My family and I just got back from a 3 week trip, 1 week in france, 2 weeks in northern Italy (florence, Venice, Roma, Pisa, Lucca, and Sienna) our favorite day trip was to Lucca, small beautiful town completely surrounded by walls, taking a bike ride around the town was a blast and a nice break from all the walking/site seeing in the other towns. We at some gelato and had a nice evening meal there. We really felt "at home" in Lucca, and recommend it HIGHLY as a daytrip, would be a great home base to do daytrips from!
Posted by
Elko, Nv, United States
18 posts
We too just returned from a two week stay in Italy. We rented apartments including one for six days in Lucca. We loved it. We used it as a home base for trips to the hill towns, Sienna, Cinque Terra and Florence. We would get back around 19:30. Sit in our apartment and drink a little wine with some "snacks" from the near by salumeria and then walk to the restaurants of our choice. We generally ate about 21:30 or 22:00 and then walked back to be in bed by midnight. The good life.
Try Trattora de Leo. Not only good food but great fun too.
Posted by
Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
606 posts
I don't think Lucca is underrated. 90% of the people who mention it here love the place!
We also enjoyed Trattora de Leo, as well as the Puccini Festival at San Giovanni Basilique.
Strangely, I think a lot of the appeal is that the place is level! After a couple of weeks trudging up and down hill towns, Lucca is a welcome rest!
Posted by
Atlanta
3250 posts
Hi Ryan,
We were in Lucca recently too but I was disappointed--I've heard so many great things about Lucca but for us, one night was enough. I will agree though that the highlights were walking around the city on the walls and Trattoria de Leo.
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
Lucca is one of my least favorite places in the area. Different people have different preferences.
I liked Lucca's wall and the park they have made out of it but I like the medieval feel of San Gimignano considerably more. I can see how someone would like the flatness of Lucca, especially someone with limited mobility, but the hilly hill towns stir my imagination so much more (I like hiking up and down steep, narrow streets).
I wouldn't say I didn't like Lucca. I would say for me it wasn't special in an area that has many special places to visit.
In the fall (mid to late October) Lucca was empty while other towns had small, manageable crowds. I could see how the relatively uncrowded Lucca might seem like paradise to many when the summer crowds overwhelm the towns I consider more charming.