Monterosso
Monterosso's most interesting church and convent complex is set on the hill that divides the old town from the newer Fegina quarter. The striped church,…
Must-see attractions in Northwestern Italy
Langhe, Roero & Monferrato
Take the lift to the rooftop of this restored medieval tower for a sublime view over wine country. You'll see the meandering Tanaro River, various other…
Galleria Nazionale di Palazzo Spinola
Genoa
This gallery's paintings are wonderfully displayed over four floors of the 16th-century Palazzo Spinola, once owned by the Spinola family, one of Genoa's…
Genoa
Hidden behind Piazza de Ferrari, this former Jesuit church dating from 1597 has an intricate and lavish interior. The wonderfully frescoed walls and…
San Remo
San Remo's belle époque casino, one of only four in Italy, was dealing cards when Vegas was still a waterhole in the desert. The building dates from 1905…
La Spezia
This fine-arts museum in a restored 17th-century friary is La Spezia's star cultural attraction. The collection spans from the 13th to 18th centuries and…
Sestri Levante
This small beautiful bay lies hidden just behind the historic quarter. Go early or late in the day to enjoy this photogenic seascape without the crowds…
Cattedrale Santa Maria Assunta
Aosta
The neoclassical facade of Aosta's cathedral belies the impressive Gothic interior. Inside, the carved 15th-century walnut-wood choir stalls are…
Alba
A converted church turned cultural centre, this is a lovely place to catch a choral or chamber music performance, or undertake a bracing hike up 134 steps…
Genoa
Once the seat of the independent republic, this grand palace was built in the Mannerist style in the 1590s and was largely refurbished after a fire in the…
Corniglia
This lovely, hard-to-reach beach was once a famous nudist spot from the 1960s to the 1990s, when it was accessed by walking through an abandoned railway…
San Remo
Housed in a 15th-century palazzo, several rooms in this museum, some with fine frescoed ceilings, display local prehistoric and Roman archaeological finds…
Turin
Perched over a scenic stretch of the Po River, the Borgo Medievale is a small recreated 15th-century village that was actually built for the 1884 Turin…
Golfo dei Poeti
One of several lovely stretches of coastline in the area, San Terenzo has a sandy beach with free sections as well as places to hire loungers and…
Golfo dei Poeti
Just off Piazza Garibaldi, this atmospheric pedestrian lane is sprinkled with colourful boutiques, a focacceria and wine shop, and some appealing seafood…
Tigullio & Baia del Levante
This museum, set in the 16th-century Villa Saluzzo, displays the former Prince Odone di Savoia's collection, mostly works by 19th- and early-20th-century…
Turin
These royal gardens, freely accessed via the Palazzo Reale, make a tranquil setting for a bit of down time in the city centre. Flower-lined pathways,…
Corniglia
This viewpoint overlooking a photogenic stretch of coastline (direction: Manarola) is reached by a stairway that leads up from the diminutive main square,…
Ventimiglia
Ventimiglia is best known for its huge Friday market when hundreds of stalls sell food, clothes, leather goods, homewares, baskets and everything else…
Asti
During the late 13th century the region became one of Italy's wealthiest, with 150-odd towers springing up in Asti alone. Of the 12 that remain, only this…
Aosta
Aosta’s little city museum does an excellent job of detailing the city’s Roman history with a scale model of Aosta’s Roman layout plus various…
Santuario di Nostra Signora della Rosa
Santa Margherita Ligure
You’ll gasp audibly when entering Santa Margherita Ligure’s small yet lavish baroque church, not just at the truly dazzling array of gold leaf, frescoes,…
Asti
This 18th-century residence of the Mazzetti family houses the civic museum and an information office. Downstairs you'll find Roman artefacts and a scale…
Giardino Botanico Alpino Saussurea
Courmayeur
Walk through this flower-filled Alpine garden in summer (it's blanketed by snow in winter) and enjoy numerous other trails, including the Sentiero…
Turin
The low-key and little-visited Porta Palatina is, in fact, one of the best preserved 1st-century BC Roman gateways in the world. Together with the remains…
San Remo
The Moorish Villa Nobel houses a museum dedicated to Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who established the Nobel Prize while living here. At the time of…
Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
Ventimiglia
A must-see when exploring the historic centre, this cathedral has original 13th-century elements, including a portal with an acute arch, Romanesque…
Piedmont
The burnt-red-tiled rooftops of Saluzzo's old town make a timeless picture from the loggia (balcony) beneath this 15th-century belfry, which is reached…
Cuneo
Arriving in Cuneo's gargantuan main piazza, you'd think you'd just touched down in a capital city. Finished in 1884, it sits aside an older portico…
Civico Museo Storico Archeologico
Savona
Part of the imposing Fortezza del Priamàr, this small museum houses a limited but interesting collection of local archaeological finds.
Valle d'Aosta
Past St-Vincent is the sober Castello di Verrès, a late-Gothic monolith that stands on the ancient Via Francigena, a pilgrims’ path between Canterbury in…
Turin
Razed to the ground by Napoleon's armies, little remains of this 1st-century amphitheatre, but it's still an atmospheric spot to stroll around.
Manarola
This small piazza is dominated by a bell tower that was once used as a defensive lookout. Opposite, the Chiesa di San Lorenzo dates from 1338 and houses a…
Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
Asti
Rising above Asti's historic core is the enormous belfry of this 13th-century Romanesque-Gothic cathedral. Its grandly painted interior merits a peek.
Portofino
A flight of stairs signposted 'Salita San Giorgio' leads from the harbour and past the Chiesa di San Giorgio to Portofino's unusual castle, a 10-minute…
Piedmont
Situated 66km northwest of Vercelli in northern Piedmont, Varallo guards the Sacro Monte di Varallo, the oldest of Italy's nine Sacri Monti (Sacred…
Aosta
This intriguing church is part of a still-operating monastery. The church dates back to the 10th century but was altered on several occasions, notably in…
Tellaro
Built in the second half of the 16th century, the imposing Chiesa San Giorgio occupies a strategic point overlooking the seaside. Over the portal, a bas…
Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista
Riomaggiore
Set in the upper part of town, this striking church was founded in 1340 but received a facelift in 1870 giving it a neo-Gothic facade. Original 14th…
