Night walk
Suggestive places to discover Lucca and its surroundings in a particular light, that of the moon.
Step by step, you discover another side of the city, places with magical atmospheres just outside the Walls, illuminated only by the full moon. And again, immersed in nature, natural oases under the starry sky, accompanied by the song of nocturnal birds and the melodies of the water.
Walking around Lucca at night, with your nose in the air
Beautiful by day, Lucca reveals its most mysterious and romantic side as night falls. A new city appears when the sun sets and gives way to the lights of the night. Among Renaissance palaces and Romanesque churches, towers with green foliage and secret gardens, underground corners, and a maze of streets and places that tell stories and legends suspended in time.
Every step is a surprise: the Porta dei Borghi and the Porta di San Gervasio of the medieval walls, and the murmur of water babbling in the moat of one of Lucca's most characteristic streets along the medieval walls; the splendor of the Duomo di San Martino and the intoxicating scent of wisteria in bloom; the legend of Lucca's silk in the bas-reliefs of the merchants' court on Via Fillungo.
From the historic center, skirting the ramparts and moats of the Walls, you can have "enchanted" encounters. In the large lawn surrounding the magnificent monument, illuminated at ground level, fireflies and dragonflies gather in summer. And it's pure magic.
Information and reservations (requests): Nature Workshop
338 7901829 - officinanatura@gmail.com
Golden Words and Full Moon
Just a stone's throw from Lucca's historic center, a fantastic journey on a full moon night, when the moon and the earth touch in a warm embrace. From Lucca, pack a backpack and bring comfortable shoes, and it's easy to reach on foot. Simply climb the ancient, mighty arches of the 19th-century Nottolini aqueduct to the springs.
In Lucca, this place is known as the Parole d'Oro (Golden Words) because of the inscription imprinted in brass letters, mistaken for gold by locals, on a small bridge spanning the Vorno River. This inscription commemorates the completion date, in 1836, of the majestic aqueduct designed to collect good water from springs for the city.
Passing neoclassical temples and fountains, the route winds through dense forests, landscapes, and ancient cobblestone paths scented by the blooms of the undergrowth, culminating in 24 springs enclosed in small structures hidden in the woods on the slopes of Monti Pisano. Stories of brilliant architects, dukes, and pilgrims of the Via Francigena hang in the air.
From there, the excursion continues to the Gallonzora Observatory, where the gaze opens onto a spectacular view of the starry sky.
Info and reservations (required): vadoevedo.it
tel. 347 587 0026 - michele@vadoevedo.it
Sibolla Oasis Nature Reserve
A cool evening in the company of special "friends," guided by the stars away from the crowds and summer heat, amidst the calls of a tawny owl, a chattering spoonbill, and a little owl. All good reasons for a nighttime visit to the Sibolla Nature Reserve, a treasure trove of biodiversity and one of the most significant and studied wetlands in Europe.
With a nature guide, among reeds and walkways, you can discover the beauty and secrets of this reserve, home to rare botanical species, curious plants, and many migratory birds. A small corner of paradise just a few kilometers from the fortified village of Altopascio, immersed in the silence of a forest of oaks and oaks, where a clearing emerges where the moonlight reflects.
An unforgettable experience, filled with moving stories and the sound of the night. It's not every day you get to see the "inhabitants" of this place come to life at sunset, beginning their activities when everyone else goes to sleep.
Information and reservations (requests): Nature of the Middle
tel. 338.6553603 - naturadimezzo@gmail.com