Things to do in Riviera Di Levante
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Chiesa di Santa Margherita
Vernazza's tiny harbour is a delight, so perfectly quaint you'll think you've wandered onto a film set. The small waterfront piazza is watched over by the harbourside gothic church of Santa Margherita di Antiochia complete with bell tower which has stood here since 1318.
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Cinque Terre
7 days (Corniglia)
Explore the stunning Cinque Terre along a series of 15th century footpaths.
Not LP reviewed
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Via dell'Amore
The Via dell'Amore (Lovers' Lane) is a well-paved coastal path linking Manarola with Riomaggiore (1km/0.6mi). Studded with picnic areas and stone beaches embedded in the cliffside, it affords stunning ocean views. At either end, steps lead up from the train station to the path - checkpoints along the way ensure no one sneaks by without a valid trail pass.
The Via dell'Amore is part of the 12km-long (7.4mi) sentiero azzurro (blue trail) that runs the length of the coast between Monterosso and Riomaggiore. Unlike Lovers' Lane, which is flat, well-paved and suited to walkers of all abilities, the rest of the footpath is only for the sure-footed and well-equipped.
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Castello Brown
The Genoese-built castle saw action against the Venetians, Savoyards, Sardinians and Austrians and later fell to Napoleon. In 1867 it was transformed by the British diplomat Montague Yeats Brown into a private mansion. The fabulous tiled staircase is one of the showpieces of the neo-Gothic interior, while there are great views from the garden. For a better outlook continue for another 300m or so along the same track to the lighthouse.
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Abbazia della Cervara
Abbazia della Cervara was built in 1361 and is surrounded by formal gardens. Over the centuries, the abbey has hosted Benedictine monks, three popes and a saint (Catherine of Siena), and the French king, François I, who spent a less convivial time here as a prisoner after the 1525 Battle of Pavia. Tours take in the gardens, 15th-century chapterhouse, 16th-century cloister and the Saracen Tower.
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Museo Amedeo Lia
La Spezia’s star attraction is the Museo Amedeo Lia, a fine-arts museum in a restored 17th-century friary. The collection covers the 13th to 18th centuries and includes paintings by masters such as Tintoretto, Montagna, Titian and Pietro Lorenzetti. Also on show are Roman bronzes and ecclesiastical treasures such as Limoges crucifixes and illuminated musical manuscripts.
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Trattoria dei Pescatori
Trattoria dei PescatoriMoscardini affogati (spicy stewed baby octopus) is the summertime speciality of Santa Margherita’s first-ever restaurant, opened in 1910. Autumn brings wild mushrooms to the table, while year-round Pescatori serves a delicious regional fish soup, oven-baked fish with olives and pine nuts, and handmade pastas in all shapes and sizes.
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La Lanterna
La Lanterna is perched within pebble-lobbing distance of Riomaggiore’s snug harbour that’s crammed with fishing nets and overturned boats. You can sit on the charming terrace and choose from recently caught fish chalked up on a blackboard. Leave room for a dessert, such as babà al limoncello (brioche drenched in sweet lemon-scented liqueur).
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Antica Cucina Genovese
Handmade pastas at Antica Cucina Genovese include a huge varietyof designated vegetarian options such as chestnut ravioli with pesto, as well as vegan fare such as potato and mushroom stew. The open kitchen also prepares meat and fish dishes, and there’s a great range of Ligurian wines.
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Torre Guardiola
Bird life and local flora can be seen from the Torre Guardiola, a nature observation and bird-watching centre located on Fossola Beach, immediately southeast of Riomaggiore marina. From the centre a botanical walking trail leads along the coast.
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Zanzibar Cafe
Via Prione is full of cafes and eateries. Toss a coin and you might end up at the rarely empty Zanzibar, where zebra-striped seats and mood lighting suggest delusions of trendiness. Wear your best sunglasses and sit down for frappé, antipasti, panini and desserts.
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feast day
La Spezia's bustle peaks on 19 March, the feast day of the city's patron saint, San Guiseppe (Saint Joseph). Celebrations see a giant market fill the port and surrounding streets, and the naval base (off-limits the rest of the year) opens to the public for the day.
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Villa Durazzo
You can take an aromatic stroll among lemon trees, hydrangea and camellia hedges, and other flora typical of Santa Margherita’s hot climate, in the lavish gardens surrounding the 17th-century Villa Durazzo, a favourite wedding spot.
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Trattoria da Sandro
Traditional Cinque Terre seafood is served up in the cosy stone-and-wood dining rooms of Trattoria da Sandro, whose specialities include baked stuffed mussels, and swordfish with tomatoes, capers, olives and pine nuts.
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Focacceria Enoteca Antonia
To pack an authentic Ligurian beach picnic, head to Focacceria Enoteca Antonia where Paola and her husband Giuseppe make 15 kinds of piping-hot focaccia from scratch and also stock well-priced local wines.
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Castello Doria
In Chiesa di San Lorenzo's shadow is the 16th-century Castello Doria, a formidable example of the Genoese military architecture offering magnificent views from its ornate terraced gardens.
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Cable Car
Since 1934 a cable car has threaded its way up to Santuario Basilica di Montallegro (612m), a sanctuary built on the spot where, on 2 July 1557, the Virgin Mary was reportedly sighted.
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Caffè Excelsior
A fashionable eatery overlooking the port, Caffè Excelsior is a good perch with romantic outdoor booths – where Greta Garbo used to hide behind dark glasses – serving up octopuses and prawns.
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Vicolo Intherno
Take a seat around chunky wooden tables beneath beamed ceilings at this Slow Fish–affiliated restaurant and wash down the torte di verdure (Ligurian vegetable pie) or stockfish with local vintages.
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Dau Cila
Local wine is served by the glass at Dau Cila, accompanied by cold plates such as smoked tuna with apples and lemon or lemon-marinaded anchovies with pears and parmesan.
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Nettare e Ambrosia
Simple and authentic, Nectar & Ambrosia is the place to sample great wines with seafood-based specialities such as zuppa di calamari (calamari soup).
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Bar Colombo
A celebration of art nouveau, this resplendent coffee bar–restaurant on the seafront is the former hang-out of silver-screen stars such as Burton and Taylor.
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Museo Tecnico Navale
See model ships and polene (statuettes that graced the prows of vessels) at the 1870-founded naval museum, Museo Tecnico Navale.
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Magazin
A fashionable eatery overlooking the port is Magazin, decked out like the cabin of a boat. It serves authentic Ligurian luxuries.
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