No Statue of David, no Colosseum, no leaning tower. Just pure and simple, Italy. An hour outside of Florence, Lucca is one of the few Italian towns with its renaissance wall still fully intact. Most people make it a day trip from Florence, but we were ready for some quality Italian down time, so we stayed a week. Lucca has all the classic features of a mid-sized Italian town with its cobblestone streets, Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro, Guinigi Tower, and perhaps its biggest claim to fame, Lucca’s ramparts.  The wall standing 40 feet high and 60 feet wide, is lined with trees, a few playgrounds, picnic tables, benches, and at one time crowned with cannons.

There are a few places to rent bikes in town. We found Bicilette Poli for about $4 per hour per bike. Helmets were optional, so we opted not. After taking a quick look around, we decided not to flag ourselves as “americans” by wearing helmets when no one else was. The kids were thrilled.

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We made a few stops along the way. Peering over the wall, we found a locals game of cricket. As baseball players, the boys were fascinated with the similarities and differences of this classic European sport. We found a playground, a bench, and there is no better way to cool off than to drench your head under the water faucet.

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Riding the ramparts of Lucca was both fun and relaxing. Just a perfect way to spend a day in Lucca. In fact, we enjoyed it so much we spent several of our days that way.

Lucca  is one of those places that I would like to go back and stay for a while. It’s where living the simple life meets the convenience of modern amenities. Such a perfect size town chock full of history and culture.

If you’re looking to get away from the crowds and just want to appreciate life in Italy, I highly recommend you visit Lucca. You can find apartments for rent on Trip advisor, but make sure you find one inside the wall. You won’t regret it!

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