← EcoMaratona Pratese·2 nights

Lucca and Pisa: Ramparts and a Leaning Tower

Two nights in western Tuscany, first inside the wall of Lucca, where the ramparts make a flat tree-lined ring, then in Pisa, home of a famously tilted tower.

Duration2 nights
TransitTrain, about 1 hr to Lucca and 30 min on to Pisa
DepartsPrato

After the EcoMaratona Pratese: Lucca and Pisa

The Route: Prato → Lucca → Pisa Logistics: A regional train from Prato to Lucca via Pistoia, about 1 hour, then a train from Lucca to Pisa, about 30 minutes. Check the timetable of each leg and the Sunday services. Marathon Month: October Duration: 2 nights

Prato ──(train, about 1 hr)──> Lucca ──(train, about 30 min)──> Pisa

Lucca and Pisa are 30 minutes apart by rail and are quite different places. Lucca is a walled town with a green ring on top of its ramparts. Pisa is a university city with one of the most photographed leaning objects in the world. Together they suit a runner who wants a slow two-day recovery on level ground.

October in Lucca and Pisa: daytime temperatures are usually 14 to 22 °C, with the odd wet day. The rampart trees turn yellow and the light is soft. The lanes inside the walls are quiet after dark.

Night one: Lucca

The wall of Lucca, built in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, is about 4 km round and is topped by a wide tree-lined path used by walkers, cyclists and joggers. It is flat. A slow lap on foot, or a hired bike, is the best recovery activity in Tuscany.

Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, an oval square that follows the outline of a Roman amphitheatre, is ringed with cafes. The Torre Guinigi, a medieval tower with oak trees growing on top, is a climb of a couple of hundred steps, which most runners will want to skip. Check the opening hours and prices.

For dinner, try tordelli lucchesi, meat-filled pasta in a ragù, or the local farro soup. Book ahead, since the town is popular at weekends.

Night two: Pisa

Take the short train to Pisa. The Piazza dei Miracoli holds the cathedral, the baptistery and the leaning tower, on a lawn of remarkable greenness. The tower's climb of about 250 steps needs a booked slot and is not a good idea the day after a race. Check the ticket price and the current climbing rules.

The old town has a riverside walk along the Arno, and the university quarter has cheap food and a good many students. It is flat. Try a farinata, a thin chickpea pancake, or a plate of local seafood.

Where to stay

In Lucca, look for a room inside the walls, close to the ramparts. In Pisa, a hotel near the station or the old town works. Confirm the check-in times and book a refundable rate.

Getting back

Pisa has an airport with a rail link, and trains run to Florence. Check the timetable and allow extra time.