Staying in the Lucca Hills: villas with pools and country hotels around the city

Who should stay in the Lucca Hills?

Families and groups of friends who want a whole house, couples looking for a quiet villa hotel, and anyone touring Tuscany by car who intends to see Lucca in a day or two and spend the rest of the time by the pool, at the historic villas or on trips to Pisa and the coast.

It does not suit travellers without a car: every guide to the area says a vehicle is needed. It is also the wrong choice for a short stay centred on the sights, for Lucca Comics & Games, when road closures and parking rules make driving in and out slow, and for anyone uneasy on narrow country lanes after dark.

What kind of accommodation is there?

Of the 61 properties, about 45 are villas, twelve are hotels and four are aparthotels on country estates. Nearly half of the listings mention a swimming pool, and all but two offer free parking. More than half accept pets.

Many of the hotels occupy country villas, as their names say, and the level is high: eight of the twelve have four stars, one has five and two have three. Among the best known are Hotel Villa La Principessa, Hotel Villa San Michele, Hotel Albergo Villa Marta and Hotel Carignano, all four-star, while Tenuta San Giovanni Lucca is an example of the estates with apartments. The listing gives the facilities, the parking arrangement and the distance from the centre.

How far are the hills from the centre, and do you need a car?

Yes, you need a car. The nearest properties are 2.5 km from Piazza San Michele, the typical one 6.3 km and the farthest 11.3 km, measured in a straight line; by road it is more. Among the villages, Monte San Quirico is the closest, about 2 km from the centre on the far bank of the Serchio, followed by Vicopelago at about 3 km and Massa Pisana at about 4 km to the south, Mutigliano at 5 km to the north, and Nozzano, Ponte a Moriano and Santa Maria del Giudice at 7 to 8 km.

There are railway stations at Ponte a Moriano and San Pietro a Vico on the line to the Garfagnana, and at Nozzano to the west, but they are of little use for getting to a villa at the end of a lane. The advantage for drivers is that the whole area is outside the limited traffic zone: you park at the house, and when you go into Lucca you leave the car in one of the car parks outside the walls.

What should you expect from a villa stay?

Expect narrow roads. Houses in the hills are often reached by country lanes where two cars pass with care, so a compact hire car is a better idea than a large one. Ask the owner for directions rather than relying on the postal address alone: addresses in the hills often give only the name of the road and the village.

Outdoor pools are seasonal. Opening dates differ from house to house, so if the pool is the reason for the stay, check the dates in the listing or with the owner, especially in spring and autumn.

Which historic villas can you visit?

The best known is Villa Reale di Marlia, 5 km from the walls of Lucca, at Marlia. It was the country residence of Elisa Baciocchi, Napoleon's sister, and its 16-hectare park includes the Green Theatre of 1652, the Water Theatre and the Lemon Garden. In 2026 the park is open every day from 1 March to 29 October, from 10:00 to 18:00 with last entry at 16:30; the ticket for the park together with the villa and its museums cost €18 in 2025.

Close by are Villa Torrigiani at Camigliano, a sixteenth-century house rebuilt in Baroque style with a garden-theatre of grottoes and fountains, and Villa Mansi at Segromigno in Monte, with frescoed rooms and an English-style park. At San Pancrazio stand Villa Oliva, with a five-hectare park of fountains and statues, and Villa Grabau, with an English and an Italian garden. Opening days vary with the season, so check each villa before setting out. To the west, the fortified village of Nozzano Castello, whose fortress took its present form in 1395, can be visited by appointment and stages a medieval festival in late August.

What do the hills produce?

Wine and olive oil. Colline Lucchesi has been a protected wine designation since 1968 and covers hillsides in the municipalities of Lucca, Capannori and Porcari, on both sides of the Serchio: reds based on Sangiovese, whites based on Trebbiano Toscano, plus Vermentino, Merlot and vin santo. The hill town of Montecarlo, about 13 km east of Lucca, has its own designation. The extra-virgin olive oil of Lucca carries a protected designation of origin as well; it is pressed mainly from Frantoio and Leccino olives, picked between late October and late December.

When to stay in the Lucca Hills

Late spring and early autumn combine mild days with open gardens: the park of Villa Reale is open from March to late October. Winter is the quiet season, with daytime temperatures of about 11 to 15 °C.