Lucca is one of my favorite small towns in the world. If you adore quaint, small town charm plus…read moreinsane natural beauty, you'll love this town just as much as I do. Lucca doesn't have any world renowned museums, public monuments, or even a culinary specialty that gives it name. The natural beauty of the city itself is the attraction. I find this little town so sweet and fun to explore because it is surrounded by a giant elevated wall that surrounds the city like a candy wrapper. The wall is about 2-3 miles and extremely pedestrian and cycler friendly as there are no cars on the road. Walking on this wall has been one of the best memories I've had in Europe. I'm one of those people that are constantly thinking about random little things all the time, but the ineffable beauty of the leaves turning all shades of red, orange, and yellow really had me silent for a few hours. Come here, you'll feel a sense of peace you haven't experienced anywhere else. Beats any museum I've ever been to.

We couldn't decide if we wanted to do Boboli or Bardini (no time to do both) but we ended up at the…read moreentrance to Bardini first so we decided to check it out. Fair warning, the entrance isn't very clearly marked. It looks just like a business front and I was confused as to how entering the park would actually work. I didn't do much research (which is a shock I know) into this garden before coming and was a bit daunted by the uphill climb. From the entrance, I assumed there would be a funicular or something. I was wrong. Not only am I not in shape, but I've been having some medical issues, and I was terrified I just paid an entrance fee to a park that I cannot check out. Luckily, the switchbacks are super gentle. We could hardly "feel" walking up this hill. There was also a lot to look at as we walked up so it was really a beautiful "hike." We were confused a bit by the signs and how far the garden went up. We weren't the only ones either because two couples past us while we rested on a bench, wondering if they were going the "right way" as well. I was expecting a bit more "garden" but got more "trees and shrubs" but I think this place is worth the hike just for the views of Florence alone.

This beautiful park is under the radar, which isn't exactly a bad thing…read more You can enjoy peaceful walks with incredible views from every part of this park. During my visit, it wasn't crowded at all and it made the experience that much better. Highly recommend!

Amazing place to visit, hike, drink eat etc…read more I hike most of the trails between the 5 towns and they are spectacular. You can even take the train or a water taxi between them depending. The highlight for me was the final hike from the most southern town Riomaggiore all the way to Portovenere....8 miles 2500 feet of elevation gain and stunning view after stunning view. You even pass by a monastery great little outdoor restaurants etc. Bucket list item

The most beautiful walk of my entire life. Be sure you understand the route - easy to get lost!read more

Worth checking out. My boyfriend and I were bored after seeing the leaning tower and decided to…read morecheck out this garden. They have bamboo trees you can walk through and the overall experience was pretty and photo worthy. Check it out if you have time

Stopped by on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. When taking the train from Venice to Cinque…read moreTerre I decided to allow a couple of hours to explore Pisa. By the time we got to the Leaning Tower of Pisa we didn't have enough time to partake in the timed tickets to go to the top of the tower so we decided to wander around the area. This botanical garden wasn't too far away by foot. The ladies selling tickets were friendly and it wasn't too expensive compared to other more popular tourist attraction entrance fees. There were an abundance of different types of plants and indoor exhibits to keep us occupied. I also liked how I could see workers putting bird safe stickers on the greenhouse glass so our avian friends wouldn't crash into it. The restrooms were conveniently located and clean. Another side note, really glad we could hold our luggage at the train station so we could enjoy a nice little day trip in Pisa without having to worry about constantly lugging our carry on with us.

A beautiful park - I used to go here a lot at one time. It's a lovely place to relax in after being…read morein the busy city! There are many mature and tall trees, fountains, a lake, and statues too, such as the one of Victor Emmanuel 2. The park also has an archeological area where lots of ancient tombs have been found.

Unfortunately I have only visited these gardens in the winter and thus in the snow. However,…read moredespite this these are a pleasant airy space in the city. They are a necessary break from the miles of road, stone and buildings of the city. A welcome place to temporarily escape.