We visited Lucca several times while staying in Bagni di Lucca. It is only a short trip to Lucca from the village where our apartment is in Ponte a Serraglio, by car or by bus.  I always enjoyed the bus trip as there was so much to see on the way. When we drove the car we made sure that we left early so we could easily find a parking space in the walled city.

On 2 of our visits to Lucca we rented the Riscio Piccolo from Cicli Bizzarri. This style of bike was so very easy for us to use, we were able to take all our purses, back packs, cameras etc with us.  And the bike was really easy for us to operate, not hard work at all.

O, and you do not need to know how to ride a bike to operate this one.

The first time we rented the Piccolo we stayed down in the centre of the walled city and rode all around. It is a perfect and easy way to see the entire city. The cost was 12 euros per hour. We didn’t need to commit to a specific time and paid for the time we used the bikes on return. This system suited us perfectly cause you really have no idea how long you will be as once you start exploring this delightful city you can easily lose track of time. Well, we sure did.

We rented our 2 seater bike each time from  Cicli Bizzarri, which is just inside the walls at the north end / top of the town.  They are open daily, and there’s no need to reserve a bike in advance unless you are booking bikes for a large group. Rental rates are a few Euros an hour, and they’ll keep your ID while you take the bike out.  They also rent helmets but they’ll tell you they’re not necessary.

Riding one circuit on the walls will take you about 25 minutes at a relatively slow pace (it’s a park, with people walking, lots of bikes etc. so don’t expect to race around), we stopped many times to take photos and chat with people. If you’d like to go for a longer ride, ask the people at Cicli Bizzarri – they have plenty of nearby route suggestions. One of the owners is Aussie and of course speaks English

As you can see from the Google maps screen shot below, the walls (and hence the path) completely circle the city, but you’re not balancing on a narrow wall, as many people first imagine. The path is very wide (wide enough that it was once used as a racetrack), and it is also completely flat and full of great picnic spots

You can take hour or you can take all day. There is so much to see from the wall and of  course there is so much to see and do in Lucca.

We met several people who return to Lucca every year to rent an apartment for 2 – 4 weeks. There are lots to see in Lucca and naturally so much to experience in the surrounding Tuscan area.