Last updated: November 2026
Bagni di Lucca sits up the Lima valley, about 40 minutes north of Lucca, in a fold of green hills that once felt very far from home if you were English and a little unwell. In the nineteenth century it was one of the smartest spa towns in Europe. Poets came. A whole British colony settled in for the season. Then the fashion moved on, and the town grew quieter, which is part of why I like it.
I should say the main thing at once: the historic spa, the Terme Jean Varraud at Bagni Caldi, and its natural steam caves have been closed since 2021. As of November 2026 the comune is working on a plan to restore and reopen them, but there is no date. Don’t come only for a soak in those rooms. Come for the valley, the cemetery, the chain bridge, and a slow walk by the river.
The short version
- The historic spa is closed in 2026. Check before you go, in case that changes.
- Still open: Terme Bagno Bernabò, at Ponte a Serraglio, has been running as a smaller thermal centre. Confirm hours; a local paper had them at 9am to 6pm in early November 2026.
- Don’t miss: the English cemetery, and the Ponte delle Catene at Fornoli.
- How long: half a day for the town and the bridge; a full day if you add the cemetery, a river walk, or, in summer, the Orrido di Botri.
- How to arrive: train to Bagni di Lucca station (in Fornoli), or by car up the SS12. The centre is several hamlets along the river, not one tight piazza.
A spa town in several pieces
Bagni di Lucca isn’t a single compact village. It’s a string of hamlets along the Lima: Fornoli, Ponte a Serraglio, Villa, Bagni Caldi, and others up the side valleys. Ponte a Serraglio is the pretty one on the water, with coloured houses and a feeling of a little resort that has taken a long breath. Bagni Caldi, a little further on, is where the old Jean Varraud spa stands, shut for now. Fornoli, down towards the Serchio, has the station and the chain bridge.
This British connection is real, and old. In the 1830s and 1840s the town had a casino, an Anglican church, and, from 1844, a Protestant cemetery, because the English who came for the season sometimes didn’t go home. The novelist Ouida is buried there. The old church is a short walk from the cemetery, on the other side of the river; it has served as the town library. I find the whole arrangement moving, and a little odd, in a gentle way. This was a corner of Tuscany that once spoke English in the summer.
The English cemetery
The English cemetery, or Cimitero Inglese, sits at a place once called the Prato Santo, about 300 metres from the old Anglican church, on the opposite bank of the Lima. Charles Louis of Bourbon allowed the British colony a Protestant burial ground. Work was finished in 1844, and the last burial was in 1953. There are 137 people at rest there.
It is looked after by the Fondazione Michel de Montaigne and the Istituto Storico Lucchese. Their own pages say it is open every day: from 1 June to 30 September, 10am to 6pm, and from 1 October to 31 May, 10.30am to 4pm. Sign the visitors’ book. For a guided visit with a group, they ask you to book a day ahead through the A. Betti public library. Hours can change, so check before you make a special trip.
Go quietly. It is a cemetery, not a museum, even if you have come to find Ouida’s stone. The place is small, green and a little faded, which suits it.
The Ponte delle Catene
The Ponte delle Catene, the chain bridge, crosses the Lima between Fornoli and Chifenti. It was designed by Lorenzo Nottolini, the Lucchese architect, after he had been to England to look at suspension bridges. Work began around 1840 and the bridge was finished by 1860. Retreating German troops destroyed the wooden deck in the Second World War. After a long restoration it reopened to pedestrians in August 2023.
It’s a beautiful, slightly surprising thing to find in a quiet valley: a proper suspension bridge, for walking, with the river underneath and the hills around you. From the station it’s a manageable walk, and it pairs naturally with a coffee in Fornoli or a wander up to Ponte a Serraglio.
The Orrido di Botri, in summer
If you’re here between early June and mid-September and you like a walk in a gorge, the Orrido di Botri is in this comune, up towards Montefegatesi. It’s a limestone canyon, a nature reserve, with a stream to step through, and it is not a casual paddling place for a pushchair. For 2026 the official site gave the season as 1 June to 15 September, 9am to 6pm, with last entry at 3pm, and groups of no more than 25. You can visit on your own if you pick up a ticket at the information point, and guided walks are offered, especially at weekends. Wear shoes that can get wet, and check orridodibotri.info before you go, because mountain weather closes it.
Can you still take the waters?
The Jean Varraud complex is closed, as I’ve said. A local report on 7 November 2026 noted that the privately owned hotel and pool were open, and that Terme Bagno Bernabò, in an older building at Ponte a Serraglio, was receiving guests, with thermal water at about 39°C. I would ring or check their pages on the morning you go, rather than assume. The wider hot springs guide will point you to free pools elsewhere in Tuscany if a soak is the main point of the day.
In summer, people also paddle in the Lima. The river is not an official bathing area, there are no lifeguards, and after rain you should stay out. I’ve written about that more carefully in a separate note on river swimming in this valley.
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How to get there
By train: the Lucca–Aulla line stops at Bagni di Lucca, in Fornoli. From Lucca it’s a short regional ride. From the station, walk to the chain bridge, then on or take a taxi to Ponte a Serraglio. Don’t expect a frequent bus late in the evening.
By car: the SS12, the Brennero road, up the valley from Lucca. About 40 minutes, traffic willing. Park in the signed car parks in Fornoli or Ponte a Serraglio, and don’t try to leave the car in a tight lane along the river.
Best time: late spring and September for walking, when the hills are green and the weekend crowds are thinner. Summer if you want the Orrido or a river sit. Winter is quiet, and the cemetery closes earlier in the afternoon.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Terme di Bagni di Lucca open?
The historic Terme Jean Varraud at Bagni Caldi have been closed since 2021, and as of November 2026 there was no reopening date. Terme Bagno Bernabò, at Ponte a Serraglio, has been open; check on the day.
How do I visit the English cemetery?
The Fondazione Michel de Montaigne lists daily hours: 10am to 6pm from June to September, and 10.30am to 4pm from October to May. Sign the book. Confirm before you go.
Can I get to Bagni di Lucca by train?
Yes. The station is in Fornoli, on the Lucca–Aulla line. From there you can walk to the Ponte delle Catene. For Ponte a Serraglio and Bagni Caldi, allow a longer walk or a taxi.
What is the Ponte delle Catene?
A nineteenth-century suspension bridge over the Lima, designed by Lorenzo Nottolini, linking Fornoli and Chifenti. It is for pedestrians, and it reopened in 2023 after restoration.
More from the hills
- Tuscany’s hot springs
- The Garfagnana: mountain villages north of Lucca
- Barga, further up the Serchio
- Where to stay near Lucca
- Find Bagni di Lucca on the Village Finder
Susan