Lucca, Italy is located in the beautiful region of Tuscany. While it has a variety of historical sites and a rich past, most Tuscany visitors don’t seem to put it on their travel agenda. That makes Lucca a fine place to enjoy true local culture from shopping, activities, biking in Lucca and museums in Lucca.
Lucca is a city surrounded by walls. One of the most popular activities here is to enjoy the park that the walls have become. If you want to Bike the Ramparts, you’ll find it’s an enjoyable stretch of about 2.5 miles. Making people enjoy this activity on foot or by renting a bike.
The city has actually had these protective walls for about 2,000 years. There are actually three of them One is rectangular-shaped from the Romans then there was the medieval wall and finally the Renaissance wall dating back to the 16th Century. When cannons were invented, the thin walls from medieval times needed to be stronger. The last design was state-of-the-art when built between 1550 and 1650. It took a great deal of money over a century to create the walls, and it was considered a good investment in the day to keep away the Pisans and the Florentines.
Fast forward to today and the walls, or ramparts, are wonderfully smooth and make a fine bike ride of great walk. It’s easy and cheap to rent bikes in Lucca. There are many bike rental shops in town.
Lucca is also home to a Roman Amphitheater that’s just located off the main shopping street. Near Piazza Anfiteatro you can see many shops aimed at tourists along with a handful of restaurants. After dusk this area is lively with cafes and bars.
The main place to stroll in Lucca is called Via Fillungo. It will take you from the amphitheater nearly all the way to the cathedral. You can walk the entire way and take in some of Lucca’s history. Many of the storefronts retain their original paintings and mosaics even if the current shop sells something different. This area has jewelry shops, cafes, surviving towers and more.
A popular spot on Via Fillungo are Di Simo Café, which offers an 1880 ambiance is the place where Lucca’s hip intellectuals still hang out.
Lucca Markets
Lucca has many fine markets to enjoy and check out. They take place on the third Saturday and the third Sunday of each month from 8 am to 3 pm. It takes place at Piazza Antelminelli. This is one of Italy’s largest antique markets full of interesting things to see and buy.
Then the last weekend of every month you can catch the Lucca arts and crafts market that runs from 8 am to 3 pm, as well.
The general market is held every Wednesday and Saturday. This market has lots of fresh produce and many household items. The general market is held outside of the city walls and a few blocks north of Porta Elisa. It’s nearby the stadium.
