High, wide walls, built as solid ramparts in the 16th and 17th C, surround the streets,lanes and piazzas of this lovely city. The wall is a magnificent pathway, shaded by huge oaks, lindens and cypresses and from early morning to late evening there are walkers,joggers, cyclists, families, strollers and dogs, do either the whole circuit of the city or shorter stretches between one stone ramp and another. My Blog

Being a walled city with narrow streets and just a few roads into larger piazzas, bicycles abound. Locals of all ages cycle everywhere; tourists happily rent bicycles to do the same.

A large open space, Piazza Anfiteatro, is enclosed by pastel coloured Tuscan buildings, many of which have had some of the rubble from medieval buildings which cluttered the inside of the old Roman amphiteatre. Several arched lanes, reminders of the old gates through which gladiators would have entered, now lead into the piazza, which has outdoor cafes around the inside edges.

Lucca is an ideal base for exploring the Tuscan Val de Serche countryside and the hill towns and vineyards in the area.