← White Marble Marathon·1 night

Lucca: One Night in the Walled City

A Renaissance city inside a tree-lined rampart you can walk, with towers, an oval square and a church facade carved like lace.

Duration1 night
TransitRegional train from Carrara-Avenza, usually one change, about 1 hour to 1 hour 30 min
DepartsCarrara-Avenza

After the White Marble Marathon: One Night in Lucca

The Route: Carrara-Avenza → Viareggio or Pisa (change) → Lucca (1 night) → return Logistics: Most journeys involve one change. Lucca's station is a short walk from the walls. Marathon Month: February Duration: 1 night

Carrara-Avenza ──(train, usually 1 change, ~1h-1h30)──> Lucca
              <───────────(same route back)──────────────┘

Lucca is built inside a complete ring of brick walls, finished in the 17th century and never used in a real siege. The top of the wall is a wide, flat, tree-lined path about 4 kilometres long. It is the best place in the region to put in an easy recovery walk on Monday.

The train from Carrara-Avenza usually needs a change, often at Viareggio or Pisa, and takes roughly 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes. Fares are about EUR 6 to EUR 10 (approximately GBP 5.15 to GBP 8.60). Check connections and prices at trenitalia.com. Lucca's station sits just outside the south wall, and the old centre is a 5 to 10 minute walk.

February in Lucca. The city is cool and often damp, with mist on some mornings and bare plane trees on the ramparts. Days are short, so aim to be walking the walls by midday. Many visitors are absent in winter, which means quiet streets. In most years conditions are cool and grey, though a clear day gives sharp light on the brick. Bring a waterproof.

Night One: The Walls and the Old Streets

The walls are the main attraction. The top is wide enough for cars once and now carries walkers, joggers and cyclists, and bikes can be hired from shops near the gates. The path is flat and surfaced with gravel and tarmac in places. Allow about 1 hour on foot at a recovery pace.

Inside, the old streets run in an irregular grid. Piazza dell'Anfiteatro is an oval square built on the footprint of a Roman amphitheatre, with houses wrapped around the curve. The Guinigi Tower, a medieval tower with oak trees growing on its roof, can be climbed by a staircase of several hundred steps, which is a lot to ask after a marathon, so consider leaving it for the morning. Check opening hours and prices. The Cathedral of San Martino has a carved facade and holds the Volto Santo, a wooden crucifix of local veneration. Giacomo Puccini was born in Lucca in 1858, and his birthplace is a small museum. Check its opening days, as many museums close on Mondays.

Where to stay: Hotel Ilaria is a central hotel in an old building near the walls. Hotel Rocca Sant'Anna is another option on the east side. Check rates and cancellation terms.

Where to eat: Look for tordelli lucchesi, meat-filled pasta in a ragù, and for buccellato, a sweet bread with raisins and aniseed that is sold in bakeries. Book dinner and check opening days, as some restaurants close on Mondays and Tuesdays in winter.

Day Two and Return

Climb the Guinigi Tower if your legs allow, or walk another section of the walls. Take the train back to Carrara-Avenza in the afternoon. If you are flying from Pisa on Tuesday, Lucca to Pisa Centrale is a short regional train, and a bus or the Pisa Mover links Pisa Centrale to the airport. Check times before you travel.