Top Things to do in Italian Riviera
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10 Hidden Gems Things to do in Italian Riviera That You Shouldn't Miss
Liguria, or the Italian Riviera, boasts a bounty of beaches and resort towns, such as tiny but tony Portofino and stylish Rapallo. Hiking trails lead from Portofino to the villages of Cinque Terre. The Riviera of the Setting Sun runs north from Genoa to the French border. Connected by an extensive rail network, most towns make easy daytrips from one another. Genoa is the region's principal city and is home to attractions from its famous Cathedral and the Palazzo Reale to an excellent aquarium.
Restaurants in Italian Riviera
1. All About Apple Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 93 reviews
2. Church of San Francesco - Capuchin Friars Monastery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 416 reviews
Constructed from 1618 from the Capuchin Friars who came in Monterosso, the Church of San Francesco contains some fine art including a Crucifixion by Antoon Van Dyck, and sono other important Itaian painters from XVII and XVIII centuries. Near the church there is the Monastery of Capuchin Friars a very ancient structure with great garden where Friars live. It is a place of Peace and spirituality with a gorgeus view on the seaside. Here you can live the experience of St. Francis of Assis: semplicity and poverty and show his love for God and the beauty of nature and creation.
Reviewed By goodbye-2016 - Saint Paul, United States
Definitely worth the many steps up! Nice areas to stop along the way for pictures and the statue of St Francis. Very interesting history of the church and monastery and unusual grave site at the top.Well worth it!
3. Cimitero Monumentale di Staglieno
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 829 reviews
The Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno, planned in the 1850s in an inhabited area, lies now in an area not far from the centre of Genoa. Staglieno's architectural pattern, albeit in the forms of a mature Classicism, draws on a genre that was rather common in Europe and Italy around the mid nineteenth century. However, the peculiarity and the charm of Staglieno lie in the fact that its architecture is combined with a natural layout, a type that is much more common in northern European cemeteries like, for example, the Pere Lachaise in Paris. It currently covers an area of 300.000 sqm.
Reviewed By giovannic973
The largest historical cemetery in Europe, full of amazing statues and beautiful ornaments. A visit is almost mandatory, better if not in summer.
4. Abbazia di San Fruttuoso
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,362 reviews
Tra Camogli e Portofino, in una profonda insenatura nella frastagliata costa del Promontorio di Portofino, sorge la celebre Abbazia di San Fruttuoso di Capodimonte nell'intatto borgo marinaro omonimo. Dopo la prima frequentazione monastica, il complesso di San Fruttuoso di Capodimonte fu umile abitazione per pescatori, spesso covo di pirati, poi proprietà per secoli dei Principi Doria: un luogo assolutamente unico, dove l'opera dell'uomo si è felicemente integrata con quella della natura. Sono visitabili il complesso monastico del X-XI secolo con il Chiostro, la Sala Capitolare, la Chiesa; e le tombe dei Doria e il corpo a mare gotico del XIII secolo.
Reviewed By megperry1 - Sindelfingen, Germany
We enjoyed the amazing hike from portofino to san fruttuoso. It was blazing hot but the secluded beach at the end was amazing. Highly recommend but bring a ton of water!
5. Santuario di Nostra Signora di Montallegro
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 815 reviews
Reviewed By MiguelbBuenosAires - Missoula, United States
Take the funicular to this 600+ meters high Sanctuary. The church is absolutely beautiful with a nice history behind. The views from both the funicular and the sanctuary are unique and gorgeous. Definitely a recommended spot. We have been around many towns in the Ligurian region and Rapallo with the sanctuary, it’s rebuilt port and it’s city centre (with a stop at Eldolz... coffee shop - highly recommended as well) was a nice surprise and a delight to visit.
6. Dolceacqua
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 418 reviews
Reviewed By AdamD453 - Churchdown, United Kingdom
Nice little medieval town to have a stroll around, some quite steep hills though if you struggle with those. Castle wasn't open when we went, so make sure you get there early as it closes at 5pm! Note the restaurants don't open until 7pm, so we had to eat elsewhere as well. On a plus note, free parking! Worth a visit if nearby looking for sites to visit.
7. Old Bussana (Bussana Vecchia)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,209 reviews
Devastated by an earthquake and abandoned, this unique medieval village has been reborn and is now inhabited by an international artists community.
Reviewed By turtlezurich
It is a whole little authentic medieval village abandoned in 1894 after an earthquake and repopulated by artists in the '60. Ever since it is a secret tourist attraction. It is and exclusively walking area with stone streets and houses. You need good shoes. This romantic landscape consists in half ruins and half artists workshops, boutiques and residences. It has a big restaurant at the entrance and another smaller one in the middle as well as a coffee/bakery shop. It has a romantic atmosphere. You can spend between 1 and 4 hours there, depending how interested you are.
8. Castello d'Albertis
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 537 reviews
The Museum of World Cultures is housed in the Castello D’Albertis, home of captain Enrico Alberto D’Albertis, its creator. After travelling by sea and land between the 19th-20th centuries, the Captain’s home collects pieces of his world in a romantic setting between “Chambers of Wonder” and colonial trophies. His castle testifies to the strong fascination that the distant worlds he had visited exerted on his soul, permeated with Genoese traditions and the love for the sea, as well as curiosity about the unknown and the unventured. But there is more. At the entry of the 16th-century bastion, on which the castle was built, starts a second exhibition, where archaeological and ethnographic pieces are displayed through the dialogue with the peoples who produced them, thus giving voice to multiple perspectives and making our certainties relative. The Castello D’Albertis is not only the home of Captain D’Albertis but our own house.
Reviewed By DonBursle
Stand in the square outside Piazza Principe station, look up past the statue of Christopher Columbus and you will see the towers of Castello D’Albertis. I wondered what it was, and finding out was easier than I expected. There is a really interesting (if you're an engineer) railway/lift just along Via Balbi under Hotel Vittoria, on which you can use your bus ticket, that takes you up to just outside the entrance to the park. It’s free to wander around the small park and castle grounds and only €6 to look around the museum. The museum has two subjects: items collected by Captain Enrico Alberto D”Albertis and his son on their explorations to various parts of the world; and World Cultures. It’s quite interesting and although most of it is in Italian there are explanation cards available in various languages including English next to many of the exhibits. Whatever you make of the museum it’s worth the entrance fee just to see the view over the city and docks. There is also a café just outside the castle for a cool drink in the shade. This museum is a little off the beaten track but it is most unusual and worth a visit if you have the time.
9. Spianata Castelletto
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,635 reviews
Reviewed By U8248AVstephanieb - Charlotte, United States
I walk up here every morning after breakfast when we are in Genova to enjoy the view. It's a nice walk (but steep!) and you can walk some more when you get up to Spianata Castelletto or you can sit on the benches and enjoy the view. Take the lift if the steps up are not your thing. This is a must see if you are in Genova.
10. Boccadasse
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,837 reviews
Reviewed By peterh169 - Somerset, United Kingdom
Very small beach in this lovely little seaside village, a truly wonderful, unspoilt place to be for those who love the real Italy
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