Serchio River Park
A large natural park a few meters from the city of Lucca
The Serchio River Park is an excellent example of the integration of a natural area with an urban environment. Just a stone’s throw from the city of Lucca, there is a usable space characterized by the clear water of the Serchio river and the lush vegetation that surrounds it, declined in the varied manifestations of local flora and fauna.
The Park, which connects Lucca and the river course, extends over a total of 250 hectares where it is possible to carry out a multitude of activities: from a peaceful walk or a rest on the terrace, named after a writer called Guglielmo Petroni from Lucca, to the excursions on foot, by bike, on horseback, or on the surface of the water in a canoe or kayak. There are also zones with recreational facilities to practice sports such as five-a-side soccer and archery, a bowling alley, the restaurant “tiro della forma” (ancient game of skill in throwing wheels of cheese), a horse-riding centre, model aeroplane and model car tracks and skateboarding areas.
The park is also home to Fattoria degli Albogatti that comprises an educational vegetable garden-orchard, an exhibition room and a multifunctional area, where the visitor can become better acquainted with the agricultural part of silk production in Lucca.
In the large park, it is possible to follow two nature trails walking through hilly areas and small towns: the first of about 11 kilometers between Ponte San Quirico and Ponte San Pietro in Sant'Anna and the second of about 11 kilometers between Ponte San Quirico and Ponte a Moriano.
The Ciclabile Puccini, a cycle path that passes through all the sites related to the Maestro’s life, and a portion of the local stage of the Via Francigena.
The Park is a perfect spectacle of beauty and colour, perfect for entering into contact with the seasonal expressions of nature. To certify the value of this space, the Minister of the Environment awarded the Municipality of Lucca the prize for sustainable cities because the Park is an example of the integration of natural and man-made ecosystems.
