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Where to eat and explore while staying in an 800-year-old village.

The Best Places to Bike and Eat in the World

A charmingly decorated paper-goods store in Ballard’s shopping area, Lucca has a touch of gothic style, between the black walls. lavish chandeliers, and mounted animal heads, but it’s done with a distinctly playful feel. The mismatched tables and cabinets are packed with trinkets and treats, ranging from affordable jewelry and decor to luxury tea and scented soaps. The back room is devoted to paper and stationery of all kinds, including a sale table; we love ilee’s letterpress notecards and gorgeous limited-run calendars, packed in a CD jewel case that doubles as a stand. You could stock up on a year’s worth of hostess and birthday gifts in one visit to Lucca.

Overview

Tuscany comes alive in its towns and villages, where traditions are honored, history is celebrated, and visitors are welcomed like family. Head to hilltop towns like Volterra to wander through medieval piazzas, riverside Lucca to bike along ancient city walls, and towns like Montalcino and Pienza to savor local specialties (wine in the former, cheese in the latter). Visit during a festival for even more flavor.

Dedicated to St. Matthew, Lucca’s beautiful cathedral was built in typical Romanesque style in the 12th century and has a curious asymmetrical, tiered façade covered with fantastically complex carvings. The dim interior houses one of the town’s great artistic treasures, the tomb of Ilaria del Carretto, carved by the Sienese master Jacopo del la Quercia in 1408 for the bride of bigwig Paolo Guinigi who died tragically young. A little dog lies bereft at his mistress’s feet…It’s a real tear-jerker.

You will probably smell a whiff of roses emanating from Aquaflor well before you arrive. Inside the stunning 16th-century Palazzo Corsini-Serristori in the Santa Croce neighborhood, Sileno Cheloni creates scents that vividly evoke the Tuscan seaside or pine forests. Cheloni studied with a Sufi master in Cyprus and worked in Milan and Lucca to learn Renaissance techniques before opening this shop, made up of three rooms lined with wooden apothecary cabinets that display glass bottles. Large tables are piled with soaps in scents like tomato-leaf and rose. Spend some time in the Parlor of Essences to create your own unique bouquet or learn about the rare oils that are used to fashion the signature fragrances.

Nicola Travaglini opened his fine food boutique last fall hoping to share the delicious bounty of Italy with the food lovers of Montreal. He has succeeded and then some. Travaglini and his business partner Domenico Armeni have created an inviting corner shop located near Marche Jean Talon in Montreal’s Little Italy. Shelves are stocked with the best pastas, sauces, tomatoes, and spices. Delicious breads and pastries are made on the premises. An excellent selection of salumi and speciality cheeses decorate well-lit cases. Two large communal tables in the center of the store hum with the chat of contented lunch-goers as they enjoy pastas, soups, or sandwiches. We had the chance to chat with the effervescent Domenico Armeni, born in Calabria Italy but a long-time resident of Montreal. Armeni was chef-owner of Lucca’s in Little Italy until he sold it a few years back. He was in his element as he strolled through the shop chatting with customers. He is clearly proud of what they have created at Nicola Travaglini. I asked him about a delicious looking “something” in the pastry case. Armeni explained it was a Crostata e Noci, a thick crusted Crostata filled with a concoction made of caramel, hazelnuts, almonds, pistaccios and raisins. He leaned forward and almost in a whisper said, “even better than the filling? the crust...I love the crust.” Sold...one crostata to go! And we’ll be back.

The area of gently rolling hills just to the northeast of Lucca is famous not only for its impressive villas, but also for olive oil and wine. A perfect gastronomic stop-off between visits to the magnificent Villa Mansi and Villa Torrigiani, the 30-hectare farm estate Colle di Bordocheo produces both, and offers tastings and tours for visitors. Estate wines such as the complex, spicy Picchio Rosso (a blend of sangiovese, merlot, and cabernet grapes) and the white Bianco dell’Oca (chardonnay, vermentino, sauvignon) marry well with the house extra virgin and platters of local cheeses and foccaccie. Book ahead and you can add lasagne and cold cuts to the basic €15 per head package, making a fine, rustic lunch. There are also apartments for rent on the estate, which lies in a strategic position for visits to the coast, the lush, mountainous Garfagnana region, Florence, and, of course, Lucca.

This unassuming building in a quiet, mostly residential neighborhood is serving up some of Charleston‘s best Italian. Trattoria Lucca, which opened up in 2008, is known for its pasta, made fresh in house daily. The restaurant’s chef and owner, Ken Vedrinski, makes great use of local seafood in particular, like Lowcountry flounder with a rye crust. Consider coming for Monday’s family supper nights, where you get four enormous courses and can sample some of the menu’s breadth.

Lucca became world-famous back in the golden age of silk in the 12th century for producing some of the best textiles in the West, from precious gold and silver brocades to fine woolens and linens, all crafted by expert weavers and artisans. The textile trade served as the town’s main economy for centuries, with handlooms, heddle looms, and other time-worn techniques still popular through the dawn of the 1900s. Many of the beautiful mansions you’ll pass in Lucca’s old town were built by wealthy silk merchants, and some of the recurring patterns found in traditional Lucchesi fabrics were inspired by their family crests. After a bit of a downturn, some dedicated artisans are now working to revive Lucca’s former Silk Road glory. At this atelier set in a 16th-century brick building, a group of women who worked together at another producer have struck out on their own to craft pieces that appeal to the modern customer, but which use age-old methods such as tele a traliccio (lattice-work cloth) and traditional designs like quadrettino Lucchese (a local checked pattern). Find an array of clothing and accessories for men, women, and kids—from everyday wear, scarves, and bags, to glamorous wedding gowns—as well as gorgeous linens for the home. Everything is made by hand, with the proper respect shown to this pedigreed process.