Lucca
Best visited when you're staying in Florence, Lucca is one of Italy's walled cities, surrounded entirely by a raised stone wall. There are some interesting to sights within the small city, including some piazzas and churches, but the most worthwhile thing to do is a bike ride.
There's a lot of traffic inside the city so rent and take a bike to the wall, reserved only for pedestrians and bikes. The ride is fairly flat and the paths aren't too congested so you can really take the time to appreciate the city.
When you get hungry there's a plethora of decent restaurants inside the city. And it's hard to feel guilty about a huge bowl of pasta after you've done an entire circuit of the city.
Pompeii and Herculaneum
If you only have time for one day trip this is the one I'd recommend. The ancient historical sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum are best accessed from somewhere along the coast, like Capri.
A tour group is absolutely recommended, purely so that you get a good grasp of the historical significance of the cities. Don't be put off if your tour group is taken through a jewelers at the beginning, most tour groups have some sort of sponsor and the actual tours are amazing.
The only real advice I can offer is to wear sensible shoes. I was witness to more than one tourist stacking it on the cobblestone and trenches in the paths, originally designed for carts.
For any history buffs though, these sites are a must see. They've been maintained wonderfully, including the gardens, which have been grown in the hopes of recreating how they were before Mt Vesuvius erupted.
Ana Capri
Ana Capri is one of the most beautiful sights in Italy. As you climb higher and higher into the city the view of the surrounding ocean becomes more and more incredible.
Ana Capri is also the location of the 'Blue Grotto', a cave accessible only by boat which waters reflect a right blue light. Unfortunately this Grotto isn't always accessible and is dependant on the conditions of the ocean and any poor weather. I had to give it a miss and instead took a tour around Ana Capri by a larger boat.
If you wanted to stroll down to the beach just be aware that you have a long walk back up to the top, so carve out enough time to make the trek, especially if you've got a tour group waiting on you. If you're planning on spending the majority of your time in Italy between Florence, Rome and the other metropolitan cities then Ana Capri is worth the trip, even if it's just for a day by the beautiful coast.
Happy travels!
- Liv
- Liv
