Is Visiting Lucca Worth it? Why Lucca is One of the Best Towns in Tuscany

By Marian F.

Is visiting Lucca Worth it? The short answer is a resounding YES! In my opinion, Lucca is one of the most beautiful and peaceful towns in Tuscany. Its historic center has a unique feeling of calm and excitement all at once. If you are visiting Tuscany, then I highly recommend adding Lucca to your itinerary. 

As it is only a half-hour train ride from Pisa, we love to visit every so often to do some shopping and enjoy the pleasant atmosphere. When I told Andrew that I was writing this article, he was quick to say that it is absolutely worth visiting Lucca. It is his favorite town in Tuscany, perhaps even in all of Italy so far. 

Traveling is not always easy for me, don’t get me wrong, I love it, in theory. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here living as an expat in Italy. Currently, when it comes to actually going somewhere I am drenched with anxiety for reasons I don’t even understand. Part of it is just leaving my comfort zone, deciding if Wally will stay home with friends or come along with us, either way I need to make sure he has everything he needs. I could go on, but that is probably best for another post.

Anyways, Lucca is perfect for me. When I was really down, in the depths of my depression, we took a trip to Lucca. It was was still hard to leave home, to be around people, but it was also an easy way to go somewhere out of Pisa. I remember loving it, from that first experience, and that is probably an extra reason it has a special place in my heart.

Why Visiting Lucca is Worth the Trip

The Wall

Yes, it is charming, as are so many towns and villages in Tuscany, so what makes Lucca stand out against the rest? It starts when you first leave the train station and you are greeted by the immense wall that surrounds the city. To enter you must navigate through a tunnel and then a staircase that will take you to the top of the wall. 

• 

• 

Lucca has one of the last standing walls that surrounds the entire town center. It has been converted into a wide pathway where you can walk, run, bike, or just sit on a bench and enjoy the fresh air. 

Wally loves to walk with us along the top of the wall, meeting other dogs, smelling all the trees. It is about two miles in total, making for a nice quick jaunt where you can also enjoy the views of both the countryside and old architecture. It is essentially a park surrounding the town with tall trees lining both sides of the pathway and lush green lawns on the outer side of the wall. 

The Old Town Center

Once you have made your way down from the wall, you can wander and get lost in the streets lined with boutiques and eateries. The buildings remind me of Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. They are close together with slight leans and the streets are cobblestone. 

I do not like crowds of people.  I can take crowds of horses or dolphins, but not people. In Lucca it feels different.  Even when crowded with tourists or locals doing their holiday shopping, the town casts a sort of spell and I enjoy my time to the fullest. The crowds don’t bother me, I am entranced by the beautiful churches, flower boxes, empty alleyways, and cute shops. 

The main piazza (Piazza dell’Antiteatro) is unique in that it is an oval. Like other piazzas, it is full of overpriced cafes and restaurants, but it is still worth the visit for the visual reward. I admit that it is a bit troublesome to find.  Andrew and I had quite a hard time finding it on our first visit and continue to on each visit. Once you have succeeded you’ll see how it was worth the hunt. The hunt itself will be a fun adventure. 

The Churches

While walking the winding streets of Lucca, be on the lookout for all of the churches. Lucca is known as the ‘city of 100 churches.’ There are no longer that many standing today, but there are still a lot. You can make it a game to count as many as possible. Many are beautifully clad in marble while some have a more plain brick facade. 

You are able to enter some of the most iconic churches as well. 

Is visiting Lucca worth it? Absolutely. 

What to do while Visiting Lucca, 7 Ways to Fill Your Day

You may think we discussed all that we could about what there is to do in Lucca, but no, there is so much more!  So far we have covered the wall, the churches, and the rewards of wandering, but there are also museums, monuments, and other things to do and see.

Walk, run, or ride a bike around the wall

• This is Wally’s favorite activity and a close second for me. It is so pleasant, especially towards the far end of the town. 

• 

• 

Walk and shop along the streets

• This is my favorite activity in Lucca! Lucca is worth visiting just to wander and explore. There are many unique boutiques and artisan shops filled with kitchenware, decor, clothing, leather goods, and more. 
• The food is also not to be missed. Enjoy a quick lunch by grabbing a sandwich, eating fresh pasta, or having a slice (or two) of pizza. 

Visit Piazza dell’Antiteatro

• A unique and pleasant piazza to walk through. Its oval shape impresses me on every visit. 

Visit the Churches (or at least some)

If you only have one day, chances are that you won’t be able to enter all of the town’s churches. I would be very impressed if you did! Here is a list of the most popular churches in Lucca: 

• Sant’Alessandro

Piazza Sant’Alessandro, 3, 55100 Lucca LU

• San Giusto Church

-Corte del Biancone, 5, 55100 Lucca LU

• Chiesa dei Santi Giovanni e Reparata

-Piazza S. Giovanni, 55100 Lucca LU

Climb Guingi Tower

This tower is hard to miss due to the trees growing from the top of its high tower. It is quite a surprise to see at first, as seeing greenery growing from a tower is not a normal sight. It is one of the last tower houses standing in Lucca.  The  Guingi family was one of the leading families of Lucca in the 13th century

The trees are a symbol of rebirth and were planted to give the tower a unique refined look as at the time many towers were going up around the city. 

Even if you don’t have time or the desire to climb all of the steps of the tower, you can still enjoy it from below. 

Website: Guingi Tower

Address: Via S. Andrea, Historic Center

Hours: Check the website as the hour’s change throughout the year

Cost: Full ticket is €5, combination tickets available to add botanical gardens and Torre Delle ore

Botanical Garden (Orto Botanico di Lucca)

There’s a two-hectare gem hidden in Lucca’s city center.  Sitting against the wall in the  Southeastern part of the old town, the garden is both a museum of living and nonliving artifacts. It was established in 1820 and has been lovingly cared for. 

The garden is home to an arboretum, greenhouses, a pond, and a botanical school that has many medicinal plants. There is even a sensory path for the blind that has an audio recording to go along with it. The botanical garden aims to provide education on Tuscany’s important plants and those that risk extinction. 

Website: Botanical Garden

Address: Via del Giardino Botanico 14, 55100 Lucca

Hours: Closed until March 21, 2022, Find ticket info HERE

Puccini Museum

If you are a fan of the opera then you may be a Puccini fan. The museum is dedicated to where he was born and grew up. The home has many mementos from Puccini’s life. He was born in 1858 and lived in this home into his later school years. 

The museum opened in 1979 and was carefully restored in 2011 to represent exactly what Puccini’s home looked like when he lived there. You can follow his life and even see the piano where he composed Turandot as well as the costume that was worn by Maria Jeritza who performed in Turandot at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City in 1926. Music lovers won’t want to miss this museum.

Website: Puccini Museum 

Address: Corte San Lorenzo, 9 – 55100 Lucca

Cost: Starting at €9

Hours: Check here for varying hours and reservations

So is Lucca Worth Visiting?

YES!

I hope that you are able to add Lucca to your Tuscan Itinerary as it is one of our favorite towns in Italy.

Have a fantastic time!

Looking for more to do near Lucca?

If you are looking for more to do in the area, check out Pisa and our post on Free and affordable things to do there. Barga is also a tiny yet worthwhile stop for those with extra time.

10 Free and Affordable Things to do in Pisa

Barga Italy, A Tuscan Gem

How to Get to Lucca by Train

Now that your question ‘Is Lucca worth visiting?’ has been answered, you may be wondering how to get there. Luckily Lucca is very accessible from both Florence and Pisa. The train will easily whisk you to Lucca’s train station which is directly across from the old town center. 

Lucca is located 14 miles Northeast of Pisa and 48 miles West of Florence. If you are coming from Rome I recommend combining Lucca and Pisa to make the most out of your day. If time allows, spend the night and enjoy a more relaxing trip. 

Train

Time from Florence: 1hr 20min

Cost from Florence: €7.90 – €10.00

Time From Pisa: 27min

Cost From Pisa: €3.60

Time From Rome: Shortest time is about 3.5 hours

Cost From Rome: €27-€60 (depending on the train)