Bagni di Lucca: Where the Romantics Came to Heal in the River
Thermal springs on the Lima river in the Garfagnana, once frequented by Byron and Shelley: the grand spa is shuttered, but the wild pools in the woods remain free.
Foto: Loriano. (Public Domain) — Flickr
Bagni di Lucca was one of the most celebrated thermal resorts in Europe in the nineteenth century. Byron, Shelley, Heine, Montaigne all stayed here for the waters. The grand Jean Varraud thermal establishment, with its neoclassical halls, attracted the aristocracy of half a continent. Then the twentieth century came, and Bagni di Lucca was forgotten.
Today the grand establishment is closed and awaiting restoration — an elegant ruin overlooking the Lima river. But the thermal water has never stopped flowing: along the river and in the lateral streams you can still find the springs that Byron knew, freely accessible and almost always deserted.
The most famous is the Doccia della Contessa, a cascade of warm water that drops from a rocky face in the forest above the village. You reach it with a short walk and stand beneath the jet of 36-degree water as under a natural shower, surrounded by ferns and moss.
Another spot is the Torrente della Villa, where the thermal water mingles with the cold water of the stream to form natural pools in the woods. You lie immersed in the warm water with chestnut trees overhead and the Lima valley below, with the feeling of having found a place that time has forgotten.
Bagni di Lucca itself is worth a stroll: the centre is a succession of Art Nouveau villas, shuttered hotels and overgrown gardens. The casino is one of the oldest in Europe — it was licensed in 1837. The Anglican church, built for English visitors, is an architectural curiosity in the Luccan countryside.
The best time is spring and autumn. It combines beautifully with the Garfagnana, one of Tuscany's most hidden valleys, with its medieval borghi and the Apuan Alps as a backdrop.
Bagni di Lucca is a place where the glamour of the past lives alongside the abandonment of the present: the poets' spa is closed, but the warm water keeps flowing from the earth as though nothing has changed.
Practical guides
Practical info
When is the best time to visit Bagni di Lucca?
The recommended time is January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December, when it is less crowded.
Is Bagni di Lucca crowded?
Bagni di Lucca is a almost deserted destination compared with the more touristy ones.
Where is Bagni di Lucca?
Bagni di Lucca is located in Bagni di Lucca, Garfagnana, Tuscany, Italy.
