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…
Must-see attractions in Northwestern Italy
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
