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Tuscany's best-preserved walled city — cycle the Renaissance ramparts, climb Torre Guinigi, and stay sustainably
Lucca is one of Tuscany's most captivating and best-preserved cities — a place where the Renaissance feels close enough to touch. Unlike Florence, which draws millions every year, Lucca remains relatively unhurried, offering a more authentic Italian experience at a gentler pace. The city's most iconic feature is its completely intact ring of Renaissance walls, built between the 16th and 17th centuries and stretching 4.2 kilometres around the entire old town. Today, these broad, tree-lined ramparts serve as an elevated park where locals and visitors walk, jog, and cycle high above the rooftops, shaded by enormous plane trees with views stretching to the Apuan Alps on clear days.
Within the walls, Lucca unfolds as a labyrinth of narrow medieval lanes, unexpected piazzas, and over 100 churches spanning nearly every architectural era from Romanesque to Baroque. The oval Piazza dell'Anfiteatro — built directly on the foundations of a 2nd-century Roman amphitheatre — is one of Italy's most distinctive public spaces, its curved facades preserving the exact footprint of the ancient arena. Nearby stands Torre Guinigi, the 14th-century tower crowned with a remarkable garden of holm oak trees growing on its rooftop 44 metres above street level, creating one of the most photographed images in all of Tuscany.
Lucca is also the birthplace of Giacomo Puccini, the composer of La Bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly. His childhood home on Corte San Lorenzo is now a museum. The city's culinary heritage is equally distinguished — Lucca sits at the heart of one of Italy's finest olive oil-producing regions, with Lucchese extra-virgin olive oil carrying a DOP designation. The nearby Garfagnana valley supplies prized farro (spelt), chestnuts, and truffles that feature prominently in the local cuisine. For travellers who appreciate history, architecture, and gastronomy without the crushing crowds, Lucca delivers like few cities in Italy.
When you book your Lucca hotel through IMPT, you pay the same price as Booking.com, receive EUR5 free credit on your first booking, and earn 5% cashback in IMPT tokens. Every booking removes 1 tonne of CO₂ — meaning your Tuscan holiday actively contributes to environmental restoration.
Getting there: Lucca's main train station (Stazione di Lucca) sits just outside the southern walls, a five-minute walk from the historic centre. Regional trains from Pisa Centrale run every 30 minutes (journey time approximately 30 minutes), making Lucca an easy connection from Pisa Galileo Galilei Airport. From Florence Santa Maria Novella, direct trains take about 1 hour 20 minutes. The A11 motorway connects Lucca to Pisa, Florence, and the coast. Viareggio beach is just 25 minutes by train or car.
The single best thing you can do on arrival in Lucca is rent a bicycle. The city is remarkably flat — the entire historic centre sits on the Serchio river plain — and cycling is the primary mode of transport for locals. Several rental shops cluster around Piazza Santa Maria and near the train station, offering city bikes from about €15 per day. Once on two wheels, start with a full circuit of the walls — the 4.2 km tree-lined loop takes about 25 minutes at a leisurely pace and offers constantly changing perspectives over both the old town's towers and churches and the surrounding Lucchese hills thick with olive groves.
From Lucca, the surrounding region opens up brilliantly for day trips. The Garfagnana — the mountainous valley of the upper Serchio river northwest of the city — is one of Tuscany's most underrated areas, with the medieval hilltop village of Barga (40 minutes by car) offering a stunning Romanesque cathedral and panoramic views of the Apuan Alps. Pisa and its Leaning Tower are just 30 minutes away by train, making a half-day excursion simple. For a beach day, Viareggio on the Versilian coast is 25 minutes by rail, with wide sandy beaches backed by Liberty-style architecture. Bagni di Lucca, once a fashionable thermal spa town patronised by Shelley, Byron, and Montaigne, lies 30 minutes north with natural hot springs still in operation.
Timing your visit around one of Lucca's major events adds another dimension entirely. Lucca Comics & Games in late October is one of Europe's largest comics and gaming festivals, drawing over 300,000 visitors and transforming the entire walled city into a cosplay-filled spectacle. The Luminara di Santa Croce on September 13th sees the city lit by thousands of candles in honour of the Volto Santo crucifix — a genuinely magical evening. The Lucca Summer Festival (June–July) stages open-air concerts on Piazza Napoleone featuring major international acts. And in November and December, the Garfagnana's truffle markets bring the region's prized white and black truffles into the city's restaurants and food shops.
The obvious first choice. Staying inside the walls puts you within walking distance of every major sight — Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, the cathedral, Torre Guinigi, and all the best restaurants. Hotels here tend to occupy converted palazzi, offering period architecture with modern comforts. The trade-off is limited car access (the ZTL restricted-traffic zone covers most of the centre), but since Lucca is best explored on foot or by bike, this is rarely an issue. The most atmospheric streets cluster around Via Fillungo (the main shopping street) and the quieter lanes near San Frediano.
The northwest corner of the walled city, centred on the magnificent Basilica di San Frediano with its striking 13th-century gold mosaic façade. This is a slightly quieter, more residential quarter with excellent local trattorias, fewer souvenir shops, and a genuinely lived-in feel. You're still inside the walls and within a 10-minute walk of everything, but the pace is a notch slower.
Hotels just outside the southern walls, near Piazzale Verdi and the train station, offer slightly lower prices and easy luggage access without navigating the ZTL. You're literally a two-minute walk through Porta San Pietro or Porta Santa Maria to reach the old town. This is a practical choice if you're arriving late or have early train connections.
The modern neighbourhood south of the station along Viale Cavour. Here you'll find larger hotels with parking — useful if you have a rental car. The historic centre is a 10-minute walk or quick bike ride. Some properties here offer gardens and swimming pools that simply aren't possible within the dense medieval fabric inside the walls.
These are real, established hotels in Lucca — book any of them through IMPT to get the same price as Booking.com with 1 tonne CO₂ removed per booking, EUR5 free credit on your first stay, and 5% cashback in IMPT tokens.
A stylish 4-star hotel set in a converted 19th-century building on Via del Fosso, right beside the canal and a short walk from San Frediano. Rooms blend contemporary design with exposed beams and terracotta floors. The hotel has a peaceful courtyard garden — a rarity inside the walls. Private parking available.
Book Hotel Ilaria →Occupying a beautifully restored 16th-century palazzo on Via Sant'Anastasio in the heart of the old town, Hotel Noblesse offers elegant rooms with coffered ceilings, Murano glass fixtures, and antique furnishings. The rooftop terrace provides views over the city's towers and churches. Steps from Via Fillungo and Piazza dell'Anfiteatro.
Book Hotel Noblesse →An aristocratic residence turned boutique hotel on Via Fillungo, Lucca's main street. The palazzo retains original frescoed ceilings, stone staircases, and period furniture while offering modern bathrooms and air conditioning. Self-catering suites with kitchenettes make it excellent for longer stays. Central location means you're steps from the amphitheatre piazza.
Book Palazzo Busdraghi →Located just outside the walls in the Sant'Anna district, Hotel San Marco offers a swimming pool, large garden, and free private parking — amenities that are hard to find in the historic centre. The hotel's shuttle service and complimentary bicycles make reaching the old town effortless. Rooms are spacious and modern, and the restaurant serves Lucchese specialities.
Book Hotel San Marco →A charming 3-star hotel tucked into a quiet lane just steps from the Cathedral of San Martino. Simply but tastefully furnished rooms, a friendly family-run atmosphere, and one of the best locations in the city for exploring on foot. The owners are generous with local recommendations. Excellent value for money within the walls.
Book Albergo San Martino →Set in two historic buildings connected by a courtyard on Via Fillungo and Corte Compagni, Hotel La Luna has been welcoming guests since 1956. The rooms are comfortable and well-maintained, with parquet floors and classic Italian furnishings. The location is superb — Piazza dell'Anfiteatro is around the corner, and the cathedral is a five-minute walk.
Book Hotel La Luna →A 12th-century palace converted into a refined 4-star hotel on Via Santa Giustina, just off Via Fillungo. Original architectural details — stone arches, terracotta floors, wooden beams — are complemented by antique furniture and modern amenities. Some suites feature private sitting rooms. The palazzo's history stretches back nearly 900 years, and the atmosphere reflects it.
Book Palazzo Alexander →Lucca's city walls are the city's defining feature and one of the best-preserved fortifications in Europe. Built between 1504 and 1645, they were never used in battle — the city avoided conflict through diplomacy rather than force. Today, the 4.2 km circuit atop the walls forms a magnificent tree-lined promenade, 12 metres wide and elevated about 12 metres above street level. Plane trees planted in the early 19th century now form a complete canopy providing welcome shade in summer. The walk takes about 45 minutes on foot, or 20 minutes by bicycle, with eleven bastions offering viewpoints along the way. Don't miss the view from Baluardo San Regolo toward the Apuan Alps.
This 44.25-metre medieval tower, built by the powerful Guinigi family in the 14th century, is famous for the seven holm oak trees growing from its rooftop garden — a feature that has amazed visitors for over 600 years. The 230-step climb is rewarded with a 360-degree panorama over Lucca's rooftops, the walls, the surrounding hills studded with olive groves, and on clear days, the snow-capped Apuan Alps. Open daily; combined tickets available with Torre delle Ore.
One of Italy's most distinctive piazzas, this perfect oval follows the exact outline of the 2nd-century AD Roman amphitheatre on which it was built. The arena once seated 10,000 spectators; over the centuries, buildings were constructed into and on top of the original structure, preserving its elliptical shape. Architect Lorenzo Nottolini cleared the interior in the 1830s, creating today's enclosed piazza ringed with pastel-coloured buildings housing cafés, restaurants, and artisan shops. Best visited in the morning when sunlight fills the space.
Lucca's cathedral, dedicated to Saint Martin, dates from the 11th century and features a striking asymmetric Romanesque façade — the right arch is narrower than the others to accommodate the pre-existing bell tower. Inside, the most treasured possession is the Volto Santo (Holy Face), a large wooden crucifix that tradition holds was carved by Nicodemus, an eyewitness to the Crucifixion. The cathedral also houses the exquisite marble tomb of Ilaria del Carretto by Jacopo della Quercia (c. 1406), considered one of the finest funerary monuments of the Italian Renaissance.
The birthplace of Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) on Corte San Lorenzo is now a museum displaying the composer's personal belongings, original scores, letters, costumes from his operas, and the Steinway piano on which he composed Turandot. The house provides insight into 19th-century Lucchese bourgeois life. Puccini's statue stands in the nearby piazza, a favourite spot for photographs.
Lucca's clock tower, the tallest in the city at approximately 50 metres, has kept time for the city since the 14th century. The hand-wound clockwork mechanism, still in operation, is visible as you climb the 207 wooden steps. From the top, the view is different from Torre Guinigi's — you look directly down onto Via Fillungo and across the rooftop landscape of the old town. A combined ticket with Torre Guinigi offers good value.
This large Romanesque basilica, built in the early 12th century, is immediately recognisable by its striking 13th-century mosaic on the upper façade depicting the Ascension of Christ — one of the few large-scale medieval mosaics on a church exterior in Italy. Inside, the highlight is the ornate 12th-century baptismal font, carved with scenes from the life of Moses, and the chapel of Sant'Agostino with its vivid 16th-century frescoes by Amico Aspertini depicting the arrival of the Volto Santo in Lucca.
This 17th-century palace on Via degli Asili boasts one of the finest Baroque gardens in Tuscany — a formal Italian garden with lemon trees, Baroque statuary, and a grand staircase, all set against the dramatic backdrop of the city walls. The palace interior houses a collection of medical instruments (the Pfanner family were physicians and brewers) and 18th-century costumes. The garden alone is worth the visit and has served as a filming location for several period films, including Jane Campion's Portrait of a Lady.
Standing on the site of the ancient Roman forum, this church boasts one of Lucca's most elaborate façades — four tiers of intricately carved loggias topped by a large statue of the Archangel Michael slaying a dragon. Each column in the façade is unique, carved with different patterns by medieval stonemasons competing to outdo each other. The stark contrast between the extravagant exterior and the relatively simple interior is striking. Puccini sang in the choir here as a boy.
Distance: 4.2 km · Difficulty: Easy, completely flat · Time: 45–60 minutes on foot
The quintessential Lucca walk. The tree-lined ramparts form a complete loop around the old town at rooftop level. Start from any of the main access ramps — the one at Baluardo San Paolino near the station is convenient. The route is shaded by mature plane trees, with benches at regular intervals and views alternating between the medieval skyline inside and the Lucchese hills outside. Completely flat and pushchair-friendly. Evening walks offer superb sunset views toward the mountains.
Distance: 3 km · Difficulty: Easy · Time: 2–3 hours with stops
Start at the Cathedral of San Martino and work your way north through Via Fillungo to Piazza dell'Anfiteatro. Along the way, you'll pass Torre delle Ore, the Church of San Michele in Foro (on the ancient Roman forum), the Puccini birthplace museum on Corte San Lorenzo, and the Basilica di San Frediano. From the amphitheatre piazza, head east to Torre Guinigi for the climb. Finish with a coffee or aperitivo on one of the shaded terraces along Via Fillungo. This route covers all of Lucca's major landmarks in a logical sequence.
Distance: 3.2 km one way · Difficulty: Easy · Time: 1–1.5 hours one way
The Nottolini Aqueduct is a neoclassical aqueduct built between 1823 and 1851 by architect Lorenzo Nottolini to bring water from the hills south of Lucca to the city. Its 459 arches stretch in a straight line from the village of Guamo to the tempietto (small temple) cistern at the edge of Lucca. A walking and cycling path follows the aqueduct through olive groves and open countryside. Start from the tempietto near Porta Elisa and follow the arches south — it's a flat, peaceful walk through the Lucchese countryside with virtually no other tourists.
Month-by-month breakdown of weather, festivals, and crowds — from Lucca Comics in October to summer concerts on Piazza Napoleone.
Tordelli lucchesi, buccellato, cecina, DOP olive oil — plus the best trattorias and osterias inside the walls.
Everything from cycling the walls and climbing Torre Guinigi to day trips to the Garfagnana and the Versilian coast.