Lucca in Tuscany was the first stop of our short tour of NW Italy by train. It’s a beautiful city famous for many things. A beautiful Italian town, Lucca is the region’s most popular and loved ancient town.
Here’s some of the amazing things we discovered and loved about Lucca on our recent visit.
What you need to know:
It’s well preserved Renaissance era city walls that circle the historic centre. The city is nicknamed the “City of 100 Churches” due to its rich collection of religious buildings with its historical and architectural heritage.
Lucca is an Italian City of Art “Citta d’arte”, which makes it a popular destination for tourists interested in art, history and architecture.
The city was the birthplace of Italian composer Giacorno Puccini, who is regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi.
Inside the walls lies a myriad of cobbled streets lined with designer and artisan shops and many fine cafe’s, restaurants and bars. The streets are alive by day and night.
The city walls are a good spot for a walk or cycle as the views are incredible with lots of places to stop for a coffee and something to eat along the way.
We stayed in a hotel just outside the city walls which was ideally located and just a short walk into the city.
The hotel had a lovely pool and outdoor terrace area, plus we were given a room upgrade which included a shaded terrace and a private garden, so after a day exploring we could come back and chill in the sun with a cold beer/wine before heading out for the evening.
We spent three days in Lucca (before moving to Liguria), and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for something a bit different. Three days is long enough to see everything, so it makes a great city break.
How to get there:
Lucca is an easy place to get to. We flew to Pisa then took a short monorail journey to Pisa Centrale where we caught a direct train to Lucca.
Have you been to this historical city?
Would I go back? – 100% YES.
Article written and images by Chris Scott @awaydaysandholidays
