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Walking the Via Francigena from Aulla to Lucca

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Stage 12
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93.8km
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6 days
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Starting From
€645
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Aulla to Lucca Map
Beginning in Aulla, the twelfth section of Via Francigena features magnificent sights such as the Abbey of Peter and the Church of Michael, the Cathedral of St Francis, towers and castles, and an interesting archaeological site at Luni. Your destination, Lucca, is a famous Tuscan city with well-preserved Renaissance walls encircling its historic city centre.

Highlights

Medieval and Roman cities

All along this trip, you will hike through medieval cities with a lot of stories. Some are tied to the pilgrimage history, the castle of Aulla, for example, was founded for accommodating the pilgrims of the via Francigena.
In Lucca, the old town is still surrounded by an old wall that keeps the city intact and protects it. Now, this wall even became a promenade. Furthermore, the city remained its roman legacy especially with the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, an ancient place of the Roman amphitheater.

Between wood and see

On the road to Massa, the trip will be the most challenging, rocky paths, loose stones, huge hills… But despite these obstacles, once you have passed Massa, the road between Massa and Camaiore will give you some rest and will help you to regain energy before the third part of this trip. In fact, after Camaiore the beginning of the road is flat but you will go through steep hills, roads, and bridges which are really beautiful but more challenging than before.

Lucca's culture

Lucca is known as the city of a hundred churches. The most famous church is the Duomo, an impressive structure renowned for its architecture and design. You can easily spot the Duomo due to its half-finished bell tower.
Birthplace of the famous composer Giacomo Puccini, Lucca is also welcoming the Lucca summer festival in June. This year, Paul McCartney is one of the famous guests.

Aulla to Lucca
Via Francigena
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Services

Included in this package
  • Bed & Breakfast
  • Specially Hand-Picked Accommodation
  • Our Holiday or Pilgrim Pack
  • 24/7 On-Call Support
  • Virtual Face-to-Face Pre-Departure Briefing
Add-On
  • Premium Accommodation
  • Airport Pick-Up
  • Additional Nights
  • Dinners
  • Luggage Transfers from Hotel to Hotel
  • Day Tours to Local Sites of Interest
Not included
  • Flights/trains
  • Insurance
  • Drinks/Lunch

Itinerary

Day 1

AULLA (Arrival)

On your first day, take a walk around the town and go see the impressive Fortezza Della Brunella before tomorrow’s walk to Sarzana. The Abbey of San Caprasio is another popular tourist attraction, and one of the city’s oldest and most important buildings.


Day 2
16.24km

AULLA
to
SARZANA

The first day of walking starts with some easy roads. Later the route becomes a bit more difficult to walk as it is steep with rocky paths and loose stones, and also there are no facilities between Aulla and the town of Ponzano Superiore. Despite these obstacles, once you overcome them, you’ll feel a great level of personal satisfaction. From here, pick one of two routes to Sarzana – take the normal route, which is quite hilly and on gravel tracks, or if there’s bad weather take the slightly easier (but noisier) road route alongside the traffic. Once you enter Sarzana, take time to rest and try to visit the incredible Fortezza di Sarzanello and the Cathedral of Sarzana (Santa Maria di Assunta). A glass of wine would also be on the cards after that day of walking.


Day 3
27.64km

SARZANA
to
MASSA

Today’s walk is as challenging as the day before, but it is certainly doable. The first part jumps between tarmac roads and grassy tracks, traversing hills and crossing over rivers. From walking near the main roads, you will then need to pick between the old route which is shorter and less challenging, or take a route by the fascinating archaeological site at Luni. Following this and going through Avenza, take the direct and flat route to Massa. Pass by a nice public garden on the walk into Massa. If you have the time, visit the wonderful Cathedral of Saints Peter and Francis from the 15th Century and the Malaspina Castle, which overlooks Massa from a hill.


Day 4
26.18km

MASSA
to
CAMAIORE

Going to Camaiore starts off quite easy on flat roads. There is then some difficulty with steep hills, and then levelling off on tarmac roads and bridges. In Pietrasanta, feel free to stop and have some fritti, and wine, to fuel you for the rest of the walk. Passing through Pietrasanta, take the old route which is very easy to follow, going over roads and crossing bridges over rivers. From here, the walk is a little strenuous, with hills and tarmac roads taking over most of the way, but by this stage you are very close to Camaiore. In this city, rest, have a drink and some great food, and visit the amazing Abbey of Peter and the lovely Church of Michael.


Day 5
23.69km

CAMAIORE
to
LUCCA

On the last day of walking, the path to Lucca is a mix of hill-walking, tarmac roads, grassy tracks, and stony tracks through woods and gravel lanes. It is quite challenging, but don’t worry, this is all very manageable, particularly when you can stop in Montemagno or Valpromano for a small beer or a nice glass of wine. You are now at the end of your journey in Lucca – great work!


Day 6

LUCCA

After breakfast we bid you farewell. While you’re in Lucca, there are quite a few things to see. If you have the time, visit the main sights: the Romanesque Church of San Michele in Foro, the Piazza Anfiteatro or the museum, Casa di Puccini. But before all of that, trying some local pizza is must-do!


Aulla to Lucca Elevation


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