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Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genova. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and food. Liguria borders France to the west, Piedmont to the north, and Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany to the east. It lies on the Ligurian Sea. Liguria is a narrow strip of land, enclosed between the sea and the Alps and the Apennines mountains, it is a winding arched extension from Ventimiglia to La Spezia and is one of the smallest regions in Italy. The coastline is 315 km long. Except for the Portovenere and Portofino promontories, it is generally not very jagged, and is often high and compact. At the mouths of the biggest watercourses there are small beaches, but there are no deep bays and natural harbours except for those of Genova and La Spezia. The regional capital is Genova. In the parts of Liguria, there are also numerous historical treasures. An intact and luxuriant Mediterranean vegetation exists in the mountain regions of Portofino and Cinqueterre. On the other hand Portovenere is a small jewel on the Mediterranean coast. San Remo is one of Italy's most famous bathing resorts and the place where the annual Italian pop music festival takes place. The beautiful Benedict monastery S. Fruttuoso merits special attention. And needless to say there are many other important historical monuments to be explored. Liguria is were pesto is originally from, one of the most popular sauces in Italian cuisine. Seafood is a major staple of Ligurian cuisine, as the ocean has been part of the region's culture since it's beginning. Another important aspect of the culture there is the beach. Tourists have been flocking to the Italian Riviera for decades to experience its calm, deep blue water.
To be visited: In Genoa the tourist should visit the Gallery of Palazzo Bianco, which houses an important collection of Ligurian painters, from 1400 to 1700; the Gallery of Palazzo Rosso, which holds a very rich collection of furniture, Ligurian ceramics and Chinese pottery; the National Gallery of Palazzo Spinola, with its important paintings; the Museum of Oriental Art has treasures collected over the centuries by the Genovese navigators. In Nervi you can visit the Naval Museum. Ventimiglia has the Archaeologic Museum with Paleolithic relics. Sixteenth-century paintings can be admired inn the Civic Pinacoteca in Savona. The statue-stelae of the Lunigiana are very interesting: they can be seen in La Spezia.
A view of the gardens of the Villa Durazzo-Pallavicini.Corso Italia runs for 2.5 kilometres in the quartiere of Albaro, linking the two other neighbourhood of Foce and Boccadasse. The promenade, which was originally built in 1908, overlooks the sea, towards the promontory of Portofino, and the main landmarks are the small lighthouse of Punta Vagno, the San Giuliano Abbey, the Lido of Albaro. Cattedrale di San Lorenzo is the city's Cathedral, and is built in a Romanesque-Renaissance style. Other important and major churches in Genoa include the Church of San Donato, the Church of Sant'Agostino and the Oratory of San Giacomo della Marina. The main features of central Genoa include Piazza De Ferrari, around which are sited the Opera and the Palace of the Doges. There is also a house where Christopher Columbus is said to have been born. Strada Nuova (Via Garibaldi), in the old city, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2006. This district was designed in the mid-16th century to accommodate Mannerist palaces of the city's most eminent families, including Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco, Palazzo Grimaldi and Palazzo Reale. The famous art college, Musei di Strada Nuova and the Palazzo del Principe are also located on this street. Other landmarks of the city include the Old Harbour (Porto Antico), transformed into a mall by architect Renzo Piano, and the famous cemetery of Staglieno, renowned for its monuments and statues. The Porto Antico is the ancient part of the port of Genoa. The Genovese architect Renzo Piano redeveloped the area, restoring the historical buildings and creating new landmarks like the Aquarium, the Bigo and recently the "Bolla". The main touristic attractions of this area are the famous Aquarium and the Museum of the Sea. Genoa also has a large aquarium located in the above-mentioned old harbour. The port of Genoa also contains an ancient lighthouse, called the "Torre della Lanterna"
Usually all the boutiques are open from the end of February until the end of October. Don't forget to bring something for your shoulders even if you came in the summer time. Also, you can visit San Fruttuoso Bay and try to see the sculpture of Christ of the Abyss. You can reach San Fruttuso only by sea and we suggest to rent a small taxi boat. It's a very unforgettable experience. If you have some days off, you can also visit the Acquarium on Genoa (30 km. from Portofino) - the biggest one in europe - and walk around the port streets. There are a lot of museum and historical buldings. Please do not on the night. Many people who visit upscale Portofino also visit the nearby Cinque Terre.
The walk between all the villages takes the better part of a day. For those that would rather not walk (or not walk the entire trail), a pedestrian ferry service runs seasonally to all five villages, plus Lerici. The price is reasonable, and gives a nice view of the villages from the water. The milk train that connect all the villages is also a quick way to hop among towns. The main attraction of the Cinque Terre is the landscape. Mediterranean herbs and trees grow spontaneously from the top of the hills down to the water level. Well embedded in this magnificent natural scenery, one can admire the intense human activity of the ancestors, when the wine terraces were built. An enormous (and somehow crazy) work of transportation, carrying all the heavy stones on men's shoulders and women's heads. A work through the centuries, in fact it's estimated to have taken about 200 years to build the entire stone-wall network. Its total length has been calculated to be at least equal to the Great Wall of China. Tourists can enjoy the scenery described above, walk through the towns (or between them) or hiking on the paths and enjoying the local atmosphere
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Part of the old city of Genova (Genoa) was inscribed on the World Heritage List (UNESCO) in 2006 (see below). The city's rich art, music, gastronomy, architecture and history, made it 2004's EU Capital of culture.
One of the best things you can do in Portofino is relax. Walk around the small city, hear the sea, take a rest at the end of the left Marconi quay.
The Cinque Terre boasts some of the best coastline hiking trails in the world. The path from Riomaggiore to Manarola is called the Via Dell'Amore (or roughly "Lovers Walk"). The beautiful trail along the shore is very easy to hike. The next hike from Manarola to Corniglia is also easy. The trail from Corniglia to Vernazza offers incredible views of shore and is only steep at certain places. The trail from Vernazza to Monterosso is the steepest (but not overly demanding), winding through Olive orchards and vineyards and offering dramatic ocean views. 