My Name is Lucca

Treat yourself to a sweet or a savory delicacy and some lovely Italian coffee before driving to Pisa.
Caffè Giardino is open daily from 7 am to 8.30 pm.

Pisa, once a maritime force competing with Genoa and Venice, is now famous for a disastrous architectural endeavor. Luckily, the world-famous Leaning Tower of Pisa is only one of several notable attractions in town.
A place you shouldn't skip is the Pisan-Gothic Santa Maria della Spina Church.
This church is open from 10 am to 1.30 pm, then from 2.30 to 6 pm (Tuesday-Friday) or 7 pm (Saturday and Sunday).

The National Museum of San Matteo is housed in a Benedictine abbey from the 13th century on the northern side of Arno's riverfront promenade.
The collection includes pieces by Masaccio, Fra' Angelico, Lippo Memmi, Simone Martini, Gentile da Fabriano, Taddeo Gaddi, and Ghirlandaio.
Don't be late! This medieval repository is open: • From Tuesday to Saturday, with admission allowed only at 9 am, 11.30 am, 3.30 pm, 5.30 pm • On Sunday with admission allowed only at 9 am and 11.30 am.

This modest osteria is in one of Pisa's lovelies squares, far from the tourist crowds taking photos with the Leaning Tower. Furthermore, it's the ideal blend of casual eating and gourmet perfection.
The menu is short, with only four or five items to choose from for each course, and the dishes are inventive. Look for the chocolate-scented wild-boar pappardelle, they're the best choice!
Osteria Bernardo is open daily from 7.30 to 11 pm. On Sundays, it's also open for lunch between 12.30 and 2.30 pm.

No Tuscan site is more immortalized in kitsch souvenirs than the distinctive Tower of Pisa, perched on the edge of this massive square also known as Campo dei Miracoli and Piazza del Duomo. Besides the Leaning Tower, you'll also get to visit the Duomo and Baptistry here.
Torre Pendente or Leaning Tower The Torre Pendente, one of Italy's most famous landmarks, certainly lives up to its name, leaning a shocking 3.9 degrees off the vertical. The 56m-high campanile (bell tower) took over 200 years to build but was already leaning when it was inaugurated. The tilt, caused by a layer of weak subsoil, gradually deteriorated over time until it was ultimately stopped by a massive stabilization effort in the '90s.
The Leaning Tower opens every day at 9 am and closes at 8 pm from Monday to Thursday and at 10 pm from Friday to Sunday.
Book your ticket for the Leaning Tower of Pisa in advance here
Duomo di Pisa The majestic Romanesque Duomo of Pisa has an eye-catching tiered façade with dark green and cream marble stripes. Its colored interior is crowned by a gilded hardwood ceiling. Its elliptical dome is the first of its sort to have ever been built in Europe.
It's open every day from 10 am to 8 pm except on Sunday when it's open from 1 to 8 pm.
Battisterio or Baptistry The baptistry in Pisa features one dome on top of another, each roofed in half lead, half tiles, and capped with a gilt-bronze John the Baptist (1395). The hexagonal marble pulpit by Nicola Pisano is the main attraction.
It's open daily between 9 am and 8 pm.

Lucca is a town surrounded by high walls, on the rich plain of the Serchio River. The architecture of the city spans practically every era in Italian history, with a Roman amphitheater, magnificent Romanesque cathedrals, and exquisite Art Nouveau facades.
Today, Lucca is well known for its boutiques and superb eating. Everything is complemented by the ever-present brilliance of opera master Giacomo Puccini, who was born here. He is celebrated year-round through the festival Puccini e la sua Lucca (Puccini and his Lucca). Learn more about this music festival here.

San Michele in Foro features a lovely façade with a unique mix of Romanesque and Gothic marble columns in the lower section and Gothic in the top portion.
Inside, you can admire the fresco Saints Helena, Jerome, Sebastian, and Roch by Filippino Lippi.
Chiesa di San Michele in Foro is open daily from 9 am to 6 pm.

The view from the top of this 45-meter-tall medieval tower is breathtaking. But as soon as you climb the 230 steps to the top, you'll be impressed even before seeing the view.
You will come across a rooftop garden with seven oak trees at the top of the Guinigi Tower. According to legend, when great Lucchese monarch Paolo Guinigi (1372-1432) died, all the leaves fell off the trees. Count 230 stairs up to the summit.
Torre Guinigi is open daily from 10.30 am to 6.30 pm.
You can book your ticket in advance here.

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Alternative - Torre delle Ore Climb up the 207 wooden steps of Torre delle Ore to catch a fantastic view of the town below.
The clock tower is open daily from 10.30 am to 6.30 pm.
Book your ticket in advance here.

The small Museo Casa Natale di Giacomo Puccini exhibits pictures of the composer as well as the piano on which he wrote Turandot.
The museum is open daily from 10 am to 7 pm.
You can book your ticket in advance here.

Despite being located in the touristic Piazza dell'Amphiteatro, this Michelin guide restaurant is as good as it gets. Their seasonal dishes and presentation are inventive, and the staff is welcoming and helpful.
If you don't know what to get, I recommend their seafood platter or the venison.
Peperosa is open every day except Wednesday from 12 to 2 pm and from 7 to 10 pm.