Best Things to Do from AC Marriott Hotel in Lucca
If you are coming to Tuscany and you wish to spend your holiday in Lucca, we have some suggestions for you. Indeed, we can recommend you to stay at the Grand Universe Lucca Autograph Collection, an elegant boutique hotel signed by Marriott. From there, you can easily discover the old town. In fact, we can suggest you the Best Things to Do from AC Marriott Hotel in Lucca, not only in town, but also in other popular destinations in Tuscany.
Useful info about the AC Marriott Hotel in Lucca
The Grand Universe Lucca Autograph Collection is located in the very heart of Lucca in front of Teatro del Giglio. It is a luxury hotel within the walls and it is ubicated in a very elegant palazzo from the classic design. The buildig preserves its original architecture with wall foundations dating back to Roman times.
It boasts sophisticated and contemporary rooms, together with an exclusive rooftop bar, a pool and a fitness center. From the hotel, you can enjoy nice views over the old town with the St.Martino’s Cathedral and other monuments. This location allows you to enjoy the old town of Lucca and breath its historical atmosphere. The closest city gate to the AC Marriott Hotel is Porta San Pietro, in the south of Lucca. You can easily walk to the hotel if you are coming to Lucca by train. Indeed, the railway station is less than 10 minutes away. The area within the walls is ZTL zone (Zona a traffico limitato – limited traffic zone) and only licenced vehicle can drive there.
Private transfers to AC Marriott Hotel in Lucca
If you wish to visit Lucca and you are currently in another Tuscan or Italian city, you can easily get to Lucca by train. The railway station is close to Porta San Pietro, the southern city gate. From there, you can walk to the Grand Universe Lucca AC within 10 minutes. Lucca is only half an hour away from Pisa and about one hour from Florence. On the website Trenitalia, you can check the train schedule to get to Lucca from other cities like Bologna or Florence.
If you are flying directly to Tuscany on Pisa or Florence airport or in case you are reaching Tuscany from another region, we also organize private transfers. In fact, we can pick you up at the airport in Pisa, Florence, Bologna and Roma Fiumicino and drive you to Lucca. Additionally, we can pick you up at a different accommodation in Tuscany (in Versilia, Livorno, etc) and bring you to Porta San Pietro to easily access your hotel.
What to do and what to see
Lucca is surely worth a visit for its cultural and historical heritage. If you are passionate about history, art and architecture, you should definetly pay a visit to this city. Locals refer to Lucca as the Town of a hundred churches for the many religious buildings within the medieval walls. Since the Grand Universe Lucca AC is situated within the walls, it is the perfect starting point for your visits in town. Moreover, its proximity to Pisa and other cities allows you to discover much more starting from here. For this reason, we thought to give you some hints about what do to in Lucca and some ideal tours from Lucca to other popular destinations in Tuscany and Liguria.
Points of interest from AC Marriott Hotel in Lucca
Among the most distinguishing features of Lucca we must mention the 16th century-walls around the old town. They represent one of the most well-preserved fortifications in Italy today. Furthermore, it is possible to literally walk on top of them. Indeed, they extend for about 4 km around the old town as a real park where to walk and relax while enjoying the nice view over the many monuments in town. You can even take a byke and traverse this path. It is surely a different way to explore such a rich historical site. The complex was built during the Renaissance and 11 bastions are located at some intervals along the perimeter.
Other aspects of this town makes it different from the others. For example, the characteristic Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, with the evident elliptical shape recalling the original Roman forum. Indeed, this was an important political and civic centre during Roman Times.
Also the Guinigi Tower is unique in Lucca with its iconic holm oak trees on the top. The Tower is 45 meters high. We suggest you to climb it to discover the secret rooftop garden and to enjoy Lucca from a different perspective. Another interesting tower is the Clock Tower (Torre delle Ore). Both towers date back to the 14th century.
Via Fillungo is the most important shopping street in Lucca, full of restaurants, boutique shops and art.
Lucca is a lively city and hosts multiple cultural events during the year. In July, the Summer Festival takes place and hosts many international singers in several locations. In addition, one of the most popular comics festivals in Italy, the Lucca Comics, is organized here. Between October and November many are comics and cartoon lovers among all ages reach this town to enjoy the festival.
Lucca, Town of a Hundred Churches
As we mentioned above, Lucca is also known as the town of a hundred churches. Indeed, many are the religious buildings erected within the walls. Among them, we suggest you to pay a visit to the St. Martino’s Cathedral. Here, the Holy Face is conserved. Other important churches are the one of San Frediano and San Michele in Foro with stunning architectural structures and beautiful facades.
Possible Tours from AC Marriott Hotel in Lucca
An entire day to visit Lucca is probably not enough, but if you have only few days at disposal, you can maybe dedicate part of your time also to other popular destinations at a short distance. From Lucca it easy to reach Pisa, but also the marvellous Cinque Terre in the nearby Region of Liguria. In addition, you can get to Florence or explore the marble Apuan Alps and the Garfagnana area around Lucca. You can check our Day Trips from Lucca on our website and have a look below to our top tours from the AC Marriott Hotel in Lucca.
Private tour to Cinque Terre from AC Marriott Hotel in Lucca
Only one and a half hour from Lucca is the Cinque Terre National Park with its charming villages along the Ligurian coastline. The area belongs to UNESCO for the beauty of its environment, where landscape and men works coexist peacefully. The reknown Five Lands correspond to the villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare. Part of the national park are also three tiny islands off the coast, Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto and the village of Portovenere.
You can discover these magical places navigating along the coast on a Private Boat Tour or join a Cinque Terre Small Group. On a private boat tour, you will have the chance to admire the area from a different perspective. Moreover you will have some free time for lunch in one of the charming villages. On the small group tour instead, you will get a general idea of the several villages. From one place to another you will preferably travel by ferryboat (or by train in case of bad weather conditions).
Wine Tours from Lucca
One of the many reasons to visit Tuscany is wine. Indeed, many are the wine districts in the region, from the very heart of Tuscany to the coastal area. Fine red and white wine that you can taste in local wineries especially selected for you. We love sharing our passions with travellers and we schedule our tours according to quality standards. Among the tours we would like to recommend you, the Chianti Lovers Tour from Lucca allows you to visit two wineries in the Tuscan countryside. There, you will taste excellent Chianti and Supertuscan wines and combine them to local delicacies. Another possibility is our Chianti and Supertuscan Wine Tour from Lucca, also focusing on a unique wine tasting experience.
Private Tour from AC Marriott Hotel in Lucca to Florence
What you can not miss during your holiday under the Tuscan sun is a visit to the Renaissance Florence. Everybody knows about the cultural and historical richness of this city. Here, you find art in every corner, together with renomated museums like the Uffizi Galleries and the Accademia museum. On our Private Tour to Florence from Lucca, you can visit them and discover the historical centre belonging to UNESCO. If you like photography, you can take perfect shots from Ponte Vecchio or even from Piazzale Michelangelo, a panoramic terrace close to the old town. Our staff will be glad you to show you around and to suggest you the best places where to go during your free time.
From AC Marriott Hotel in Lucca to San Gimignano and Volterra
If you like history and art, another ideal destination is the Tuscan hinterland. San Gimignano and Volterra can be explored on one of our day tours from Lucca. Locals refer to San Gimignano as the Manhattan of the Middle Ages. The reason is in the many old towers rising from the hill and resulting as a distinguishing feature in town. Once, the towers were symbol of power and were used by the most powerful families to show their power to others. If in San Gimignano you feel like being back in the Middle Ages, in Volterra you can jump back to Etruscan times. Indeed, Volterra boasts many historical monuments and ruins in town. Moreover, on our tour you can join a wine tasting with local wines.
Experience one of our cooking classes in Tuscany
Food is, like wine, one of our passions. As Italians, we love sharing our passions with others. For this reason, we offer you the possibility to join a cooking class in Tuscany to experience also the cultural aspects of our country. Our professional chef will bring you to a local food market to buy the most fresh ingredients for your recipies. Afterwards, you will reach a typical Tuscan farmhouse in the countryside, where you will learn how to prepare some of our most delicious dishes. At the end of the class you will enjoy the meal prepared with our staff. This is a different way to discover more about our region.