Hotels in Lucca

Lucca: Renaissance Walls and Tower Houses Above the Serchio Plain

Lucca sits in northwestern Tuscany, 22 km northeast of Pisa and 70 km west of Florence. The city's 4.2 km Renaissance wall — completed in 1650 and never breached in battle — remains intact and is wide enough for a tree-lined promenade on top. Inside, a grid of Roman-era streets survives almost unchanged, with the elliptical Piazza dell'Anfiteatro tracing the outline of a 2nd-century AD amphitheatre. Medieval tower houses, including the Torre Guinigi topped by holm oaks at 44 m, punctuate the roofline.

Where to Stay

Hotels cluster inside the walls in the Centro Storico and along Via Fillungo, Lucca's main pedestrian corridor. A smaller selection operates just outside the Porta San Pietro gate, offering easier car access. The Puccini Festival — held each July and August at the Teatro del Giglio — fills rooms weeks in advance; the composer Giacomo Puccini was born here in 1858 at what is now the Casa Natale Puccini museum.

Practical Tips

• Getting there: Direct trains from Florence Santa Maria Novella take 80 minutes; from Pisa Centrale, 30 minutes.
• Car access: Driving inside the walls is restricted to residents; use the paid car parks at Porta Sant'Anna or Piazzale Martiri della Libertà.
• Timing: Book accommodation at least six weeks ahead for July festival dates.