The ancient way is marked by big iron crosses that pointed pilgrims toward Rome in medieval times. Today you cycle east out of Lucca along the Via Francigena bike path. Expect some traffic as you ride in and out of Lucca. Return on the same route, but you follow a road instead of a bike path for the last 5 km (3 miles). Then you join a flat, well-packed gravel path for about 5 km (3 miles) and country roads lead to the eastern side of Lake Massaciuccoli. This easy ride departs Lucca on bike lanes until you reach the outskirts of town. Lucca to Oasi Lipu Nature Preserve and Oasi Lipu Nature Preserve to Lucca - 50 km (31 miles) On a clear day, the peaks of the Apuan Alps are visible in the far north/northwest. (Ride it once according to our directions, and the second time in the opposite direction. You can ride it as many times as you’d like, seeing something new each time in the city below or the surrounding countryside. This very easy and scenic ride follows the top of Lucca’s Renaissance city walls, built by the Medici family over the span of 100 years.
Lucca’s city walls - 5 km (3 miles) | Lucca to Oasi Lipu Nature Preserve and Oasi Lipu Nature Preserve to Lucca - 50 km (31 miles) You return to Lucca on a slightly different route. While here, you might visit the remains of an ancient Roman villa and perhaps hear the echoes of a Puccini opera in the breeze-the great composer lived nearby and frequently hunted on the lake’s shores.
Over millennia, this unspoiled lake and wetlands have been shaped by shifting rivers and sediments and, more recently, human reclamation. Later, arrive at Lake Massaciuccoli, a shallow lagoon hosting more than 100 species of permanent and migrating birds. Not far from here, Michelangelo personally chose the blocks of marble from which he carved his most iconic sculptures. In medieval days, devout followers walked this path from Canterbury, England, to the Holy See in Rome-though it was known more commonly as the Via Francigena, “the road that comes from France.” After a few miles, you join the gentle rolling piedemontana route at the foothills of the Apuan Alps. You trace part of an ancient pilgrimage route that will reappear on your map throughout the week. Your longer option follows an easy and unpaved bike path along the scenic Serchio River. Pedaling along the ramparts of the Renaissance-era walls-refashioned for pedestrians and leisure cyclists with wide pathways-you enjoy marvelous views over the city’s red roofs and bell towers. If you would like ample time to browse Lucca’s numerous beautiful churches, fascinating museums and café-lined piazzas, you can enjoy a short riding option. Today, about 10,000 Lucchesi live within the ancient city walls while about 80,000 live outside. Later, bankers took over and wealthy families erected their lavish villas in the surrounding countryside. Women once dyed the fabrics in the canal that still today runs along the modern-day Via del Fosso. The city prospered from silk production and trade. Lucca (meaning “marsh”) was named for the wetlands on which it was built in the 1300s.
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