Rick Steves' Favorite Place To Bike In Italy Is A Fortress Town Full Of Rich History

If you're planning a trip to Italy, you may be thinking about getting around by rental car. However, if you're visiting the beautiful city of Lucca in Tuscany, you may want to pick a different mode of transportation. Just about 12 miles from the nearby town of Pisa, home of the famous leaning tower, Lucca is a town surrounded by a 16th-to-17th century wall that is very friendly to walkers, runners, and bikers. In fact, travel pro Rick Steves recommends it as a great place for biking. He says on his website, "This Renaissance wall is also its most enjoyable attraction — especially when you're biking around on top of it. Stretching for 2.5 miles, this is an ideal place to come for an overview of the city. The wide ramparts are made-to-order for a leisurely ride — it's a wonderfully smooth 20–30-minute pedal, depending on how fast you go and how crowded the wall-top park is."

While you may think of a wall as a narrow thing to balance on, this is more like a wide path in a park, about 90-feet across and 40-feet high. Steves says it's worth taking a ride during the passeggiata, or the early evening before dinner when people go out to see and be seen, and to socialize with the rest of the city. Of course, that's not all you can do in this historic place. You can visit the beautiful San Martino Cathedral to see the famous symbol of the city, the site of a former Roman amphitheater, and Il Fillungo, a wonderful street for some shopping. Plus, there is a tower to climb, which has actual trees growing on the top. 

You don't have to pack your entire trip to Lucca with historical sightseeing. Biking on the wall and really experiencing what it's like to live there can be just as delightful. "I've found that a day biking in the great outdoors can be just as culturally fulfilling as time spent in a great church or art gallery," Steves explains. There are plenty of rental places in Lucca to get a bike and enjoy the flat and shaded path that loops around the city. Places like Cicli Bizzarri near the Porta Santa Maria or Chrono Bikes have them available. Check with your hotel, as some of them have bicycles to use as well. You can also rent helmets, and you're likely used to wearing one all the time. However, you won't see many people with them in Lucca, but it's a good idea to wear one anyway. 

Do note that this charming path along the wall doesn't have a fence or a barrier, so if you have your little ones with you on this trip, keep an eye on them. This wall path isn't for cars (outside of patrol vehicles here and there), so you're not dealing with auto traffic. Around the path you'll find a cafe, a playground for kids, water fountains, gelato spots, and picnic tables, so you can make a day of it. We suggest hitting the local grocery store (there are several, like Esselunga or Il Mercatino), and grabbing some lunch or dinner items for a great meal at one of the tables. 

"It is an extremely bike friendly place even with small children," one reviewer on TripAdvisor wrote of Lucca's walls. "We used our rental bikes (which were very inexpensive) to stroll through the inner city. We had lunch and worked it off by biking around on top of the city walls."

Riding on the wall isn't the only thing to do in this fortress town. The main street is called Il Fillungo and it's great for shopping (though there are stores and boutiques all over). One spot you must visit is the Romanesque Cathedral of San Martino, which was built first in the 6th century, then rebuilt and consecrated in 1080, with more being added through the 17th century. (You can also hunt for the small labyrinth carved on one of its walls.) Inside you'll see Lucca's famous Holy Face crucifix, or Volto Santo di Lucca, the symbol of the city., as well as the stunning marble effigy of Ilaria del Carretto. Another spot to check out is the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, a plaza that was once the site of a Roman amphitheater, and still retains the shape. 

One of the most striking sights in the city is the Guinigi Tower with trees growing right on the top. This 14th century Romanesque/Gothic structure's garden was planted by the Guinigi family, with flowers and Holm oaks. According to legend, Lucca ruler Paolo Guinigi was executed in the 15th century, and when it happened, the leaves fell off the trees. You can visit and climb more than 200 steps to the top.

As long as you're getting exercise biking along the wall, another thing to try out is a guided walking tour of Lucca. which starts under $20. It will take you through the city to the pretty Piazza San Michele, as well as where composer Giacomo Puccini was born. You'll hit Il Fillungo and visit the Cathedral, as well as another lovely church, San Frediano, which it's said was a place of worship dating back to the 6th century, though the lovely mosaic of Christ the Redeemer with two angels on the front is 13th century.