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

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

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 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 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 hours • Admission ticket free
• 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 minutes • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
• A maximum of 20 people per booking
• Please wear comfortable shoes
• You must provide your own transportation for this excursion using your own vehicle or a rental. You can reach Borgo a Mozzano also by train from Lucca, Pisa, Florence.
• Turislucca’s tours are in compliance with government health and safety protocols for Covid-19.

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