It’s an unforgettably beautiful experience
that’s good for you too 😃
Take your choice of pavement, gravel or grass: the park along the top of Lucca’s renaissance walls has all you need to enjoy a quick or leisurely trek under a canopy of trees and within view of the flowers that sprout spontaneously along the structure’s 4.4 km perimeter.
It is easy to understand why it was voted one of the top 10 places in the world to jog. But if you insist, bicycles and rickshaws can be rented to take the stroll too.
The city has opened an InfoPoint in a building on the walls at Porta San Donato (above the Tourist Information Center in Piazzale Verdi) to provide visitors with information about special events hosted on or about the “mura” (the name Lucchesi use to refer to them).
If you circle the walls from above, you might also want to circle them from below. Happily, the city just finished paving a lovely pedestrian and bicycle path around the entire outside circumference, too.
When you need to rest, there are park benches and picnic tables along the way, as well as water fountains at every bulwark.
From the walls you’ll receive a mini-overview of everything you should visit up close within this magical ring: the Guinigi Tower and Tower of the Hours dominate, the Cathedral of St. Martin glistens,
the Basilica of St. Francis and golden facade of St. Frediano, the canals running from the moat and then past the medieval towers of the city’s previous walls, the splendor of the gardens of Palazzo Pfanner and the Botanic Garden will inspire you.
Last but not least, it’s even possible to experience the vaulted chambers inside the walls. The Tourist Information Center has detailed information about special tours, but to get a taste you can explore the passageways (its fori) allowing pedestrians to travel thru the walls to the outside. The longest are located near the Church of San Tommaso in the Borghi neighborhood near Porta Santa Maria, or under the Bulwark (Baluardo) of San Colombano, or under the Bulwark (Baluardo) of San Paolino.
