A lovely itinerary for families, discovering the beautiful landscapes of Versilia
  • Travelling time: an hour
  • Difficulty: Family
  • Why we love it: For the magic of the lake, the beauty of Viareggio and the surrounding nature
  • Length: 15 km
  • Total Elevation Gain: 0 m
  • Way to travel: by bike
  • Cost: 0 €
  • Our Advice: With a small deviation from Torre del Lago Puccini, you can reach the Marina of Vecchiano, a beautiful coastline of three thousand meters

 

We start from Viareggio, a seaside town in Tuscany, well-known for its carnival. If you are looking for a holiday with great beaches, entertainment and shopping, you can stay in the welcoming and eco-friendly B&B Arsella, between the sea and the pine forest. 

Street of Viareggio
Viareggio, photo by Chris Sampson via Flickr

The itinerary starts at the picturesque promenade. We bike on it from one end to the other towards south, until we arrive at the canal Burlamacca, where we turn left in Via R. Pilo, direction Piazza Manzoni; right here we cross the bridge to arrive at Via Oberdan, which will lead us in the boulevard Viale dei Tigli. We are in the Eastern Pine Forest, one of two historic green areas of Viareggio, in the Natural Park of Migliarino S. Rossore Massaciuccoli. In the middle of the boulevard there’s the entrance to the Villa Bourbon, one of the most fascinating historical sites of the city city. Now used as a multipurpose space by the City, with a visitor center run by Legambiente, Villa Bourbon is located in a beautiful and elegant scenery.

Villa Borbone of Viareggio
Villa Borbone

At the end of the avenue we go right into the cycle-path that goes into the Pine forest, towards Marina di Torre del Lago Puccini. Giacomo Puccini, who so loved this place, described it thus:

“Sunny beaches, cool pine forests, the lake is always calm, in other words: Eden“

We cross the center of this charming village, bike along the Viale Puccini and there we arrive: the Belvedere on Lake Massaciuccoli. Here, nature is the protagonist, with its colors and its animals.

The lake of Massaciuccoli from Torre del Lago Puccini
The lake of Massaciuccoli from Torre del Lago Puccin, photo by Sghisa via Flickr

 

Cover image: Lake Massaciuccoli, photo by Marco Conti via Flickr

Author: Chiara Marras

 

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