Lucca guide
Lucca and surroundings
Choosing Lucca as your base does not mean giving the rest of Tuscany away. It means keeping a quiet home behind the walls and, each morning, deciding what you feel like feeling: salt on your skin and the sound of the waves in Versilia; wonder in front of Piazza dei Miracoli; the sharp colours of the Ligurian coast; the cool air of the Apennines, where time moves more slowly. There really is something for every mood — couples who need silence, travellers who cannot go home without having touched the sea, anyone who measures a holiday in steps on a path. Your bags stay in Via Pelleria: you go out, live a full day, and in the evening you return to the same streets where you left your shoes, with one more story to tell.
Without a car: Pisa and the Versilia coast
From Lucca railway station, about 20 minutes on foot from Note tra le Mura, regional trains reach Pisa in roughly 30 minutes — perfect for Piazza dei Miracoli, the cathedral and a slow walk along the Arno. For the sea, continue towards Viareggio: in about 30–40 minutes by train you are on the Versilia coast, with long beaches and a lively promenade in summer. These are easy day trips with no parking stress; check Trenitalia for times on your date.
With a car: the Cinque Terre
Many of our guests who drive make at least one full day for the Cinque Terre — and we understand why. The coastline between those famous villages is one of the most moving sights in Italy. Plan a whole day, leave early, and use car parks near the villages or La Spezia, then the local train that links the borghi. In high season it is busy; midweek and early starts are calmer. From Lucca, allow about 1–1.5 hours by road depending on where you start.
With a car: Barga and the Garfagnana
By car, a full day in the Garfagnana — with Barga as its heart — shows a Tuscany many guests do not expect: greener, quieter, more authentic. Climb to Barga, a medieval village above the Serchio valley, then let the valley lead you: forests, old bridges, tiny hamlets, trattorias where cooking smells rise from the hearth. It is the right trip if, after busy Lucca, you want mountain air and streets where you can walk without rushing. Allow the whole day: the bends ask for calm, and the pleasure is in arriving slowly.
Trekking on Monte Pisano
For walkers, Monte Pisano between Lucca and Pisa is a rewarding half-day or day out: marked paths, olive groves, stone villages and wide views towards the coast on clear days. Choose a route that matches your level, bring water and good shoes, and check the weather. It is a different rhythm from the centre of Lucca — peaceful, physical, memorable.
Planning your days
One outing per day keeps the holiday gentle: sea one day, Pisa another, mountains or Cinque Terre when you are ready. Return to Lucca for dinner while the streets light up — see our Lucca in one day guide for the old town, and our food guide for restaurants. For how to arrive and where to park, see our how to get to Lucca and where to stay guide.
Note tra le Mura in Via Pelleria 14 is your base inside the walls — return here after each day out.
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