When we leave Florence, we have one night free before we check into to a farm near Arezzo. From the farm in Arezzo, we plan on doing the different hill towns. We are trying to be logistical with how we map out the hill towns!
We have that one night free and are trying to decide between staying one night in Lucca OR Volterra OR San Gigmiano.
Any recommendations/thoughts? And if you've been there, let me know what place you recommend?
San Gimignano we have been to and spent 2 days- Loved it and with the car toured the countryside one of the afternoons. Stayed at La Cisterna right in the heart of the city. Lucca is much older and with a car very hard to manouver to find our hotel - other than Trattoria Leo and a bike ride around the town I was not much impressed. This was in 2006 - we are going back in May 2010 and plan to stay in Volterra. Volterra is much closer to San Gimignano so maybe somewhat the same scenery. Lucca maybe more to your taste.
I've been to Lucca, Volterra, and San Gimignano. In this case, since you're already planning to visit other hill towns from Arezzo, I'd pick Lucca (not a hill town) for your one night. It's a wonderful place and, after you've walked a few hill towns, you'll appreciate the easy, level streets of Lucca!
Assuming you have a car, park in one of the lots outside the old walls and walk into the old town. From there, or from the train station, it's just a few blocks walk from the gates to the center of town. It's not a big place.
Bob:
Lucca - Because you have a car you can see the other towns from Arezzo. You'll love Lucca. Try to be there on Saturday morning - everyone in town is out and about and doing their shopping.
Rent a bicycle (my wife and I rented a tandem bike) and make the easy pedal around the old ramparts.
For a Lucca restaurant recommendation try Osteria Baralla. It is fantastic. Have fun.
Hi, Bob. Wow... Hard to go wrong with any of those choices. Personally, I'm kind of a fan of Lucca, but it's almost a toss-up.
BTW, I hope you are able to take a little time to check out Arezzo while there. My cousin Franca lives there, and it is one of my favorite cities in Toscana. If you are interested you can check out photos of my brother's and my last trip there in April on our website at: home.comcast.net/~bepineurope .
Have fun!
Lucca also has a wild-and-crazy passegiata. More locals there, more tourists in San Gimignano.
I have been to Lucca and San Gimi. My vote is for San Gimi. it is quieter, beautiful views of Tuscan valley and hilly for great strolling. Lucca is much busier and flat with a great wall to walk around it pales to me in comp to San Gimi.
I would vote for Lucca also if you will be seeing different hill towns while in/near Arezzo.
We quite enjoyed Lucca and only spent one night there, wishing we had more time. Definitely rent a bicycle and ride around the walls of the city -- and it is a wonderful stroll along there in the evening.
Happy travels.
Lucca is my least favorite of the group. For a night, I'd pick Volterra first, San Gimignano second and not choose Lucca at all.
Why? As has been said Lucca is not a hill town. It has a nice wall that looks like a contemporary of Ft. McHenry rather than of medieval origin. The town is flat and other than the wall turned into a park, really offers nothing to capture the imagination. I travel off-season and Lucca was completely dead when I visited.
Why do people like it? In high season, it's probably a nice break from the tourist hoards in the real hill-towns. For people who have limited mobility, Lucca is much easier to get around than a real hill town. It's also relatively easy to get to compared to the better hill towns.
