"Nothing for Me" Viareggio by BruceDunning

Viareggio Travel Guide: 8 reviews and 35 photos

Long range view of the beach - Viareggio

The panoramic view

The beach looked very large and clean. The problem is that is appears all to be private, so that costs money. The city name means "way of the kings". The old new city is only from early 1500's when Lucca wanted access to the sea and the town became commerciliazed. Before then, the Romans used it as an outpost against the Ligurians from 100AD. It became a mecca for fishing and boat building.
Traffic and parking can be a problem, but the streets are wide and the whole area feels "clean". There are tree forests at either end, making the area beautiful in color.

Promonade Walk

A Local day at the pier

The pier to the end is a nice view of the city and some locals fish here.

Topo view of the area

The geographic view shows how a narrow sliver of land is along the beach and then the mountains climb right into the peaks. The Appenine and Apuan moutains make up a lot of the territory north of Lucca. Along the sea and that level are of course Viareggio, going up to Massa and Carrara area. They make use of the beach amenities/

Pros and Cons

Pros:Lovely view of the city and ocean
Cons:Getting into the city is a hassle and then the beach costs
In a nutshell:It is fine if you stay here, but ot come for a day is not fun

Last visit to Viareggio: Sep 2005
Intro Updated Aug 22, 2008
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Reviews (2)

CArnival Festival is the HIghlight Things to Do (2)

Every year for 133 years, this has been a main draw for locals and tourists alike. It is a three week festival that is a... more travel advice

View of sunbathers at the beach - Viareggio

Beach attitude Things to Do (2)

The beach and the water are very nice. The attempts to get to the beach was difficult. All are private and costs money... more travel advice

Comments (2)

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uglyscot Apr 16, 2010 at 10:55 PM

Beaches in Italy are not user friendly in many places, and public beaches leave much to be desired, but i liked Viareggio as a place to visit.
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craic Jun 30, 2009 at 9:18 AM

there must have been a public beach somwehere, surely