Lucca is a stunning town in Tuscany which still retains its city walls all the way round. They are the best preserved such walls in all of Europe. The centre is almost completely car-free and the locals get about by bike. Wander the peaceful streets and indulge in dreams of yesteryear before sampling a local aperitivo.
1. Climb Torre Guinigi
Enjoy the views and shade from the oak trees growing at the top of the tower!
2. Indulge at a gelateria!
Nocciola is very highly recommended.
3. Visit Piazza del Mercato
An oval shaped piazza that has been built on the site of the old Roman Amphitheatre and takes exactly the same shape.
4. Hire some bikes and cycle around the walls
Lucca is one of the best places to hire bikes. It’s also one of the few places where you can cycle around the city walls. And it doesn’t involve as much balancing and terrifying falls as you might imagine. The walls around the city are more of a 4km long park encircling the centro storico, with trees shading the path. The only real danger is avoiding all the locals indulging in a passagiata.
5. Visit the strangely squashed-up-alongside-the-bell-tower Cathedral
Your eyes are not deceiving you, the third arch is smaller than the others. The bell tower was already there when construction of the Cathedral started.
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