Why Lucca Feels Like Italy’s Best-Kept Secret
2 minutes ago
11 min read
Most people fly into Pisa, take a photo propping up the Leaning Tower and head straight for Florence. Half an hour up the line is Lucca, a walled Tuscan city of towers, churches, cafés and quiet lanes that still feels like it belongs to the people who live there. I spent a weekend inside its walls and filmed a 1 hour 10 minute walk through it, from the antiques market and the cathedral bell tower to the trees on top of the Guinigi Tower. Here is the film, and below is everything you need to plan your own visit: how to get there from Pisa, what to eat, what to see and where I stayed.
Terracotta rooftops from the Guinigi Tower.
Lucca is also the first place I would send anyone who has only seen the big-name Tuscan cities. It has world-class churches and a perfect ring of walls, but none of the crush. You can walk across the whole historic centre in about 20 minutes, which is exactly why a weekend works so well. If you are coming via Pisa Airport, my Pisa Airport guide covers the arrivals hall, the PisaMover, taxis and the trains in detail.
Why Lucca feels like a secret
Part of it is the walls. Lucca is wrapped in a complete ring of Renaissance ramparts, about 4.2 kilometres long, and instead of being knocked down for a ring road like so many city walls, they were planted with trees and turned into a promenade. Step through one of the gates and the traffic noise drops away. Inside, the street plan still follows the grid of the Roman town, and the oval Piazza dell'Anfiteatro sits exactly where the Roman amphitheatre once stood.
The other part is how unhurried it feels. Locals cycle along the top of the walls, grandparents sit outside the churches, and the cafés are full of people who are clearly not on holiday. It is a city where you can sit down for an espresso and nobody is waiting for your table.
How easy is Lucca to reach from Pisa?
Very. This is the question I get asked most, and the honest answer is that Lucca is one of the easiest day trips or bases in Tuscany.
From Pisa Centrale: direct Trenitalia regional trains run to Lucca in around 25 to 30 minutes. On weekdays there is usually a train about every half an hour through the day, with fewer at weekends. A standard second-class ticket is €3.90 under Trenitalia's Tuscany regional fare table. Regional trains need no reservation, so buy at the station machine or in the Trenitalia app and hop on the next one. If you buy a paper ticket, validate it before you board.
From Pisa Airport: take the PisaMover shuttle to Pisa Centrale. It takes about 5 minutes and costs €6.50 one way, with luggage free. Then change onto the Lucca train. Allow roughly an hour door to door, depending on the connection, and about €10.40 in total.
Arriving in Lucca: the station is just outside the southern walls, by Porta San Pietro. It is a few minutes' walk to the gate and about 10 to 15 minutes to the centre.
Doing Pisa and Lucca in one day: it is easy. See the Leaning Tower in the morning, catch the train, and have the afternoon and evening in Lucca.
I set out every option from the airport, including the bus, taxis and why Uber makes no sense there, in my Pisa Airport Guide: How to Get to Pisa, the Leaning Tower, Florence and Lucca.
The streets and the antiques market
The film opens in the lanes of the old town and the antiques market. Lucca's Mercato Antiquario fills Piazza San Martino, Piazza Antelminelli and the streets around them on the third Sunday of every month and the Saturday before it. It is one of the best-known antiques markets in Tuscany: furniture, prints, old postcards, silverware and every kind of curiosity laid out in the shadow of the cathedral. Even if you are not buying, it is a wonderful way to see the city at its liveliest. If you can, time your weekend for it.
Coffee at Caffè del Teatro
Next came the most Italian ritual of all: coffee. I stopped at Caffè del Teatro, near Piazza Napoleone and the Teatro del Giglio, Lucca's opera house, which opened in 1675. Stand at the bar for a quick espresso like the locals, or take a table and watch the square. It is a good first stop, and a reminder that in Lucca the café is the living room of the city.
Next in the film is the bronze statue of Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of a united Italy. It was made by the Lucca sculptor Augusto Passaglia and put up in 1885, paid for by public subscription.
Walking the city walls
If you do one thing in Lucca, walk or cycle the walls. The ramparts were built between the 16th and 17th centuries, and the wide, tree-lined path along the top runs right round the historic centre. It is about 4.2 kilometres, with bastions along the way and views down into gardens and courtyards you would never see from the street. You can hire a bike in town if you would rather ride. Go late in the afternoon, when the light turns golden and the whole city comes out for a stroll.
Sunset by the moat beneath Lucca's walls.
Up there I also looked at traces of Roman Lucca and the gunpowder fortress, before dropping back down into the streets towards Palazzo Pfanner and its baroque garden, and the Basilica of San Frediano, whose façade is covered in a huge gold, Byzantine-style mosaic of the Ascension.
Piazza dell'Anfiteatro
This is the square everyone photographs, and for good reason. The houses curve in a perfect oval because they were built on top of the stands of the Roman amphitheatre. From 1830 the architect Lorenzo Nottolini cleared the middle and turned it into the public square you see today. Walk in through one of the low archways and it feels like stepping into an outdoor room. It is ringed with cafés and restaurants: lovely for a drink, though you pay for the view.
A few minutes away, the church of San Michele in Foro stands on the site of the Roman forum, the old heart of the city. Its tall marble façade of carved columns and arcades is spectacular when it is lit up at night.
The carved façade of San Michele in Foro after dark.
What to eat in Lucca
Lucca's food is Tuscan comfort cooking with its own local twists, and it was one of the highlights of my weekend.
An evening drink facing San Michele in Foro.
For lunch in the film I headed to Trattoria La Pergola, a family-run trattoria on Via Borgo Giannotti, just north of the walls. It is the kind of place locals use: simple, generous and mainly a lunchtime operation, so check the hours before you go. Later in the film I stop for a snack at a place rated 4.6 stars, proof that in Lucca even a quick bite between sights is worth planning. These are the local specialities to look out for:
Tordelli lucchesi: Lucca's signature pasta. They are tortelli, but here they are spelt with a 'd'. These big, scalloped half-moons are stuffed with meat and served with a rich meat ragù. They are a Sunday classic, and every family swears by its own recipe.
Zuppa di farro: a thick soup of spelt, borlotti beans and vegetables. It is best made with Farro della Garfagnana, a protected (IGP) grain grown in the mountains north of Lucca, and finished with a drizzle of local olive oil.
Buccellato: the sweet that defines Lucca. It is a ring-shaped sweet bread flavoured with aniseed and raisins. Pasticceria Taddeucci on Piazza San Michele is the classic place to buy it. Locals say that coming to Lucca without eating buccellato is like never having been at all.
Torta coi becchi: a round shortcrust tart with pointed 'beaks' around the edge. Its unusual filling of chard, stale bread and a little sweetness comes from Lucca's thrifty cucina povera tradition.
Garmugia: a spring soup of fresh broad beans, peas, artichokes and asparagus with a little meat. It is made only in the short season when all of them are in the shops at once.
Necci: thin chestnut-flour pancakes from the hills, often filled with ricotta.
Olive oil: the hills around the city produce Lucca DOP extra virgin olive oil, which is milder than many Tuscan oils. You will taste it drizzled over everything.
Lucca's official tourism site has a good round-up of traditional Lucca dishes if you want to go deeper. My tip: eat your main meal at lunchtime in a trattoria, which is cheaper and more local, then have a drink in a piazza in the evening.
The old city gates
The walls are pierced by a series of gates, from the grand Porta San Pietro by the station to the smaller medieval gateways that survive inside the later ramparts. Walking through them is a lesson in how the city grew outwards, ring by ring, over two thousand years.
The Cathedral of San Martino and its bell tower
San Martino Cathedral lit up at night.
Lucca's cathedral, dedicated to St Martin, is a major stop on the Via Francigena pilgrim route. Its façade is a stack of delicate arcaded galleries with carved columns. Inside are two treasures you should not miss. The first is the Volto Santo, or Holy Face, a wooden crucifix that legend says was carved by Nicodemus. The second is the tomb of Ilaria del Carretto by Jacopo della Quercia, one of the most beautiful sculptures of the early Renaissance.
San Martino's bell tower from the lawn.
I also climbed the cathedral bell tower and visited the Cathedral Museum. According to the cathedral museum's official site, the bell tower is €3 on its own. The combined ticket is €10 for adults and covers the cathedral, the bell tower, the museum and the church of Santi Giovanni e Reparata, with its baptistery and archaeological area. The cathedral alone, including the Ilaria del Carretto tomb, is €5. The bell tower opens daily from 10am to 5pm (checked 12 November 2026).
Just round the corner is Piazza Santa Maria Forisportam, named after its church: 'forisportam' means 'outside the gate', because it stood outside the old Roman walls.
The Botanical Garden and San Francesco
The Orto Botanico di Lucca, founded in 1820, is a peaceful green corner tucked against the walls, with old trees, a pond and greenhouses. After the stone of the centre, it is a lovely place to slow down. The Guinigi Tower and Botanical Garden can be combined on a joint ticket.
St Francis in the cloister of San Francesco.
From there I walked to the church of San Francesco and its cloister on the eastern side of the old town, passing a statue of the Madonna on the way. It is quieter than the centre and well worth the detour.
Climbing the Guinigi Tower
This is Lucca's most famous view, and where I took the rooftop photo at the top of this post. The Guinigi Tower is 45 metres tall, and its top is crowned by a small hanging garden of holm oaks. Lucca once had around 130 medieval towers, and this is one of only two that survived intact, along with the nearby Clock Tower. It was built for the Guinigi, a powerful family of bankers and merchants who ruled Lucca in the early 15th century.
Getting to the top means climbing 230 steps over 25 flights, and there is no lift. The reward is a 360-degree view over the red roofs and bell towers to the Apuan Alps, the Apennines and Monte Pisano. According to Lucca's tourism office, booking is recommended on weekdays and required at weekends and on public holidays. Opening hours change with the season, so check before you go.
The view from the top of the Guinigi Tower.
Puccini, San Paolino and the end of the walk
Lucca is the birthplace of the composer Giacomo Puccini, and his bronze statue sits in Piazza Cittadella, next to the house where he was born, which is now the Puccini Museum. A few minutes away is the church of San Paolino, the Puccini family's parish church. It is dedicated to St Paulinus, Lucca's first bishop, and it is the city's only fully Renaissance church. I finished the film at the obelisk and the city's Monument to the Fallen, a reminder that this peaceful little city has its own share of history.
Where I stayed: Antica Corte dei Principi
I stayed at the B&B Antica Corte dei Principi at Via dell'Olivo 2, bang in the centre of Lucca. My honest verdict is 6.5 out of 10, because the location does most of the heavy lifting. The building is old and a bit rustic, but the bed was comfortable. Breakfast was basic, just coffee and long-life croissants, but it was enough fuel for a day walking the walls. If you want everything on your doorstep and are not fussed about frills, it does the job. Here is my short review:
My verdict
Lucca is the Tuscany many people come looking for and miss: a real city, beautifully preserved, with superb food and almost no queues. It is half an hour from Pisa by train, so there is no excuse not to go. Walk the walls, climb the Guinigi Tower, eat tordelli and buccellato, and stay at least one night so you can see the piazzas once the day-trippers have gone home.
Changing money? Check Money Maps first
Italy uses the euro. If you are bringing pounds to change, airport bureaux usually give the worst rates, so compare before you change cash at Pisa Airport. Money Maps compares bureau de change and online exchange rates near you, on a map and in a list, and its 'You get' calculator shows what you would actually receive after fees. With Capture the Board you can snap a bureau's rate board to earn points towards prizes, and you can report wrong rates too. It is free on the App Store, and an Android version is coming.
Stay connected on arrival
This film was sponsored by Roamless, and it is the eSIM I use when I am travelling. You set it up before you fly, so maps, train times and bookings work the moment you land at Pisa. Get Roamless here and use code ENGLISHMAN50 when you sign up for 50% off as a new user.
Where to stay in Lucca
Use the map below to compare places to stay inside the walls, or look at Antica Corte dei Principi, where I stayed. You can also browse hotels on Booking.com and Airbnb:
Things to do in Lucca
Browse walking tours, bike tours of the walls and food tours in Lucca on Viator:
Plan your trip
Getting there: Pisa Airport guide (PisaMover and trains)
Where I stayed: Antica Corte dei Principi
Hotels: Booking.com
Apartments: Airbnb
Tours and activities: Viator Lucca
Private transfer: GetTransfer
eSIM: Roamless (code ENGLISHMAN50 for 50% off)
Flights
Flying in? Compare fares to Pisa below, then take the PisaMover and the train to Lucca.
Sources: my weekend in Lucca on film (published November 2026), with its chapters, and my short review of Antica Corte dei Principi; the Pisa Centrale to Lucca fare from Trenitalia's Tuscany regional fare table, plus journey times and frequencies from published timetables; PisaMover fare and journey time from the operator, as set out in my Pisa Airport guide; cathedral, bell tower and museum tickets and hours from the Complesso Museale e Archeologico della Cattedrale di Lucca; Guinigi Tower height, steps and booking rules from Lucca's tourism office (turismo.lucca.it); antiques market dates from the Comune di Lucca; Lucca dishes from turismo.lucca.it; the Vittorio Emanuele II statue details from the public statuary record; Puccini places from Visit Tuscany (all checked 12 November 2026). Fares, prices and opening times change, so check before you travel.
Photos: all my own, taken in Lucca.
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
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Safe travels, The Wondering Englishman
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