Lucca from Orentano
~30 min by car Directions from Orentano
Lucca is the easiest city trip from Orentano and many people's favourite: an intact Renaissance-walled city where the walls themselves are a tree-lined park you can walk or cycle all the way around — about 4 km of it.
Inside, the city is flat, compact and made for wandering: the oval Piazza dell'Anfiteatro built on a Roman amphitheatre, the Torre Guinigi with holm oaks growing on its roof, and more churches than you can count (the locals say a hundred).
Don't miss
- The walls — Rent a bike by the gates and do the full circuit — the classic Lucca experience, ~30 relaxed minutes.
- Piazza dell'Anfiteatro — The famous oval piazza shaped by the Roman amphitheatre beneath it.
- Torre Guinigi — The tower with trees on top; the climb earns you the best rooftop view in town.
- San Michele & the Duomo — Two spectacular Pisan-Romanesque façades a few lanes apart; the Duomo holds the Volto Santo.
Getting there
About 30 minutes by car from Orentano via Altopascio. By train, drive to Altopascio station (~10 min) and it's a short hop on the Florence–Lucca line.
Back in the village by evening: see where to eat and what’s on tonight, or browse places to stay if Orentano isn’t your base yet.