UNESCO World HeritageWalk from the house to the Castellaccio, or follow the flat wetland loop at Lake Massaciuccoli.
Explore from La Limonaia
Cities, coast, gardens, mountains and walks
La Limonaia puts you between Lucca, the Versilia coast and the mountains. Famous cities, beach towns, historic gardens, wetlands and walking trails are all within reach.
These guides help you choose what suits the day. Spend a few hours in Pisa or Montecarlo, follow the sculptures through Pietrasanta, take the children into Pinocchio’s world at Collodi, pair Montecatini Terme with its hilltop village, follow Leonardo from the museum in Vinci to his birthplace, visit two UNESCO Medici estates, compare five very different beaches, or give Florence, Lucca and the Garfagnana more time. Visit a villa, or follow one of our recorded walks.
Find your way
Every trip on the map
La Limonaia sits in the middle of these destinations. The numbers match the guides below.
Art, architecture, gardens and wine
Cities, villages and villas
Choose a famous city, a small wine town or one of the grand country houses around Lucca.
The essential first visit
Lucca
Walk the city walls, climb a tower and follow 2,200 years of history through streets that are still full of life.
Palaces, gardens and shade
Lucca’s villas and gardens
Visit grand houses and formal gardens in the countryside north and east of Lucca. Start with Villa Reale di Marlia.
A storybook day with children
Pinocchio Park in Collodi
Follow Pinocchio through an open-air world of art, theatre and play, then add the Butterfly House or Villa Garzoni.
One famous square, one short city walk
Pisa: the perfect half-day
See the whole Piazza dei Miracoli, not only the Tower. Then walk to Piazza dei Cavalieri before returning to the house.
Renaissance Florence without the race
Florence: one well-paced day
Park beside Ponte Vecchio, walk through the historic centre and choose one major museum without rushing the city.
A walled village and local wine
Montecarlo: a relaxed half-day
Walk through a small hill town, see its fortress if it is open and add a long lunch or a booked wine tasting.
Spa architecture and a red funicular
Montecatini: spa town below, village above
Visit Terme Tettuccio, ride the historic funicular and explore the stone lanes and views of Montecatini Alto.
Marble, bronze and open-air art
Pietrasanta: a town built around sculpture
Explore Piazza Duomo, see artists’ models in the Museo dei Bozzetti and follow contemporary sculpture through the old town.
Leonardo’s ideas and landscape
Vinci: in Leonardo’s footsteps
See Leonardo’s machine models in the castle, climb the tower and walk or drive through the olive groves to his birthplace.
Two UNESCO Medici estates
La Petraia and Castello
Tour the furnished rooms of Villa La Petraia, then explore Castello’s fountains, grotto and historic citrus collection.
From easy paths to mountain ground
Walks and wild landscapes
Follow a recorded walk, enter a wetland reserve or spend a full day among the villages and peaks of the Garfagnana.
Mountains, villages and the Serchio
A day in the Garfagnana
Follow the river north to the Devil’s Bridge, Barga and Castelnuovo for mountain views, stone villages and local food.
Five beaches, five different days
The beaches of Versilia
Compare Viareggio, Lido di Camaiore, Marina di Pietrasanta, Torre del Lago and wild Lecciona before choosing your beach day.
Start walking at the front door
The Castellaccio hike
Climb from La Limonaia through olive groves and woodland to an old hilltop church and wide views over Lucca.
Reeds, boardwalks and birdlife
Lake Massaciuccoli walk
Follow a flat loop from Quiesa into the wetland reserve, with open water, birdwatching hides and paths through tall reeds.
A mountain village and a deep valley
Orrido di Botri walk
Descend from Montefegatesi to Ponte a Gaio, enter the rocky gorge, then climb back to the village on this mountain loop.
Choose by time