Piedmont
Piedmont's largest park is home to spectacular landscapes, encompassing wildflower-filled grasslands, topaz lakes, shimmering glaciers and jagged mountain…
Must-see attractions in Northwestern Italy
Fondazione Sandretto re Rebaudengo
Turin
This classic white-cube contemporary gallery space was created with Italian super curator Francesco Bonami and runs a great exhibition program showcasing…
Genoa
A beautiful historical space that runs a program of modern and contemporary shows along interesting curatorial themes. The focus is often on photography…
Manarola
Manarola's prized viewpoint is on a rocky promontory just above the village. A rest area, including a kids' playground, has been constructed here and…
Valle d'Aosta
The park's amazing biodiversity, including butterflies and Alpine flora, can be seen in summer at this fascinating Alpine botanical garden in the tiny…
Pavillon du Mt Fréty Nature Oasis
Courmayeur
A protected zone of 1200 hectares tucked between glaciers, this nature oasis is accessible from the Pavillon du Mt Fréty. Enjoy numerous trails, including…
Corniglia
Enjoy dazzling 180-degree sea views at this heart-stopping lookout in hilltop Corniglia. To find it, follow Via Fieschi through the village until you…
San Remo
Seven kilometres northeast of San Remo lies an intriguing artists' colony. On Ash Wednesday 1887, an earthquake destroyed the village of Bussana Vecchia…
Savona
Dating from the 1480s, Savona's Sistine Chapel (like the one in Rome) was created by Pope Sixtus IV. Though far less famous than its Roman counterpoint,…
Vernazza
This castle, the oldest surviving fortification in the Cinque Terre, commands superb views. Dating to around 1000, it's now largely a ruin except for the…
Genoa
Genoa's zebra-striped Gothic–Romanesque cathedral owes its continued existence to the poor quality of a British WWII bomb that failed to ignite here in…
Genoa
Genoa's much-vaunted aquarium is one of the largest in Europe, with more than 600 species of sea creatures, including sharks. Moored at the end of a…
Porto Venere
The largest island of the Italian Riviera is largely undeveloped (it's home to around 50 residents) and lies just a short ferry ride from Porto Venere…
Centro Visito Batterie Silvio Sommazzi
Camogli
This free visitor centre provides insight into the military installations scattered in the surrounding hillside. The 202nd Batteria Chiappa guarded the…
Genoa
Genoa was rivalled only by Barcelona and Venice as a medieval and Renaissance maritime power, so its 'museum of the sea' is, not surprisingly, one of its…
Genoa
One of the most famous monuments on Genoa's waterfront is this mural-covered building constructed in 1260. St George is one of Genoa's patron saints, and…
La Spezia
An assortment of local archaeological artefacts from prehistoric to medieval times are displayed at the city's hilltop fortifications. You'll see finely…
Genoa
This palace, one of three that together make up the Musei di Strada Nuova, features a small but absorbing collection of legendary violinist Niccolò…
Museo Tecnico Navale della Spezia
La Spezia
Maritime lovers shouldn't miss the world's oldest naval museum, which is reached via a narrow bridge a few blocks southwest of Parco Salvador Allende. The…
Ventimiglia
The small village on the hill is upper Ventimiglia, home to one of the largest historic centres in the Italian Riviera. Medieval walls surround the lofty…
Tellaro
On a walking track just above Tellaro stands the ruins of Portesone, a former rural village that was abandoned in the 1600s (allegedly owing to a plague…
Genoa
The port may have changed radically since its '90s rebirth, but its emblematic sentinel hasn't moved an inch since 1543. Genoa's lighthouse is one of the…
Turin
This sleek, contemporary gallery joins Turin's already stellar collection of pivotal art foundations. Set in an old factory in a hipster, postindustrial…
Chiesa di Santa Margherita d'Antiochia
Vernazza
The waterfront is framed by this small Ligurian-Gothic church, built on a small seafront promontory in 1318 on the site of an 11th-century Romanesque…
Turin
Housed in the Mole Antonelliana, this enjoyable museum takes you on a fantastic tour through cinematic history. Memorabilia on display includes Marilyn…
Golfo dei Poeti
On a promontory high above the shoreline, Lerici's castle has played a pivotal role protecting the city since the Middle Ages. Rebuilt various times over…
Chiesa di Santa Maria Immacolata
Sestri Levante
It's a short but steep climb up to this 17th-century church, which is known for its finely crafted wooden altarpiece. You'll also find here a delightful…
Turin
The symbol of Turin, this 167m tower with its distinctive aluminium spire appears on the Italian two-cent coin. It was originally intended as a synagogue…
Turin
Turin's former Fiat factory, one of Italy's most praised examples of early-20th-century industrial architecture, is 5km south of the city centre. It was…
Museo Archeologico e della Città
Sestri Levante
Spread across the 3rd and 4th floors of the photogenic Palazzo Fascie, Musel delves into Sestri Levante's past with interactive exhibitions and displays…
San Remo
Built for the Russian community that followed Tsarina Maria Aleksandrovna (wife of Tsar Alexander II) to San Remo in 1906, the Russian Orthodox church of…
Turin
Encased in the crypt of Santo Sudario church, this fascinating museum documents one of the most studied objects in human history: the Holy Shroud. Despite…
Genoa
Built on the site of the original settlement, and sheltering under the 11th-century Embriaci Tower, this Romanesque church and convent, itself built…
Turin
A part-medieval, part-baroque castle built in the 13th century on the site of the old Roman gate, this palazzo is named after Madama Reale Maria Cristina,…
Golfo dei Poeti
Hidden behind the Castello di Lerici are a series of wild cliff-backed beaches extending along the southern shoreline. Reach the first by heading through…
Turin
Opened in 1856, this 550,000-sq-metre French-style park kisses the banks of the Po and is filled with joggers, promenaders and lovers night and day…
Levanto
This atmospheric lane, located a few blocks from the beach, winds its way past some of Levanto's oldest buildings. Don't miss stately former noble…
Tellaro
Around 1km north of Tellaro, Fiascherino is not one beach, but two pretty stretches of sandy shoreline separated by a small promontory. The beaches lie…
Savona
Among Savona's treasures to survive destruction by Genoese forces in the 16th century is the lumbering Fortezza del Priamàr. This imposing fortress, which…
Porto Venere
No one knows when the original castle was built, though the current structure – a formidable example of Genoese military architecture – dates from the…
