Accommodations

We rented an Airbnb right in central Lucca and it was awesome! It was a 5 minute walk to almost everything yet where it was located was very quiet. It was also two floors, two bedrooms and a decent kitchen. Everything we needed. There were cool black and white photos on the wall of the mother that used to live there. I loved that!

Falling in Love with Lucca

When researching places to visit in Italy, Lucca was high on the list. It is known for its Renaissance city walls completed in the thirteenth century to keep out invaders. Today it is an incredible almost 5km pathway around the city used by runners, cyclists and everyone in between. It is lined with trees and even has a couple of kids playgrounds along the way. There are a few access points to the path. It has many churches, a clock tower, Guinigi Tower that you can climb to get an amazing view of the city. Unfortunately, we ran out of time to do this but it was on our list. In Lucca, the streets are narrow and windy and the buildings are colourful and beautiful. I felt like I was in a movie.

Here are some Must Do’s in Lucca:

1. Rent a Bike and Cycle the Wall. There are several bicycle rental shops in Lucca and they also have options for families. Our 11 year old had his own bike and our 7 year old went on a tandem bike with Marco. We ended up doing 2 laps around the wall as the day was so beautiful and it was awesome to get a full perspective of the city by cycling all the way around it.

2. Walk the streets and take in the vibe. We walked everywhere in Lucca. It is small and that is how you get around. It is so interesting with so much going on. Narrow streets, interesting buildings, sculptures, historical monuments, restaurants, and buskers. If you go to Italy, Lucca is an absolute must! Watch our Lucca Video to see all the amazing things! (COMING SOON)>

3. Have Gelato of Course! We found the best Gelato to be in Lucca! It was better than the places we tried in Florence. The place we loved was called Boteggo and was off the beaten path in Lucca. We learned from a local that the good Gelato is housed in canisters to keep it at the correct temperature, not overflowing in containers, and visible. This Gelata we were told is also pumped with air to make it look fluffy. Botegga is known for their salted Pistachio which was to die for.

4. Visit the Park of Pinocchio. This park originated from the story of Pinocchio, the puppet wanting to become a real boy and whose nose grew every time he lied. It is in the town of Collodi (from the author of the same name). We took a train to Pistoia (nearby) and then a taxi to the park which was about a 10 minute drive. At first we thought the park was lame and creepy with a bunch of worn out Pinocchio puppets, old carousels and a lame park. The kids wanted to leave but we thought we’d walk a bit further and came across hanging bridges and a zipline for kids. The kids had to put on gear and make their way through various obstacles ending with a small but cool zipline. They loved it! Also – I did not know that the story of Pinocchio was from Tuscany. The actual story is of a more sinister tale which was then glamorized by Disney. I encourage you to look up the actual story.

Adventure Campitelli Tip

1. Eat outside of the Amphitheatre (a public square in the northeast part of Lucca, originally where gladiator games were held, now a tourist area full of restaurants and cafes) or buy your own groceries. In this area you are charged a “service or sitting fee” about 2 Euros per person. Take your latte to go or you will be charged this fee!