Walk Lucca: Walled streets and intimate piazzas
Visit Lucca to enjoy a compact, walkable Italian city where intact Renaissance walls, quiet squares and local food make time feel measured and pleasant. Start by walking or cycling the tree‑lined 16th‑century ramparts for long views and a sense of the city’s scale. Drop into Piazza dell’Anfiteatro and the Cathedral of San Martino, then climb the Guinigi Tower for the oak‑crowned panorama. Explore Puccini’s birthplace, browse the San Michele market, and taste local specialties like tordelli and buccellato in a neighbourhood osteria. Practical takeaways: base yourself inside the walls, hire a bike for an hour, arrive early at key sites, and use Lucca as a calm hub for quick trips to Pisa or the Tuscan coast.
Lucca’s Renaissance walls form a 4.2 km, car‑free ring that now serves as a 96‑hectare public park of tree‑lined ramparts—ideal for an easy walk or bike lap.
City Walls & Gates
Start with the answer: Lucca is best seen from its ramparts. Walk, cycle or pause for a coffee as you move between the city’s storied entries — notably Porta Elisa , the graceful neoclassical gateway, and the fortified views at Baluardo San Salvatore . Continue along the circuit to Baluardo San Pietro for panoramic cityscapes and occasional historical reenactments, then slip through Porta di San Gervasio into atmospheric streets. These connected sites make the walls not a single sight but a way to navigate Lucca: they orient you, offer leafy respite and reveal neighbourhood life as much as history.
Torre Guinigi rises 44.25 meters; climb 230 steps to reach its rooftop garden of holm oaks—a rare medieval skyline signature you can stand beneath.
Museums and Churches
If you want context fast, head to Lucca’s compact cultural core. The well-displayed collections at Museo Nazionale di Villa Guinigi give a tidy chronological introduction to the area, while the immersive Via Francigena Entry Point - Museum brings the pilgrim route to life with interactive displays. Pause in the cool nave and cloisters of Chiesa di San Francesco for art, music and quiet, and then look out for the striking sculptural presence of Madonna dello Stellario in its piazza. Together these stops combine visual art, local history and spiritual architecture — compact, informative and easy to slot into a half-day.
Piazza dell’Anfiteatro keeps the oval footprint of Lucca’s 2nd‑century Roman amphitheatre; the arena lies about 3 meters below today’s paving, opened up in 1830 by architect Lorenzo Nottolini.
Cook, Taste, Learn
Want a hands-on memory? Learn to make pasta, sauces and regional dishes in a short, practical class then eat what you’ve made. Join chef Paolo Monti’s cucina italiana cooking school for lively, approachable sessions or book a course with Italian Cuisine - Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana for technique-focused workshops and shared long-table meals. After class, pick up spices and snacks at the colourful New Sri Lanka Market to experiment with flavours back home. These experiences are practical, friendly and excellent if you prefer doing to just watching.
Lucca is Puccini’s hometown: he was born here on 22 December 1858, and his Casa Natale museum displays the Steinway piano on which he composed parts of Turandot.
Markets, Gardens & Stays
For practical pleasures and a place to rest, mix green spaces with local markets and considered hotels. The compact Orto Botanico Comunale di Lucca is a calm, photogenic garden for a morning stroll, while the seasonal Farmer’s market - biodynamic, organic, local, authentic, quality offers artisan produce and conversations with growers. Base yourself at Hotel Ilaria - Lucca for free bikes and a welcoming daily routine, and use Comune Di Lucca as a shorthand for local services, routes and municipal advice as you plan each day. These stops make Lucca comfortable, convenient and quietly local.
Lucca Comics & Games takes over the historic center each year in late October–early November; in 2024 the festival ran Oct 30–Nov 3 with a daily cap of 80,000 entry tickets.