One of the most important and striking parts of Lucca, is the medieval wall which surrounds it. For the most part, there are no cars permitted inside the walls. The city wall, built in the 16th century, is remarkable for how well preserved it is. Having escaped destruction during times of battle, these walls are intact and strong, in fact the most intact of any other defensive walls within Italy. They make for a lovely lounging spot, and an ideal point from which to check out Lucca from the outside looking in. The entire walk all around the 4km ramparts takes roughly two hours.

I asked my friend Moira, who is Lucchese, what she thinks is one of the most beautiful aspects of Lucca, being a painter with an eye for the aesthetic, Moira replied, "some of the gardens inside the walls of Lucca can not be missed". Though many tourists miss them, Lucca has some fabulous gardens open to the public. Going inside, you can see the extent of some of the glimpses of gardens that can be seen from the city walls. Definitely take time to tour these peaceful settings of beautiful plants and flowers, and sometimes rare species.

Orto Botanico del Comune di Lucca
Via Giardino Botanico, 14
Hours: Open from 9:00am - 1:00pm (Tuesday - Saturday)
9:00am - 1:00pm and 3:30pm - 6:30pm (Sunday) - Closed Monday

Villa Bottini
Via Elisa
Hours: Open from 9:00am - 1:00pm (Everyday, excluding holidays)

Renting a bicycle

A great thing to do is rent a bicycle, this is the preferred method of transportation of the Lucchese and a pleasant, easy way to get around. Take the time to just roam the streets and alleys of Lucca. The price is about 2-4 Euro for an hour. (about $2-4)

Servizio noleggio biciclette del Comune di Lucca
Casermetta S. Donato, Mura Urbane
ph. 0583-442935 or 954176
Hours: 9:00am – 7:30pm - Closed from November - March

Cicli Barbetti
Via Anfiteatro, 23
ph. 0583-954444

Poli Antonio Biciclette
Piazza S. Maria, 42
ph.0583-493787
Closed: Monday morning and Sunday

Take a bicycle tour or a walking tour of some the beautiful sites of Lucca, but when you need a break stop in a pasticceria and have a buccellato or a piece of torta di verdura or sit on a bench on the city wall and breathe in the city for a bit. Explore Lucca at you own pace!

Via Fillungo

This main city street, which winds through the heart of old Lucca, is a fabulous shopping street. It used to be said that any bride of good breeding had to buy her wedding dress on Via Fillungo. The Via is lined with jewelry stores, boutiques, and a few shops with very Italian houseware items. Take a break from shopping and stop in for a coffee or a delicious pastry at Antico Caffè di Simo, Lucca's grand old historic cafe at number 58.

Park your bicycle and check out this market for as long you want to leaf through old books. People who appreciate books will love this. Everyday this outdoor book market has old and original copies of books, mostly in Italian, as well as old postcards and interesting original prints and documents. It is fun to browse through the artbooks and old tour guides. Right by the market is a cafe, if you buy a book sit, read, and have cappuccino here.

This is actually kind of neat, definitely informative. You carry around a portable telephone-like guide which, in your own language takes you through Lucca's historic sites, often accompanied by music and quotes. As I said, it is above all, informative. You can rent Cityphone at the APT office for less than $10.

Antique Market

Near Cathedral San Martino (Duomo)
Great for browsing and buying, though shipping is often difficult. It is full of beautiful antique furniture and other great old and interesting items. This outdoor market takes place on the 3rd weekend of every month, Saturday and Sunday from 9:00am - 7:00pm.

Arti e Mestieri (Arts and Crafts)
Near Cathedral San Martino (Duomo)
This very interesting outdoor market of arts and crafts by local crafts people is very is worth a visit. It takes place the last Sunday of every month.

If you are interested in studying Italian and learning to speak this gorgeous language, Lucca is a wonderful choice of places to do that. It is said that the Italian spoken in Tuscany is the purest Italian, therefore, it is a great location to study, and the Lucchese are friendly enough that you could practice it with them. The following are some institutions in Lucca that teach Italian. As the different schools have different types of courses, lengths and class size, it is difficult to provide prices and dates. Contact the institutions to get information on the type of course that suits best your wishes and needs.

Connections Italian in Italy
Viale C. Castracani, 81
ph. and fax: 0583-490 321

Istituti Scolastici Euroschool
Via della Zecca, 31
ph.: 0583-495749
fax: 0583-495750