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…
Must-see attractions in The Italian Riviera
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…
Genoa
Built on the site of the original settlement, and sheltering under the 11th-century Embriaci Tower, this Romanesque church and convent, itself built…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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.
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…
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…
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…
Monterosso
One of the oldest churches in Cinque Terre, San Giovanni Battista has a striped facade dating back to 1307. The Ligurian-Gothic design features white and…
Corniglia
Near the entrance to the village, the small Gothic church dedicated to St Peter has stood here since at least the 14th century (and was likely built on…
Riviera di Ponente
Brave Imperia's traffic for this museum where a history of Italy's favourite oil is on display, including some ancient amphora and repro oil mills. There…
Manarola
Built in 1338 in Ligurian-Gothic style, the small stone church of San Lorenzo is notable for several finely made triptychs, including a 14th-century…
Monterosso
This was the seat for one of two confraternities (secular associations dedicated to doing charitable works) in Monterosso which was active from the 15th…
Genoa
In the sacristy of the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, the Museo del Tesoro preserves various dubious holy relics, including the medieval Sacro Catino, a glass…
Oratorio di Santa Maria Assunta
Riomaggiore
Built by a Christian brotherhood in the 16th century, this simple stone church is home to the unusual 14th-century wooden statue Madonna delle catene …
Golfo dei Poeti
Strategic fortifications date back at least to the 12th century on this hilltop perch overlooking the bay. As part of La Spezia's coastal defense system…
Genoa
A giant glass ball housing a humid mini-ecosystem with tropical plants, butterflies and birds, the Biosphere is an innovative addition to the port,…
La Spezia
If you have limited time in La Spezia, make sure you prioritise a stroll along this picturesque pedestrian lane that winds through the historic centre…
