Lucca

Published on: May 14, 2006

Of the smaller cities I've visited in Italy, Lucca turned out to be my most favorite. It's an enchanting place, reminiscent of the landscape and magic that I experienced in Killarney, Ireland. It's hard to explain unless you experience it for yourself, but I'll try to share some of my impressions with you.

I'd heard that Lucca was worth a visit from several sources, including Rick Steves. I only stayed there one night, which was not enough, so it's on my list of places to return to. The town itself dates back to ancient times, and was a colony of Rome in 180 B.C. It's another town with its medieval wall intact, and this is one of the features that drew me to visit Lucca. The wall was built during the years 1504-1645, and is one of the most well-preserved of its kind in Europe. This postcard gives an overview of the wall. Notice the heart-shaped ramparts extending from the wall...there were nine of these "baluardos," (ramparts) each serving as a small park of its own.

The wall itself is impressive, as you can see from the next photo.

One of the features that brought me to Lucca was the walk, or promenade that runs along the top of the city walls, lined by trees on both sides. It stretches for 2.5 miles, and I walked it several times, by day and night, during my stay here. Bike rental is a popular way to enjoy the promenade, and inexpensive, at only 2.5 euros/hour. I preferred walking, so I could stop and enjoy the trees on the baluardos.

One of the first things I happened upon in Lucca was the Giardino Botanico, or Botanical Gardens, where I had a picnic lunch among the trees, blooming rhododendron and iris. While I was there, I had a short converstation (in Italian!) with a nun. I stayed in a hostel in Lucca, the Ostello S. Frediano , and it was another surprise. Originally a school, it offers 140 beds, huge lounge areas, and marble everywhere. Since I was there before the peak season, I did not see many other guests, but I imagine it's packed with travelers during the summer. I'd easily stay there again...you sure can't beat the price, at 18 euros/night.

The ring of trees around the ramparts, and another ring of trees circling the outside of the wall really set a tone that I enjoyed...like a wilderness area, or an outdoor church...a tone of reverence. You can get a small sense of this in the photo below, featuring a tree I "adopted" and named Sofia.

The next photo shows a panoramic view of the town from la Torre Guinigi (another tower). You can see the foothills leading to the Alpi Apuane north of the city, a popular area for outdoor sports, including canoeing, trekking and skiing.

The night I stayed in Lucca happened to be the full moon, and while I was walking the ramparts, I got this shot of the moonrise over la città.

My stay in Lucca ran way too short, and I look forward to returning here again. By this time, I knew my adventure in Italy was coming to an end, as I headed back to Florence by train.