Description: The Torre Guinigi is one of the two towers in Lucca that you can climb. Of the two, the Guinigi is the most distinctive because it has trees growing on the top of it.
The tower is open for climbing from March - May, daily 9am -7:30pm; June - September 15, daily 9am - midnight; September 16 - October, daily 9:30am - 8pm; November - February, daily 9:30am - 5:30pm. Cost is €5.
Guinigi Tower is part of the Guinigi house, said to have been built in the 15th century by the most important family in Lucca.
The entrance is on Via Sant'Andrea, a narrow lane with a lot of old shops (two antique shops, a wine shop, and a shoemaker), that connects Via Fillungo to Via Guinigi.
There are about 230 steps to climb and it is not very difficult, as tower climbing goes. If you do not like heights, you may not like the fact that the stairs are open and get very narrow as you ascend. On the first few steps of the tower, there are illustrations hung on the wall showing that the tower with the trees has been well known since medieval times.
At the top, a tiny forest of seven holm oaks are growing and overflowing the summit. There, you are rewarded for your climb with a spectacular view of Lucca's skyline and the snow-capped Apuan Alps and the Garfagnana mountains in the distance. Up here, you can also see the many church towers and the oval imprint the Roman amphitheater left on the medieval buildings of Piazza Anfiteatro.
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