Lucca in 3 days

Tuscany's most liveable city: Renaissance walls you can cycle, a tower with trees on top and zero crowds. Best time to visit: April-June and September-October. Average daily budget: $110 to $190 USD.

Day 1, Get oriented

Base: Centro Storico, The walled old town with the amphitheatre, towers and most stays.

Morning: Cycle the city walls. Ride the 4km tree-shaded loop on top of the Renaissance ramparts.

Afternoon: Explore Centro Storico, The walled old town with the amphitheatre, towers and most stays.

Evening: Torre Guinigi. Climb the medieval tower famous for the oak trees growing on its roof.

Eat: Tordelli lucchesi, meat-filled pasta in ragù

Day 2, Go deeper

Base: Piazza Anfiteatro, The oval Roman amphitheatre ringed with cafés and restaurants.

Morning: Piazza dell'Anfiteatro. Have a coffee inside the oval piazza built on a Roman amphitheatre.

Afternoon: Explore Piazza Anfiteatro, The oval Roman amphitheatre ringed with cafés and restaurants.

Evening: Duomo di San Martino. See Tintoretto's Last Supper and the Volto Santo wooden crucifix.

Eat: Buccellato, the sweet aniseed bread of Lucca

Day 3, Hidden side

Base: San Frediano, A quieter artisan quarter around the mosaic-fronted basilica.

Morning: An evening Puccini concert in San Giovanni church, the composer's home parish.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore San Frediano, A quieter artisan quarter around the mosaic-fronted basilica.

Evening: The Botanical Garden's quiet corners and legends of Lucida Mansi.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Farro soup from the Garfagnana

Hidden gems

An evening Puccini concert in San Giovanni church, the composer's home parish.
The Botanical Garden's quiet corners and legends of Lucida Mansi.
Palazzo Pfanner's baroque garden, a film-set favourite.
Villa Reale and the villas of the Lucchese hills, 15 minutes out by bike.

Getting around

Lucca has no airport; fly into Pisa, 30 minutes away by direct train, or Florence, 80 minutes by train. Inside the walls almost everything is pedestrianised, so the city is best explored on foot or by rented bike, which is the local default and costs around 15 euros a day. Trains and buses make Pisa, Viareggio's beaches and Florence easy day trips without a car.

Safety

Lucca is one of Italy's safest and calmest cities, with very low crime. The main risks are minor: bicycles move fast on the walls and along Via Fillungo, cobbles are slippery when wet, and the huge Lucca Comics & Games festival in late October packs the city to capacity. Summer afternoons are hot, so climb towers in the morning or evening.

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