Reach the center of Lucca, a tidy gem of a town encased within its famous walls. The imposing tree-lined Renaissance walls which totally enclose the city, the maze of medieval streets flanked by towers and smart boutiques, the enchanting Romanesque churches and bright inviting squares captivate the visitor who stands in awe of such unexpected beauty.
On the top of these walls, where the city's soldiers once patrolled, now the citizens ride their bicycles and walk their dogs. The historical centre is famous for its 99 churches, and a visit to the S. Martino Cathedral, S. Michele, Torre Guinigi, Piazza del Mercato is worthwhile. The historical centre plunges the visitor back in time providing the perfect setting to savour the old world charm, where time and space take on a new dimension, no longer found in today’s modern cities. The very elegant noble villas are at only a few minutes from Lucca, basking in the verdant countryside among olive groves and vineyards.
Visit the spectacular Baroque Villa Torrigiani Santini with its handsome manicured gardens and lavish interior décor, and Villa Reale’s stupendous park. One part of the park has preserved the original 17th century layout including hedges, flowerbeds and tall trees; the other has been designed in line with the fashion for English landscaped gardens, with winding pathways, panoramic viewpoints and shady groves. The gardens have a rich heritage of trees, with superb examples of abies, quercus palustris, pine, oak, holm-oak and plane trees.
