Lucca and Pisa

main gateway, with the Pisa Mover shuttle to Pisa Centrale station

alternative gateway with European routes

wider long haul network

option for arrivals from the Riviera

A gracious, largely pedestrian centre of churches, towers and boutiques, enclosed by tree lined ramparts.

The hills northeast of Lucca around Segromigno, Marlia and Camigliano, home to great villa gardens and olive groves.

A lively university city along the Arno, with far more to offer than its tower and quiet evenings by the river.

A spa town at the foot of Monte Pisano, between Pisa and Lucca, with thermal waters used since Roman times.

A small walled wine village on a hill between Lucca and Pescia, with sweeping views over the plain.

Mountain valleys north of Lucca, with Barga's hilltop cathedral and chestnut woods all around.

Positions are approximate: the exact address is shared once your stay is confirmed.

Cathedral, baptistery, Camposanto and Leaning Tower stand together in a UNESCO listed square inscribed in 1987. The marble ensemble is at its most luminous in early morning.

Climbing the tilted bell tower is by timed ticket, and children under eight are not admitted. Sunset slots in summer offer a soft view over the Arno valley.

Lucca's Renaissance ramparts run for about four kilometres around the city, topped by a tree lined promenade. Hire a bicycle and complete the circuit in under half an hour.

Houses built on the foundations of a Roman amphitheatre form an oval piazza, today filled with cafés and terraces.

Two Romanesque churches with richly arcaded facades; the cathedral of San Martino holds Jacopo della Quercia's tomb of Ilaria del Carretto.

A medieval tower famous for the holm oaks growing on its summit, reached by a climb of over two hundred steps.

A historic estate once owned by Elisa Bonaparte, Napoleon's sister, with a celebrated green theatre, lemon garden and water features.

The composer's birthplace in the heart of the old town, with his piano, manuscripts and costumes from his operas.

Have the ramparts almost to yourself as the city wakes below, with breakfast in a nearby café afterwards.

Visit the great gardens of the Lucca hills, such as Villa Reale di Marlia and Villa Torrigiani, with a horticulturist.

Watch Puccini's operas performed open air beside Lake Massaciuccoli, where he lived and composed.

Taste Lucca DOP olive oil and Colline Lucchesi wines with small family producers.

Lucca's churches host regular recitals of Puccini arias and sacred music, intimate and easily booked.

Glide past Pisa's riverside palaces or the reed beds of the lake for birdwatching.

The closest beaches to Pisa, with stylish beach clubs about 20 minutes from the city.

Pine forests, dunes and wetlands between Pisa and Viareggio, explored on foot, by bike or on horseback.

A dramatic medieval humpback bridge over the Serchio, known as the Devil's Bridge.

Trails over the hill separating Pisa and Lucca, with olive terraces and wide views.

A show cave in the Garfagnana with guided routes through underground halls and lakes.

What to eat

What to drink

The Renaissance capital, reachable without driving.

Elegant beach clubs, Pietrasanta's galleries and the marble mountains.

Five colourful Ligurian villages linked by train and coastal paths.

A baroque garden and the village that gave Pinocchio's author his pen name.

A hilltop town in the Serchio valley with a Romanesque cathedral and mountain views.

Camellias flower in the Lucca hills in March and the villa gardens peak in April and May. Cycling weather is perfect.

Long evenings of opera, concerts and festivals, with the beaches of Versilia and Pisa close by. Midday heat is best spent by the pool.

Harvest and olive pressing in the hills, mild days and fewer visitors. Lucca Comics brings big crowds to the city in late October.

Quiet and atmospheric, with museums easy to enjoy and Lucca's walls bare and golden. Some villa gardens close until spring.