Lucca, the undisputed gem of Tuscany (sorry Florence) is a tiny walled city that houses about 90,000 very lucky people. I first visited this town when I was 16, and it struck me as being easily the most impressive place I’ve ever visited. Now, having returned at age 28 I can verify that Lucca is indeed, very, very cool. Read on for my guide on how you should spend your time here.

Before you get too excited, let’s understand Lucca first. Lucca is old. Properly old. Predating the Romans by a few centuries, Lucca seems to have been initially settled by the Etruscans, and later developed by the Romans. Lucca flourished during the Gothic era, and as such, is dominated by churches and palaces of that era. Despite being a staunchly Tuscan city now, Lucca remained an independent city-state until the late 18th century. For visitors to the city, Lucca’s charm comes from the fact that it is perfectly enclosed in a thick wall. All of the areas within the wall, the ‘historical zone,’ and gorgeous - think winding alleyways, cobblestoned streets, amazing cafes and bars, and very few cars. Given how small this area is by surface area, there is still a lot to see and do, so read on for my guide on how to spend a day there.

First stop in your visit to Lucca has to be in exploring what makes the town so unique, the city walls. These walls are explorable by both foot and by bike, but I’d strongly encourage you to hire bikes to ride around them. The ring road around the walls is wide enough to accomodate cars, bikes and pedestrians, and riding is definitely the most fun way to explore the city. Hire your bikes from Cicli Rail (Via S. Nicolao, 66, 55100 Lucca), you’ll pay 4 euros an hour for the privilege, but the owners are excellent, and will be glad to point you in the direction of the walls. I’d suggest spending a solid hour riding about the walls and cruising through the narrow cobbled streets, you’ll be surrounded by locals doing the same thing, and there is truly no better way to see the city.

Next up, you need to get yourself a coffee. For those in need, Cafe Ninci is the only place in town worth considering. Opened in 1925, this café has been serving up the best coffee in town under 4 generations of the same owners. Here, you’ll be able to sip at an espresso and watch life go by on Plaza Napoleone, one of the busiest piazzas in town. If feeling hungry at this stage, I can personally attest to how excellent their croissants and danishes are. The prices are very reasonable, and there probably is no better accompaniment to the beauty that will be surrounding you at this stage to a chocolate-filled croissant.

Caffeine needs now sufficiently met, let’s fulfil that requirement every Renaissance era Italian town has for the visitor - churches. Yes, I know. You’re tired of churches. However, Lucca, known as the city of 100 churches (it seriously has 100), has two churches that are definitely worth your while. First stop has to the the Basilica of San Frediano (Piazza S. Frediano, 55100 Lucca). Free to enter, and open every day of the week from 9 am to 6 pm. San Frediano, outside of the gorgeous religious art and splendour inside, has several curiosities making it noteworthy. Firstly, the the fact that they have the actual corpse of Saint Zita, the patron saint of Lucca, inside the chapel. Yep, she’s in a glass case at the very front of the chapel. While you can’t take photos of her, it’s certainly worth checking out, both for morbid curiosity, and because she’s mentioned in Dante’s Inferno.

After checking out San Frediano, your next stop is the second church on my list. Though not free to enter, St. Martin Cathedral (Piazza Antelminelli, 55100 Lucca) get’s a mention due to the fact that it is very, very beautiful inside (think lots of gold leaf, vaunted ceilings), but that it also has a bell tower that you can climb for 3 euros. My advice, don’t bother buying the combination ticket - just opt for tickets to climb the bell tower, which is located just to the side of the main chapel. Climb the 200 or so steps to the top of the tower and prepare to have you breath snatched away. The view from up here is amazing, and you should be able to see right across the town, taking in the other viewpoints, taking particular note of the tree-covered Guingi Tower - you’ll be climbing that later. The city can really only be appreciated from this high up - look out for the snaking alleyways and thin side streets. The place is a warren. A beautiful, beautiful warren.

After descending from the bell-tower of Saint Martin, I’d say you’ve probably earned a bite to eat. For lunch, you can do absolutely no better than Pizzeria De Felice. Located a short 5 minute walk away from you at 12 Via Buia, Pizzeria De Felice is everything that’s right about rustic style cooking. Unpretentious, cheap, and very very tasty. Go for the spicy salami and a beer. You’ll walk away having spent less than 6 euros and be all the happier for it.

Interested in food and drink options in Lucca? Read my guide over here.

After lunch, it’s high time to get up another bell-tower. This time, you’ll be ascending Guingi Tower, the undisputed symbol of the city. While the tower will cost you 5 euros to enter and climb, the view from the top is even better than that of the tower of Saint Martin. The experience is made all the more bizarre by the fact that the viewing platform is covered in trees, a truly unique feature amongst towers that I’ve climbed. Originally, these trees were part of the garden of the palace below, and actually helped feed the residents. Nowadays, they are the symbol of Lucca, and the view from the top is nothing short of astonishing.

Your next stop is going to be a quick shop at Fat Mama Vintage (Via, Chiasso Barletti, 15, 55100 Lucca). While you’d be right in asking why I’m suggesting that you go vintage shopping in a gorgeous renaissance town, Fat Mama has some of the most unique items of Italian vintage clothing that I’ve ever come across, and their prices aren’t horrific either. expect a solid range of levi’s, awesome Italian shirts, and some excellent dresses and corduroy pants. They also have a huge selection of rare, hard-to-come by Adidas shoes - worth checking out for any sneakerheads. The guy who runs the place is awesome, and you’ll be hard pressed to leave without a 1980’s Italian windbreaker or three.

After lightening your wallet at Fat Mama, it’s high time that you checked out another monument right? Make your way to Piazza del Antifeatro. The original site of the Roman Ampitheatre in town, Piazza Antifeatro no longer has an ampitheatre, but is visually engaging - the houses surrounding the square form a circle, and are multi-coloured, made all the more pretty in the afternoon sunlight. Given that you are in Italy, I’d argue that it’s high time for an apperitivo - pull up a chair at Old Charlie Lucca, located on the north side of the plaza and order yourself an aperol spritz. The people watching will be fantastic.

After your aperol, I’d recommend that you go for a bite to eat. Lucca is teeming with amazing food options, and you’d be hard pressed to find a bad meal in town. For my part though, I’m a sucker for down-home Tuscan style cooking, and you really can’t go past Trattoria Gigi (Piazza del Carmine, 7, Lucca) for this. Fairly priced rustic tuscan fare awaits you. You’ll be served without fuss, by a waiter who’s likely been working there 20 years or more, and the food is…well…something else. Go for the pappardelle with wild board, the barley soup, and maybe a spaghetti al funghi. My goodness me, I’m salivating just thinking about it. If looking to spend a little more money, you could opt for the michelin starred Restaurante Giglio (Piazza del Giglio, 2, 55100 Lucca). I personally didn’t eat there, but the menu looks amazing and the reviews are incessantly positive.

Lucca is located an hour by train and car from Florence, and is serviced by regular buses as well. I’d strongly recommend that any visitor to Tuscany or Italy spend at least 2 nights in Lucca - the place is magical, beautiful, and hauntingly perfect. Any questions about it, fire away in the comments below!