Discover Lucca: City Walls, Towers and Musical History

Lucca combines fully preserved city walls, medieval towers, musical history and green paths to create a destination with many different ways to explore it. You can get to know the city on foot, by bicycle, through its museums or by focusing on individual buildings. The combination of historic sites, nature and regional cuisine is also particularly appealing when planning your trip.

City Walls and Paths Between the City and Nature

The Mura di Lucca have been fully preserved to this day and extend for more than four kilometres as an urban park. You can walk along them free of charge or cycle there. The fortifications therefore provide a tangible framework for an exploration that directly connects Lucca’s cityscape with the open stretches of path along the walls.

For outdoor activity beyond the walls, there is the Parco fluviale del Serchio. Its 11-kilometre circular route leads pedestrians and cyclists from the area around Ponte San Quirico to Ponte San Pietro and back. The Ciclopedonale Puccini, by contrast, runs through the walled city of Lucca and includes the Puccini Museum as a stop along the route.

Towers, Squares and Historic Perspectives

The Torre Guinigi is a 45-metre-high tower with a rooftop garden where holm oaks grow. Together with the nearby Torre delle Ore, it is one of two surviving towers among Lucca’s approximately 130 medieval towers. The terrace of the Torre Guinigi can be reached via 25 flights of stairs with 230 steps. In clear weather, the view extends across the city, the green hills and mountains, and to the Apuan Alps in the northwest, the Apennines in the northeast and Monte Pisano in the south.

The church towers also offer their own perspectives. The bell tower of the Cattedrale di San Martino was opened to the public in August 2016 after restoration work. It is approximately 60 metres high, the climb consists of 217 steps, and the belfry offers a 360-degree panorama over Lucca and the plain of Lucca. In June 2023, access to the bell tower of the Basilica di San Frediano was also made possible. The 55.20-metre-high tower offers a special view of the old town and the plain of Lucca through its 31 openings.

The Cattedrale di San Martino has an asymmetrical façade and was consecrated by Pope Alessandro in 1070. Inside is the Renaissance sarcophagus of Ilaria del Carretto. The Piazza Anfiteatro was built over a Roman amphitheatre from the 1st or 2nd century AD, which had an elliptical layout. The present-day piazza was created from 1830 onwards by the architect Nottolini.

Gardens, Music and the Via Francigena

The Orto Botanico di Lucca covers two hectares on the southeast side of the historic old town. It was established as a scientific garden in 1820, preserves endangered species and varieties, and supports botanical research and education. This gives you a different way to experience Lucca: the focus is not on architecture, but on plants, scientific work and the protected garden environment.

The Puccini Museum – Casa Natale is located in the heart of Lucca between Piazza Cittadella and Corte San Lorenzo. Giacomo Puccini was born in the apartment there on 22 December 1858; he spent his childhood and early youth there. The Puccini Museum displays original furnishings, handwritten scores and the Steinway & Sons grand piano on which Puccini composed his unfinished final masterpiece Turandot.

The Via Francigena Entry Point Museum is located in the former Casa del Boia and offers an interactive multimedia tour. In the barracks area of the Baluardo San Salvatore, the Via Francigena Entry Point also includes a hospitality area with a cafeteria, refreshment facilities and a rest area where visitors can relax and refresh themselves before continuing their journey. The Luminara di Santa Croce is a tradition deeply rooted in Lucca’s history.

A Local Taste

In the Lucca area, filled pasta parcels with meat and meat ragù are called Tordelli. Their classic ridged crescent shape is characteristic. The local term therefore refers not only to a dish, but also to a specific culinary speciality that you can look out for when exploring Lucca’s cuisine.

Getting There and Other Places

Lucca railway station is located at Piazza Ricasoli, directly outside the city walls, and can be reached on foot in just a few minutes.

Places for Further Trip Planning

Torre, Altopascio, Capannori, Massarosa, Villa Collemandina, Antisciana, Bagni Di Lucca, Trassilico, Vagli Sotto, Montecarlo, Barga, Borgo A Mozzano, Castelnuovo Di Garfagnana, Coreglia Antelminelli, Fabbriche Di Vallico, Giuncugnano, Lucca, Motrone, Piaggiori, Partigliano, Ghivizzano, Marlia, Verciano, Pugliano, Villa Basilica, Cardoso, Renaio, Gramolazzo, Sant'Anna di Stazzema.

Porcari, Segromigno, Camaiore, Forte Dei Marmi, Pescaglia, Pietrasanta, Seravezza, Stazzema, Camporgiano, Piazza Al Serchio, Viareggio, Gallicano, Vergemoli, Careggine, San Romano In Garfagnana, Molazzana, Fosciandora, Castiglione di Garfagnana, Vallico di Sotto, Casatico, Cerageto, Campolemisi, Gorfigliano, Minucciano, Pieve Fosciana, Capezzano, Corsanico, Sillano.

For the higher-level travel overview: Tuscany.