florence, spending a day or ideally two here will do wonders for your soul.
Inside the walls
Your first view of Lucca is a partially hidden one with the train station sitting directly across from the southern walls. The massive ramparts that greet you on arrival encircle the historic center, calling you to come and see what’s hidden behind.
As soon as you cross over to the other side, you’re transported to one of the loveliest medieval city centers as if by magic. You’ve left the modern world behind, including all the traffic and urban noise, and found yourself enclosed in a peaceful cocoon of narrow lanes and tall spires. Welcome to one of Tuscany’s most charming towns.
As you explore the winding streets, lift your eyes up from time to time to spot some of the towers still standing today. There used to be more than 250 all over the city a few centuries ago, built by powerful families to show-off their social status.
Grab breakfast at Caffè Santa Zita in Piazza San Frediano opposite the Basilica and its extraordinary mosaic-filled façade.
Get cozy in one of their elegant rooms inside or walk across the house to find the loveliest garden courtyard at the back. Their signature Giunchiglie (flower-shaped French-style croissants) filled with either pastry cream, chocolate or pistacchio is as pretty as it is delicious.
Continue soaking up Lucca’s very chill vibes in its large town square, Piazza Napoleone. Lined with cafes and a Ducal Palace, a quick walk around its perimeter will show you locals socializing at tables or picnicking under the shade of a tree.
The adjoining Piazza del Giglio, where you’ll also find the theater and opera house, serves as a hub for cultural activities. You’re likely to stumble upon a craft market or live performance if you visit in the summer.
A pottery festival was taking place while I was there with artisans from all over Italy showcasing traditional and more modern creations.
Linger over old books and art in the most charming “little book square” at La Piazzetta del Libro. The open bookshop tucked away in the labyrinth of medieval streets is a great excuse to slow down and perhaps even find a vintage treasure to bring back home.
Towering views
You haven’t really seen Lucca if you stayed at ground level the whole time. While many of the original towers are long gone, there are about nine still standing today and two that have been fully restored and are open to visitors. I climbed Torre delle Ore (Clock Tower), the tallest in the historic center, and its 207 steps to the top.
No need to sell you on the views over the rooftops of Lucca and the rolling hills in the distance – just magnificent.
You also get a great view of the other tower you can climb, Torre Guinigi, famous for the oak trees growing at the top.
Lucca is also know as the “city of a hundred churches” and their bell towers seen from up there certainly help support that claim.
Let your meandering pick where you’ll eat lunch. In a city as atmospheric as Lucca, all you want is a little table in a little piazza. To stare longingly at the faded yellow façades, striking stone churches, and Italians socializing….preferably with a glass of wine in hand.
Vino & Spuntino (literally Wine & Snacks) on Piazza S. Giusto was just the ticket with melt-in-your-mouth pork cheeks, excellent wine, and the perfect piazza setting.
Walk the city walls
The medieval walls surrounding the historic city center make for a delightful walk of approximately 2.5 miles. You can access the now public park via multiple stairs and ramps (cyclists love it).
The 40-foot high and 90-foot wide promenade has plenty of shade with its double avenue of trees.
You get a unique perspective on many of Lucca’s historic buildings like the Duomo di San Martino, originally built in 1070.
Some of the city’s prettiest palazzos are also easier to admire from up here. The Palazzo Pfanner is known for its beautiful garden with Baroque statues to the rear and formed the backdrop of numerous movies including Portrait of a Lady (1996) with Nicole Kidman.
If the tower climb and city walls are still not high enough, there are hot air ballon rides leaving from Lucca just by the walls to take you over the fairytale town and the Tuscan countryside.
Piazza dell’Anfiteatro
The very center of Lucca is a one-of-a-kind oval piazza – Piazza dell’Anfiteatro. Built on the remains of a Roman amphitheater, it since swapped mortal combats for lively cafes, restaurants, and shops.
It really is a beautiful “square”, and entering it via one of the four arched gates like the gladiators in the old days make it even more impressive.
Another famous although much smaller square is Piazza Cittadella where the opera composer Giacomo Puccini was born. A bronze statue of Puccini sitting relaxed in a chair and holding a cigarette stands in the center, right by the house where he spent his childhood (now the Puccini Museum).
His presence is felt elsewhere too, with the vibrant painted shutters all over town dedicated to the women of his operas.
Old walls & churches
You might get a bit tired of churches after a few weeks in Tuscany, as I was, but I still found their faded exterior beautifully romantic.
You won’t be able to miss San Michele in Foro built over the ancient Roman forum. There’s the size, sure, but it’s the rich façade with twisted marble columns and the huge winged statue of St Michael all the way at the top that’ll catch your eyes.
Smaller ones appear around every corner, baked into the architectural fabric of Lucca.
The most famous of them all, the cathedral of San Martino, rises dramatically from a small square. You got a better perspective on its size on your city walls walk, but now you can go inside – it’s one of the few that’s worth taking a peek around.
Evenings in Lucca
This is where it pays to stay the night instead of merely visiting for the day. Lucca shines at any time of day but there’s a special kind of magic that happens in these walled cities when the light starts to fade and the day’s visitors are gone…
When it comes to dinner, don’t be fooled by the medieval character of the city. Lucca has some very special contemporary restaurants that would become real hotspots in cities like Florence. Osteria Nova is a prime example of that.
Pick between the modern dining room or the adorable outdoor terrace on a quiet piazza and you’re set for an intimate and special evening.
Innovative takes on Italian and Mediterranean cuisine are the draw. Sit back and sip on excellent local wines while you slowly savor flavorful dishes such as their seasonal vegetable croquette…
…and homemade raviolis stuffed with quail.
Make sure to leave room for dessert.
Retrace absolutely all of your steps from the day post-dinner to capture Lucca at dusk and see the piazzas bursting with locals eating out.
San Michele appears to be a favorite meeting spot with many bars and gelateria feeding the late evening crowd.
Empty streets glowing with lanterns are so atmospheric.
The old amphitheater is packed, the noise spilling out of its entry gates as if a gladiator game was on.
Spend the night in a unique and cozy accommodation within the walls to stretch that trip back in time. My room in a 19th century palazzo at Inside the Wall (no joke) was the perfect blend of comfort and rustic steps away from all there is to see in Lucca.
Make one last stop before catching your train the next day at Ristorante cocktail bar San Colombano – the closest you can be to the train station while still enjoying the walls. Tapas, cocktails, Tuscan cuisine and a lovely terrace atop the city walls is a fitting way to say goodbye to this stunner of a city.
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