Private tour: The Gothic Line in Borgo a Mozzano (Lucca)

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Meet your personal specialized guide is in front of the train station in Piazza Marconi (Borgo a Mozzano) in the morning, or afternoon. The first stop is just a few steps away at the small, but evocative museum, Museo della Memoria, which features many World War II documents in relation to Lucca and the construction of the Gothic Line. The museum also contains uniforms and arms of both the Allied and German Armies, a series of objects issued to the troops, an exhaustive number of communiques released by the fascist prefect in regard to curfews, circulation restrictions, black market sales restrictions, photos, and documents of the local Resistance fighters. Note: Should you not have a car, you may reach Borgo a Mozzano by train.

   30 min

2. Next, take a 10-minute walk to the two low-lying bunkers built to defend the antitank wall of the Gothic Line at Borgo a Mozzano. To defend the front, the Germans constructed two large, deep bunkers excavating them in the rock. The soldiers used them as observation posts, ready to defend the antitank wall of the Gothic Line with cannons and machine guns. To visit a third incredible bunker, you must take your car and drive to the nearby medieval hamlet of Anchiano. The bunker extends for many meters into the hill below the church of the village. To defend the left side of the river and the Gothic Line, the Todt Organization had this extraordinary fortification constructed for cannons, machine guns, and observation posts.

   2 h

3. Hop into your car again, and proceed to the legendary Ponte della Maddalena (Bridge of Mary Magdalene), better known as the 'Devil’s Bridge'. It was constructed during the Middle Ages so pilgrims traveling from northern Italy and Europe could cross the river on their way to Rome. This was the only bridge across the Serchio River that the Germans did not destroy during the Second World War, and proved to be a huge strategic error on their part. It is a humpback bridge with asymmetric arches and can be crossed on foot. At its highest point, there is a splendid panorama of the river and surrounding hills.

   30 min

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 12 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Lucca

• Its from-price is 17% above the median of the 242 experiences we list in Lucca.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 62 of 242.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Lucca

Lucca is a walled Tuscan city of Renaissance ramparts, narrow lanes and an oval piazza, and the birthplace of the composer Giacomo Puccini.

Lucca is enclosed by intact Renaissance walls, about four kilometres around, topped by a tree-lined promenade used for walking and cycling above the rooftops. Within them the medieval street plan survives, with Via Fillungo as its shopping spine and many towers and churches. The Piazza dell'Anfiteatro is an oval square built on the footprint of a Roman amphitheatre, and the Guinigi Tower grows holm oaks on its roof.

Top-ranked sights in Lucca: Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, Lucca Cathedral (Duomo di Lucca), Church of San Michele in Foro (Chiesa di San Michele in Foro).

See all 242 experiences in Lucca