Finding Bagni di Lucca

We discovered Bagni di Lucca nearly four years ago at the beginning of our first serious property hunting trip. We had decided to start our search in the hills north of Lucca, as well as look further afield in the Garfagnana and Lunigiana.

These two beautiful but lesser-known areas of northwest Tuscany remain rich in history, home to numerous castles and mountain villages, and largely untouched by tourism. We chose Bagni di Lucca, which lies at the edge of the Garfagnana, as our base for the first part of our trip, mainly because one of our estate agents is located there.

After arriving in Pisa on the late flight from London, we reached the Hotel Corona in the dead of night where our magnificent and gracious host Roberto welcomed us. We chose this hotel on the recommendation of our estate agent, as we did not know the area very well, and we made an excellent choice. This great hotel, located on the edge of town, provides comfortable rooms and friendly, personal service on top of superb food in the restaurant.

During the next two or three days, we spent most of our time viewing several properties in the area around Bagni di Lucca; however, we also found time to explore the town. We strolled through the streets, drank coffee and wine in the bars, ate ice cream at the gelaterie, and dined in the ristoranti. We even found a favourite lunch spot, Ristorante da Bruno, which serves fantastic white truffles from the area.

Later that week, as our search took us further into the Garfagnana and Lunigiana, we discovered the delights of many towns and villages and enjoyed spectacular mountain scenery. However, when we returned to Bagni di Lucca on the last night before heading home, the town felt comfortable to us. Somehow it had become a familiar place to return to after exploring the new and unfamiliar, even though we had been there for the first time only five days earlier.

Although we didn't find a house on that trip, Bagni di Lucca captured us in a way. We returned several times during the following few years to stay at the Hotel Corona, eat at Ristorante da Bruno and enjoy the sights and attractions of the area. And although our search for an Italian home took us to many different parts of the country, I'm not really surprised that we finally bought our house here.