Zero Km Sunsets

Although the spectacle repeats itself every evening, it's never the same and always offers serenity and wonder. If you're on a detox, resist the selfie craving; don't miss a minute and enjoy the sunsets. The memory will always stay with you, relaxing you during the most tiring moments, or at least... making you want to return!

Here are four unmissable sunsets in the historic center or a few kilometers from the walls of Lucca.

Guinigi Tower

It's best to book the last tour, as the show is included in the ticket price. From the top of the tower, the sun sets behind the hills, between Monte Pisano and the hills separating the Lucca plain from Versilia.

The clear sky will have a strong chiaroscuro effect, emphasizing the skyline of the various monuments and reliefs.
A cloudy sky of cumulus and cirrus clouds (more frequent this season) will draw fantastic creatures in the sky that play with the city monuments in infinite landscapes.

Via Sant'Andrea, at the foot of the Guinigi Tower and parallel to the route of the decumanus maximus of the Roman city, is flooded with sunlight that stands out on the red tiles of the roofs.
From here you can clearly see the regular fabric of the Roman city, the more convoluted one of the medieval city, and the ring of foliage that surrounds it and corresponds to the path of the Renaissance Walls.

The Lucca hills in summer are a landscape in which to relax and unwind.

Sunny and a little tired, they recover in the evening when the air becomes cooler and we can finally enjoy an aperitif with a view of the sunset.
The north and west slopes are prime locations for sunset hunting, reflecting the sunlight as it dips into the nearby sea and the fresh scents of aromatic herbs emerge from the earth.
A good glass of Montecarlo white wine or a red from the Lucca hills is the perfect way to end the day in style and flavor.

Along the oil and wine route, after an afternoon strolling through vineyards and olive groves, a visit to one of the many wineries where you can perhaps taste some local products.
An excursion to the villas of Lucca, to visit the gardens and monumental parks with statues, fountains, vegetable gardens and shady avenues, a cool walk along paths that pass through oak and black locust woods, a bike ride along the hillside roads, in search of history and territory, among villages and farms, is a way to discover and enjoy the area at its best, stopping for a tasting of wines or other rural products directly at the companies or on the panoramic terrace of the village of Montecarlo.
For everyone, a good red wine from the Lucca hills for a toast and a splendid sunset to end the day.

In Versilia

Yes, it was precisely the "stunning sunsets" that attracted one of the most illustrious citizens, Giacomo Puccini, and the entire group of artists here in the early 1900s.

The fine sand is still warm in the evening, and the spectacle of the sun dipping into the sea—whether from the Viareggio Pier, in the company of a few fishermen and the silhouettes of the masts of the luxury yachts anchored at the Darsena Nuova dock, or from one of the piers that stretch out into the sea and line the Versilia seafront promenade, accompanied by the screeching of seagulls—will not disappoint.

Versilia needs no introduction: long, sandy beaches where you can linger and sunbathe or take a sailing or kite surfing lesson; the Migliarino Natural Park and Lake Massaciuccoli with their splendid, fragrant pine forests where you can take regenerating walks or bike rides among pines, holm oaks and tamarisks; the stories of sailors, caulkers and divers to be discovered at the Viareggio Sea Museum; the Art Nouveau promenade of the villas of the artists who lived here in the early 1900s with their beautiful ceramic decorations and gardens of exotic plants.

Villa Paolina, Villa Argentina, and, not far away, Villa Puccini are excellent examples of the relaxed and magnificent life that artists enjoyed, leaving us in return works of art still admired and performed in theaters around the world.

For a sunset stroll, you can choose the Viareggio pier, enjoying a hot cone of mixed fried fish dispensed from the fishermen's "barchina" (boat), or the Lido di Camaiore pier, with the inevitable gelato, or the modern and elegant Forte dei Marmi pier, accompanied by a Spritz.

In Garfagnana the sun lights up the Apuan Alps, drawing their profile

Yes, we cheated a bit, but even if it's not exactly zero kilometers away, the Garfagnana is just around the corner, and a sunset hike is a truly unique spectacle. In this splendid mountain valley, between the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines and the Apuan Alps, crossed by the Serchio River, there are countless places where you can enjoy fantastic sunsets.
A day trip is worth it and the evening show is guaranteed.

From the terrace of Barga Cathedral, you can admire the sun setting over the Panie mountain range, with Monte Forato in the center. In August, once the sun goes down, you can linger for a few jazz evenings. well-known festivalIn this refined mountain village, there is certainly no shortage of attractions: the Duomo first and foremost, the historic center itself with its intricate and steep streets, but also the new Barga, with its Art Nouveau villas that often host exhibitions and cultural events.

From San Pellegrino in Alpe, a soft sunset over the Apennines with views of the Apuan Alps (photo). We're on the border between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, where the historic Via Matildica del Volto Santo and the Apennine Trail 00 intersect at the pass. During the day, you can encounter shepherds with their flocks of white Garfagnina sheep grazing in these open pastures, in perfect harmony with the fantastic and generous nature. Perhaps you can take home some delicious sheep's cheese.

From the medieval Verrucole fortress, you can enjoy a panoramic sunset over the Apuan Alps, the Apennines, and the Pania di Corfino, which glows pink at sunset.
During the day, the fortress is open to the public, and a visit is a journey back in time to when it was used to defend the valley. The "castellans," dressed in medieval attire, offer guided tours, workshops, and traditional cuisine.