Things to do in Liguria, Piedmont & Valle D'aosta
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Sacra di San Michele
Brooding above the road 14km from Turin is the Sacra di San Michele, a Gothic-Romanesque abbey that has kept sentry atop Monte Pirchiriano (962m) since the 10th century. Look out for the whimsical ‘Zodiac Door’, a 12th-century doorway sculpted with putti (cherubs) pulling each other’s hair. To get to the abbey get off at Sant’Ambrogio station and hike up a steep path for 1½ hours. Alternatively, there’s a special bus from Avigliana train station six times a day from May to September. Concerts are held on Saturday evenings in summer; ask for details at the tourist office in Avigliana, 12km west.
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Museo Nazionale del Cinema
A decade ago, the tower became home to the multifloored Museo Nazionale del Cinema, which takes you on a fantastic tour through cinematic history – from the earliest magic lanterns, stereoscopes and other optical toys to the present day. Movie memorabilia on display includes Marilyn Monroe’s black lace bustier, Peter O’Toole’s robe from Lawrence of Arabia and the coffin used by Bela Lugosi’s Dracula. At the heart of the museum, the vast Temple Hall is surrounded by 10 interactive ‘chapels’ devoted to various film genres.
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Basilica di Superga
Basilica di Superga became the final resting place of the Savoys, whose lavish tombs make for interesting viewing, as does the dome here. In 1949 a plane carrying the entire Turin football team crashed into the basilica in thick fog, killing all on board. Their tomb rests at the rear of the church.
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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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Fiorio
There’s something evocative about inhabiting Mark Twain’s old window seat as you contemplate the gilded interior of a cafe where 19th-century students once plotted revolutions and the Count of Cavour deftly played whist. And all this before your coffee has even arrived.
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Mentelocale
Tuna with sesame and lime, tempura prawns and red chicken curry with apples feature at this fusion restaurant inside the Palazzo Ducale. Mentelocale’s salads easily constitute a meal and come in a creative range of combinations using fresh local produce.
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Sfashion
Turinese comic TV presenter Piero Chiamretti’s latest culinary offering is this funky postmodern set-up with retro toys adorning its outlandish interior, and dishes such as mussels in tomato sauce or penne with zucchini.
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Grom
The first-ever outlet of this Slow Food–affiliated ice cream, renowned for organic flavours such as green tea, was started here in Turin. There’s another branch at Via Accademia delle Scienze 4, which keeps the same hours.
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Pizzeria di Vico dei Biscotti
This cavernous place with marine blue decor and mezzanine seating fills to the brim with locals tucking into a quattro stagione (four seasons) pizza and a beer or two.
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Lobelix
Beneath the trees on Piazza Savoia, the terrace here is a favourite place for an aperitivo – its buffet banquet is one of Turin’s most extravagant.
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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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Chiesa di Sant’Orso
Aosta’s most intriguing sight is this church, which is part of a still-operating monastery. The church dates back to the 10th century but was altered on several occasions, notably in the 15th century when Giorgio di Challant of the ruling family ordered the original frescoes painted over and a new, lower roof installed. All was not lost: the renovations left the upper levels of the frescoes intact above the new roofline. You can ask the warden to unlock the door, letting you clamber up a narrow flight of wooden steps into the cavity between the original and 15th-century ceilings to view the well-preserved remnants.
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Museo delle Culture del Mondo
Castello D’Albertis houses the eclectic Museo delle Culture del Mondo. The neo-Gothic edifice was built in 1892 on the ruins of a much older castle for the globetrotting Capitano Enrico D’Albertis, who hauled back all manner of ‘curiosities’ from his extensive sea voyages. Where else could you find a stuffed platypus, a fragment of the Great Wall of China and a handful of sand from San Salvador (Columbus’ first disembarkation point) in the same cabinet? If you don’t fancy the climb up to Corso Dogali, there’s a lift from Via Balbi (€0.70) to the castle gates.
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Cattedrale di San Lorenzo
With its black-and-white-striped Gothic marble facade making it look a bit like a giant humbug, Genoa's Cattedrale di San Lorenzo is fronted by twisting columns and crouching lions. Consecrated in 1118, its two bell towers and cupola were added in the 16th century.
Inside the cathedral, above the central doorway, there's a great lunette with a painting of the Last Judgment, the work of an anonymous Byzantine painter of the early 14th century. Look out for the unexploded British bomb, which luckily failed to detonate when it hit the cathedral in 1941.
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Bussana Vecchia
About 10km northeast of San Remo is the intriguing artist colony. On Ash Wednesday 1887, an earthquake destroyed the village, and survivors were eventually forced to abandon it. It remained a ghost town until the 1960s, when artists moved in and began rebuilding the ruins using the original stones from the rubble. After successfully standing up to authorities who wanted to remove them, a thriving community of international artists remains in residence today.
It's possible to stay overnight here - contact artist Colin Wilmot for more information.
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Pila
The 1800m-high resort of Pila, accessible by the Aosta–Pila cable car from Aosta or an 18km drive south, is quick and easy to reach from the town. Its 70km of runs, served by 13 lifts, form one of the valley’s largest ski areas. Its highest slope, in the shadow of Gran Paradiso, reaches 2700m and sports an ace snow park with a half-pipe, jump and slide and freestyle area for boarders and freestyle skiers. The ski station is a village of sorts, but services such as the tourist office, police and medical services are handled from Aosta.
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Castello di Rivoli
A worthwhile trip further afield, the star of Turin’s contemporary art scene is the 17th-century Castello di Rivoli. It’s a striking contrast to the contemporary art housed inside at the Museo d’Arte Contemporanea. Works by Franz Ackermann, Gilbert and George, and Frank Gehry would have been beyond the wildest imagination of the Savoy family, who resided at this site from the 14th century onwards. The castle is outside central Turin in the town of Rivoli (not to be confused with the city’s metro station named Rivoli).
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Palazzo Lomellino
The most elaborate facade belongs to the 1563 Palazzo Lomellino. The grey blue exterior is festooned with stucco adornments, while the internal courtyard is dominated by an 18th-century nymphaeum (monument to the nymphs). Upstairs, the remarkably preserved 17th-century frescoes by Bernardo Strozzi were only uncovered in 2002, after languishing for almost 300 years above a false ceiling. They depict allegories of the New World, in homage to the palace’s one-time owners, the Centurione family, who financed Columbus’ voyages.
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Palazzo Doria-Tursi
Tickets must be purchased at the bookshop inside Palazzo Doria-Tursi. The palace’s Sala Paganiniana has a small but absorbing collection of legendary violinist Niccolò Paganini’s personal effects. Pride of place goes to his ‘Canone’ violin, made in Cremona in 1743. One lucky musician gets to play the maestro’s violin during October’s Paganiniana festival. Other artefacts on show include letters, musical scores and his travelling chess set. The palace has housed Genoa’s town hall since 1848.
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Eataly
Adjacent to the congress centre is the Slow Food Movement’s ‘supermarket’, Eataly. This vast converted factory now houses a staggering array of Slow Food–affiliated food and beverages, with a separate area for each, including cheeses, breads, meats, fish, pasta, chocolate and much more. The best time to visit is around 12.30pm to 2.30pm, when each area has its own little restaurant serving lunch. There’s also a high-end restaurant here, for which you’ll need to book ahead.
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Aosta Cathedral
Aosta's imposing cathedral has a neoclassical facade dedicated to the Madonna and dating from the 11th century, along with two Romanesque bell towers. but within is an impressive Gothic interior featuring carved 15th-century walnut-wood choir stalls and decorative floor mosaics.
In the deambulatory of the Aosta Cathedral, the Tesoro Museum houses a formidable collection of religious art treasures including paintings, marble sculptures and wooden icons dating back to the 4th century.
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Da Giancarlo
Watch a mixed crowd (dreadlocked, suited, you name it) go right off after hours, with plenty of swaying (to the music, the fumo (pot) and the booze) and lots of laughs. An institution of the best kind - and recommmended by many as the proper way to end a real night out. Grungy, grotty and great.
Be prepared to explain that you're not a member of ARCI (Associazione Ricreativa e Culturale Italiana) at the door - but flash your driving licence from home and you're fine.
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Piazza Duomo-la Piola
The best of both worlds are bivouacked in this two-in-one, suit-all-budgets culinary extravaganza in Alba’s main square. Downstairs, La Piola sports local blackboard specials, such as vitello tonnato, that change daily and allow diners to create their own plates. Upstairs, the theme goes more international in chef Enrico Crippa’s Michelin-starred Piazza Duomo, where you can eat creative food beneath colourful wall frescoes painted by contemporary artist Francesco Clemente.
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