History of La Spezia. Attractions of La Spezia What to try in La Spezia
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The closest town to the Cinque Terre National Park is La Spezia, where about 100 thousand inhabitants live. Despite the existing access to the sea, the city, unfortunately, no beach. But La Spezia is a tourist convenient “departure point” for different parts of Liguria - the station is located near the very center, from where in just 8 minutes you can reach the first village of the Cinque Terre. Also from La Spezia it is convenient to travel to cities such as Pisa, Genoa, Parma, Milan and so on. Besides, if you are planning a budget vacation, then this city is suitable for you -
Attractions in La Spezia
Open this page from your mobile phone and launch the navigator to each of the described attractions or to any place.
City center
Walking from the station towards the pier, you will walk along the main street of the city and find yourself in the center of La Spezia. There is a medieval quarter suitable for tourist walks. If you get tired of staring at the local architecture, there are many retail outlets, various boutiques and restaurants along the street.
Embankment and city park
The promenade of La Spezia is very beautiful - it is decorated with palm trees, magnolias and flowers. The port has many yachts and boats that go to Portovenere and Cinque Terre. The cost of a ticket to Portovenere in 2019 is 8 € . And nearby there is a park - a botanical garden, where it is good to relax and admire the sea.
Temple of Christ the King
The main and very unusual attraction in La Spezia. The cathedral is the work of architect Adalberto Libera and may seem like a space launch site rather than a Catholic cathedral. This modern design is given to it by the non-standard shape of the building, reminiscent of a disk. The Cathedral of Christ the King is active, next to it is the chapel of the Madonna Pellegrina.
St. George's Castle
A most interesting attraction is the ancient castle, whose powerful fortress walls were erected in the 13th century. The building was completely restored at the end of the 20th century. Today, the Castle of St. George houses the Ubaldo Formentini Museum, where artifacts from the Etruscan era are exhibited.
For 3.50 euros you can visit the castle terraces, and for 5.50 you can also enter the museum.
Churches in La Spezia
The religious architecture of La Spezia is very diverse. One of the oldest churches in the city - the Church of St. Mary of Assunta (15th century) - was significantly damaged during the Second World War, but in the 50s, 20th century. it was restored. Also, do not pass by the Catholic Church of the Virgin of Health and the Church of Our Lady of the Snows - temples built at the beginning of the 20th century.
Map of La Spezia attractions
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“Italy in Russian” - the largest information portal about ItalyThere is a crystal clear sea on one side and picturesque green hills on the other, and between them there is a narrow strip of land on which La Spezia is located, occupying a very convenient and advantageous position in all respects. It is no coincidence that the city is a major port center; there are commercial and military ports nearby.
La Spezia) - a city with an area of 52 sq. km and a population of about 95 thousand people on the Ligurian coast of Italy, the capital of the province of the same name. The city is located in the very east of Liguria, just a few kilometers from the border with Tuscany, on the shores of a sea bay, which is called the “Gulf of Spice” (Golfo della Spezia), another name is “Gulf of Poets” (Golfo dei Poeti) . The second name for the bay was assigned due to the visits of poets, writers, artists, and actors to these places, attracted by the beauty of the “water amphitheater.” Among La Spezia's frequent guests were David Herbert Lawrence, George Sand, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley and many other creative personalities of Italy and Europe. The bay is surrounded by a chain of hills and mountains, the highest of which, Mount Verrugoli, 750 meters high, is located on the western edge of La Spezia.
Bay of Spezia. Photocasedamare. it
Commercial and military ports of La Spezia. Photo flickr.com
History of La Spezia
The name Spezia was first mentioned in the document “Spezam” of 1256; there are many scientific hypotheses about its origin, of which the main one has never been identified. The article "La" was abolished several times and appeared before the name of the city, until in 1926 the city council, by order, fixed the official name of the city - La Spezia.
View of La Spezia at night. Photoincinqueterre.com
As follows from archaeological finds of the Bronze and Iron Ages, the territory of modern La Spezia was inhabited already in prehistoric times. Later, settlements of the Ligurian tribes appeared here, which in 155 BC. were conquered by the consul Marcus Claudius Marcellus and became a colony of Rome.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, from the 5th century, La Spezia was attacked by the Germanic tribes of the Heruli and Goths, and with the end of the Byzantine-Gothic wars in the mid-6th century, the territory of modern La Spezia came under Byzantine rule, becoming part of the Italian Exarchate - the Byzantine province on the Apennine Peninsula.
In 642, the region of La Spezia was conquered by the Longobards; after the fall of the Longobard kingdom in 773, the territory came under the rule of the Frankish king Charles I the Great. In 860, La Spezia was plundered by the Vikings, and in the same century it had to endure devastating raids by the Saracens, which led to the complete decline of the region.
Gradually, the inhabitants of neighboring cities began to move here, and in the 10th-11th centuries a fortress city was formed on a hill, which by the middle of the 12th century came under the rule of Genoa. By this time, La Spezia had become an important trading center. In the XIII-XIV centuries, the city reached its peak, thanks to which in 1343, at the behest of the first Genoese Doge Simone Boccanegra, the Podestat of La Spezia was formed, which, however, by the end of the XIV century, after the continuous struggle of Genoa and Venice, ceased to exist, and La Spezia passed under the rule of the Milanese Visconti dynasty.
In the 15th century, the city continued to develop as a major trading center. In 1654, in order to give a new impetus to the trade direction, the Genoese Republic allowed Jews to settle in La Spezia, new markets and exchange fairs appeared in the city. In 1797, with the fall of the Genoese Republic, La Spezia became part of the Ligurian Republic, which in 1805 became a French protectorate. With the end of Napoleon's power, La Spezia passes to the Sardinian kingdom.
By the time of the unification of Italy in 1861, La Spezia had about 6 thousand inhabitants. The city is beginning to actively develop as a tourist center; in the 19th century, members of the royal family often came here on vacation. By 1901, about 73 thousand people already lived in La Spezia.
Embankment of La Spezia. Photoincinqueterre.com
Attractions in La Spezia
Fortress of St. George(Castello di San Giorgio) stands on the top of the Colle del Poggio hill, overlooking the bay. It was built in 1262 and originally served as a shelter during wars for both soldiers and townspeople. To this day, almost nothing remains of the original structure of the fortress; over the centuries it has been restored and restored several times. Currently, the fortress houses an archaeological museum.
Fortress of St. George. Photoguideturisticheliguria.eu
Maritime Museum(Museo Tecnico Navale) is considered the largest museum of its kind in Italy. The museum displays more than 150 models of Italian ships, about 2,500 awards, 6,500 relics, including a collection of ship figureheads of the 15th-17th centuries, thousands of historical and technical documents.
The museum is located next to the main entrance to the La Spezia naval arsenal, founded by Italy's first prime minister Cavour in 1862. The arsenal is operational, providing employment to more than 1,000 civilians and 200 military personnel.
Museum of the Navy. Photoottante.it
Some of the exhibits of the maritime museum. Photomareonline. it
Ethnographical museum(Museo Civico Etnografico), named after the traveler, naturalist, ethnographer Giovanni Podenzana, talks about the life, folk traditions and customs of the people who inhabited the Lunigiana region in the 18th-20th centuries.
IN Amedeo Lia Museum(Museo Civico “Amedeo Lia”), which opened in 1996, contains a collection of 1,100 paintings and miniatures by artists from Italy and other countries of the 13th-18th centuries, sculptures and objects from antiquity, the Middle Ages and modern times. Almost all of the museum's exhibits were donated to the city by collector Amedeo Lia. The museum is located in the premises of a former Franciscan monastery from the 18th century.
IN Center for Contemporary Art(Centro d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea) presents a large collection of paintings from the 19th century, works by the Impressionists and representatives of the avant-garde movement of painting. The center hosts exhibitions, seminars, and art meetings.
City Park or, more precisely, the garden is rich in its botanical diversity, here you can see palm trees, spruces, oaks, cedars, magnolias, roses and many other plants. The first park in La Spezia was laid out in 1825; by the end of the 19th century it had expanded to almost its modern size. The park is decorated with numerous sculptures, including a monument in honor of Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Urban a park. Photonoidelteatro.blogspot.it
What to try in La Spezia
Locally produced olive oil and black pepper are essential ingredients in most Spice recipes, among which the most popular is meshua, which in the local dialect means “mixture” - a soup made from beans, wheat and chickpeas.
Typical Spice dishes include delicious flatbreads, which are baked only here; chickpea flour stew; “sgabei” - fried flatbread made from yeast dough filled with cheese, ham, or, in the sweet version, cream or chocolate; stuffed pumpkin flowers; vegetable casseroles. In the suburb of La Spezia, Pitelli serves particularly delicious ravioli with meat, potatoes and herbs, while Campiglia is famous for its saffron cultivation.
Sgabei from La Spezia. Photouniversocucina.com
Pumpkin flowers stuffed with soft goat cheese. Photonerodiseppiae.blogspot.it
Spezia is famous for its fish market, where you can find freshly caught seafood every morning. It is no coincidence that one of the local specialties is stuffed mussels, which are specially bred here.
La Spezia(Italian: La Spezia) is a city that is the capital of the province of La Spezia. Located on the Ligurian coast, which is, in turn, in the north-west of the Italian Republic.
If you find La Spezia on a map of Italy, you will see that the city is separated from the Tuscany region by only a few kilometers, and the city itself is located right in the middle of, perhaps, one of the most picturesque routes in Italy - Genoa - Pisa.
Location of La Spezia on the map of Italy
The population is 95,600 people.
La Spezia is first and foremost a port in Italy, and not just a commercial and passenger port, but also a military-strategic one. The city's harbor is called the Gulf of Spezia (Italian: Golfo della Spezia).
Oddly enough, La Spezia was not always Italian. In 1797, Napoleon, realizing the advantageous position of the then village with two to three thousand inhabitants, captured La Spezia.
It was at this very time that a port and shipyards for the construction of ships appeared in the harbor, and by the beginning of the 19th century, rapid construction began in the city itself.
La Spezia became part of Italy only in 1861.
Main routes to and from La Spezia
How to get to La Spezia
First of all, the fact that La Spezia is located in the north of Italy means a very developed transport network. But the city is also a commercial, military and tourist center and port, which further increases the chances of a quick and convenient way to arrive in this corner of Italy.
Airplane. The closest airport to La Spezia is Genoa Airport. Directly from the airport you can take a train or train to La Spezia in 1 hour 50 minutes.
Port. In La Spezia, cruise ships arrive at the Molo Garibaldi pier. Travel time to the city center is limited to only 15 minutes by port transfer, and it is free.
You can get to La Spezia by cruise ship
Railway. The La Spezia railway station belongs to the Genoa - Rome line, which means that cities in this direction can also be easily reached by train.
From Milan, the journey time by train is a little over 4 hours (27-45 euros); from Turin and Pisa you can also come by train.
Routes from La Spezia
We will tell you about the most popular routes from La Spezia among tourists.
How to get from La Spezia to Portovenere:
How to get from La Spezia to Sestri Levante:
- The most convenient way to travel is by train from La Spezia central station. There are 20 flights per day, travel time is 30 - 50 minutes, ticket price is 4.25 - 5 euros. Tickets can be booked in advance;
- On a motor ship or boat that runs between nearby tourist towns.
How to get from La Spezia to Cinque Terre:
- Car traffic is limited throughout the park, therefore, it is better to get there by commuter train, the Genoa-Spezia line, the journey takes only 10-15 minutes. The stations of Riomaggiore and Monterosso are the largest and most suitable in the Cinque Terre for arriving tourists;
- It is possible to travel along the serpentine road in small buses and minivans;
- You can get to the Cinque Terre by boat or motor ship.
How to get from La Spezia to Portofino
Portofino, like many other places of interest to tourists, is best and most conveniently reached from the city of La Spezia from the central station La Spezia Centrale.
From there, take the train to the central station of Portofino - Santa Margherita Ligure Portofino.
The journey will take about an hour, costing 6.30 - 14 euros.
How to get from La Spezia to Pisa airport
Pisa Airport can also be reached from La Spezia Centrale central station. From there, take the train to Aeroporto internazionale Galileo Galilei Pisa, travel time 1.20 minutes - 1.45 minutes. Cost 6.60 - 12.30 euros.
How to get from the port of La Spezia to Florence (by train)
Often passengers arriving on cruise ships at the port of La Spezia choose Florence as their next destination. How to get from the port to the beautiful pearl of Tuscany?
Cruise ships arrive at the Molo Garibaldi pier. Passengers are transported to the main points of the city of La Spezia using port transfers, which are mostly free.
You need to take a transfer to the central station of La Spezia - La Spezia Centrale. Buy a train ticket to Florence (Italian Firenza) at the station (you can also do this in advance on-line), ticket price 13.50 - 19.10 euros, travel duration 2.10 - 2.50 hours.
Where to stay in La Spezia
The most economical and convenient way is to book a room, apartment, villa (whatever you like) on a special website on the Internet.
Homeowners rent out their apartments without intermediaries, so the prices are the most reasonable.
If you want to relax in the most comfortable conditions, see the most picturesque views from the window, drink good coffee in the morning, then you should stay in hotels in La Spezia, which have proven themselves to be the best:
Kitchen
Many tourists choose La Spezia as a stopover point for moving to other major cities.
But even if you are in this port city for just one day, it is simply unacceptable not to try the typical dish of La Spezia - Forinata pizza.
This is a pea flour pizza.
Pizza Forinata made from pea flour
The dough is poured into a huge frying pan and fried for 10-15 minutes. Be sure to sprinkle with black pepper. The cost of a serving is 2-2.5 euros.
The location by the sea explains the predominance of seafood in the local cuisine.
Dishes made from the freshest mussels, anchovies and other seafood are offered everywhere by restaurants on the shore:
- Zuppa di cozze— tomato soup with mussels;
- Fritto misto— a set of various types of fish and shellfish, deep-fried;
- Acciughe al lemon- anchovies marinated in lemon juice, sprinkled with olive oil when serving;
- Muscoli ripieni— stuffed mussels in red tomato sauce.
Tomato soup with fresh mussels
And of course, La Spezia is Italy, so how could we not have a local dessert, Dolce – “sweets”?
Here, the traditional sweet treat is castagnacio (Italian: Castagnaccio).
This is a fragrant dessert, a pie made from chestnut flour with dried grapes and pine nuts.
What to see in La Spezia in 1 day
Yes, most often, La Spezia for travelers is just a port, a transit point on the way to the next attractions of Italy.
What can you see in La Spezia in a short time and not remain indifferent to what you see:
Interesting places around La Spezia
The surroundings of La Spezia are simply a treasure trove for lovers of natural beauty and connoisseurs of historical heritage. Famous places:
Beaches around La Spezia
Italy has all the conditions for a comfortable beach holiday. This is the azure sea, these are beaches for every taste: both with sandy and stone entrances. This is clean air and beautiful vegetation.
Of course, the sea and wonderful weather of La Spezia are the best conditions for a beach holiday.
Even in winter there are no temperatures below 0C, because the Ligurian mountains protect the coast from cold winds. Well, in summer the temperature does not rise above 37 degrees, also due to the protection of the mountains. The best time to visit seaside towns and beaches is from May to October.
Several beaches in the province of La Spezia are considered incredibly beautiful and picturesque.
Examples of these beaches include:
Events in La Spezia
While staying in La Spezia, you can not only visit historical and simply beautiful and interesting places, taste and appreciate the local cuisine, you have the opportunity to participate in numerous holidays and festivals:
- On October 30, on Via Fortezza Sarzana in the Sarzanello fortress, a Halloween party for children takes place. Dinner, tunnel of horror, themed games inside the fortress;
- Since 1969, the International Jazz Festival annually gathers thousands of fans of this musical genre in the Villa Marigola park, in public gardens, at the Alberto Picco Stadium;
- The Festival of Saint Giuseppe is held on March 19th. At this time, more than 600 shops open with their products and crafts;
- On the first Sunday of August, the Sea Festival is held, or simply a regatta.
Even one day spent in the city of La Spezia will show the contrast between the luxury of villas, parks, gardens and fishing boats, fishermen sorting out their fishing gear here and there. This is exactly what the sea city looks like.
In La Spezia you can enjoy the atmosphere of fishing towns
The heritage of the rich history, which is carefully preserved here, will allow you to touch antiquity, as well as look into the most interesting ancient villages.
The local nature will allow you to enjoy amazing views of the sea. And the opportunity to combine this with a unique cuisine makes your stay here simply unforgettable.
La Spezia, located on the shores of the bay of the same name, is the easternmost city of the Ligurian Riviera. The picturesque bay is often called the Bay of Poets in memory of the great English romantic poets Byron and Shelley, who lived on its coast in the 20s of the 19th century. At various times, La Spezia's guests also included George Sand, David Herbert Lawrence, Alighieri Dante and other creative personalities.
The port city, due to its favorable location, has at all times had both military-strategic and commercial significance. During its existence, La Spezia had to endure many ruinous raids, it changed hands several times, even managed to be in the power of Napoleon, until it became part of Italy in 1861.
The picturesque Bay of La Spezia is often called the Bay of Poets
The name of the city changed several times - the article "La" appeared and then disappeared again, and only in 1926 the city council finally fixed the official name - La Spezia.
From the middle of the 19th century, the city began to actively develop as a resort, which was chosen as a vacation spot by both mere mortals and members of royal families. The historical and architectural sights of La Spezia were restored and restored, museums were opened, hotels, bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues were built to attract tourists.
Climate
The climate in La Spezia, as in other resorts of the Ligurian Riviera, is typically Mediterranean - mild, damp winters and warm, but not too hot summers. The Ligurian Mountains protect the coast from cold winds, so in winter the temperature here does not fall below 0C, and in summer it does not rise above +37C.
The most comfortable weather in La Spezia is from May to mid-October
From mid-March to mid-May, the rainy season lasts here - not a very attractive time, when most of the time it is damp and cloudy, and the sun appears no more than once every five days. The most comfortable period for relaxation is considered to be from mid-May to mid-October, when the weather in La Spezia is favorable for long walks and sea swimming.
How to get to La Spezia
The closest airport to La Spezia, serving international and domestic flights, is in Genoa. You can choose the most convenient and budget flight option using the Aviasales.ru service, a powerful search engine with a simple interface.
The one hundred kilometers separating Genoa (Genova) and La Spezia can be easily covered by train - they run on this route two to three times an hour. Travel time, depending on the type of train, ranges from 1.5 to 2.5 hours. The railway connects La Spezia with other cities that have airports - Milan, Rome, Pisa, Turin. Train tickets can be purchased directly at the station or.
Train Station, La Spezia
If finances allow, you can use a taxi. To avoid unpleasant surprises associated with the behavior of local taxi drivers, it is better to order a car in advance via the Internet. Calculate the cost of services from any of the airports in the surrounding area.
You can also get to La Spezia by rented car. To avoid overpayments at , it makes sense to book it in advance and through a specialized price comparison service. One of the most popular among European tourists is Rentalcars, the brainchild of a team that once had a hand in creating the famous hotel portal Booking.com.
By the way, in the summer there is also sea communication between the ports of Genoa and La Spezia.
Hotels
Although La Spezia is very popular among travelers, it will not surprise you with the abundance of luxury hotels. The city mainly offers mid-price 2- and 3-star accommodations.
Hotels in La Spezia in the mid-price category of 2 and 3 stars
However, in the surrounding area - closer to the most famous beaches - the range of housing is much more diverse. In addition to family-type hotels, there are also very worthy “four” and “five” hotels.
The best selection of hotels in La Spezia and the surrounding area with photos, guest reviews and the possibility of instant booking is presented at the link.
What to see in the city and surroundings
The main attraction of La Spezia is Fortress of St. George, standing on top of the Colle del Poggio hill. The castle, whose powerful walls protected the city for a long time, was built in the middle of the 13th century. Since the Middle Ages, it has been rebuilt and restored many times, a new tier with battlements and loopholes was added, and the fortress towers were updated.
You can enter the castle territory through one of two entrances – western or northern. The western gate is decorated with the coat of arms of Genoa, the northern gate is decorated with the image of St. George, after whom the fortification is named.
Today, the Archaeological Museum is located in the fortress of St. George. Its collection contains many relics and artifacts that tell the history and cultural traditions of Liguria. The most interesting exhibits were found at the excavations of Luni, an ancient city located on the border of Liguria and Tuscany.
The main attraction of La Spezia is the Fortress of St. George
When talking about the architectural sights of La Spezia, one cannot fail to mention the Catholic Cathedral Cristo re dei secoli. The Art Nouveau building, located in the city center, does not at all look like a traditional Catholic church; rather, to some kind of space object.
Only a thin cross on the facade reminds of its religious purpose. The cathedral was built in 1975 under the leadership of the author of the project, architect Adalberto Libera. Not far from Cristo Re is the chapel of Madonna Peligrina, considered the crypt of the cathedral.
No less interesting is the church of Santa Maria Assunta, famous for its interior decoration. The interiors of this temple are decorated with rare works of art: relief panels by Guillermo Carro, the Casoni tapestry, works by Luca della Robia, Angiolo del Santo and Luca Cambiaso.
The Maritime Museum of La Spezia enjoys special attention from tourists of all ages. Here you can see wooden figures that once adorned the bows of ships, copies of Roman and Venetian ships, guns from different times - from ancient mortars to cannons of the Second World War, as well as torpedoes, gyroscopes, naval first aid kits, anchors, lanterns and other ship equipment.
Wooden figures once decorated the bows of ships
The Amadeo Lia Art Museum, located on the pedestrian street Via Prione, is a rich collection of works of art from different eras. The 14 halls of the museum contain panel paintings of the 13th-15th centuries, ancient manuscripts, objects of church art, items made of porcelain, glass, ivory, silver, as well as excellent works by famous Renaissance artists - Tintoretto and Titian.
Small museums of local importance - Ethnographic and Episcopal - contain exhibits that testify to the life and customs of the inhabitants of the region. Both museums are located in the San Bernardino Oratory building in the old part of the city.
+688Residents of the Northern regions of Italy, who do not have access to the sea, would rather prefer a holiday in the neighboring region on the shores of the Ligurian Sea. After all, there, in Liguria, in addition to the usual cuisine and native language, beaches with clean water and stunning views all around await them. And without the huge number of foreign tourists arriving in the summer, as, for example, on the eastern Italian coast.
I will tell you about the beaches of the province of La Spezia, which is comfortably located in the very south of the mountain-sea region of Liguria. In the vicinity of the city of La Spezia you will find the best places for beach holidays and outdoor recreation, which hedonistic Italians jealously reserve “for themselves”, preferring not to advertise much.
There won't be such a wide coastline as on the east coast of Italy, but you will definitely be captivated by the unique beauty of each beach and its surroundings. Mountains and hills give the beaches of the province of La Spezia a unique flavor - a high coastline, lush subtropical vegetation, the scent of flowers in the air, cascades of villas on coastal cliffs, serpentine roads, steep terraces of vineyards and olive trees.
Many famous poets and artists, as well as Russian aristocrats, previously lived and vacationed in these places. They also say that wealthy Milanese who love the sea, yachting and solitude prefer to have summer residences in the province of La Spezia.
These days it is definitely also a paradise for photographers, bloggers, eco-tourists, beach tourists and just romantics.
So, beach city No. 1 on our list:
Porto Venere is a town on a picturesque cape, the western “gate” to the Bay of Poets (Golfo dei poeti).
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The beaches in Portovenere are good. Anyone who doesn't really like sand will appreciate the large boulders from which you can dive, and small pebbles that won't get caught in your swimsuit. Sea water with a rocky or pebble bottom is very transparent and somehow splashes in a special way, as if ringing.
The beach strip stretches across almost the entire town of Porto Venere. Paid beaches are equipped with everything you need, while on free beaches you can find a place in the shade of trees.
A big plus of a holiday in Portovenere is that you can park close to the shore, you don’t have to walk hundreds of meters in the heat from the bus stop or parking lot to the beach.
From La Spezia, the center of the province, to Portovenere, drive 15 kilometers along a picturesque road along the sea, port docks, an arsenal with warships, yacht clubs and other sea beauties. Buses also run with enviable regularity and stop near all the beaches, which is very convenient. There are no problems with paid parking either.
Where to eat: Michelin-rated trattoria Da Iseo on calata Doria - first line from the sea, fresh seafood prepared simply and tasty, local cuisine; Medusa restaurant on Via Capellini - affordable prices, home cooking, it is better to sit by the fountain with lion heads - in the evening it is beautifully illuminated;
What to do: go up to the church at the very tip of the cape (Chiesa di San Pietro), on the way look into Lord Byron's grotto, admire the matrimonial ceremony (if you're lucky) when the father leads his daughter up the steps to the altar under a special ringing of bells; visit the castle of the Doria family (castello Doria) - from the top points there are stunning views of Portovenere and the Bay of Poets; take a walk along the sea along Via Olivo; take a boat ride to La Spezia, the island of Palmaria (iseo Palmaria), to the towns of Cinque Terre.
Beach City No. 2:
Lerici is the eastern “gate” of the Bay of Poets. In summer, the city is closed to auto tourists (paid parking is available at the entrance to the city) and is located far from the railway and highway. It is possible that it is this privacy that gives the town a special charm, in addition to ancient fortresses, beautiful villas, yachts, mini-bays with sandy beaches, a mild maritime climate and lush vegetation.
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The beaches in Lerici have their own names, similar to the areas of Lerici in which they are located (I will note three of them):
- Venere Azzurra is a sandy beach marked with a blue flag. Located in one of the picturesque bays to the west of the city center of Lerici.
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There is a beautiful promenade, stunning views, hotels and boarding houses along the coast. Vehicle interception parking lots are located a few hundred meters from the beach recreation areas. The bus from La Spezia stops directly near the beach.
There are not too many tourists in Lerici, mostly Italians with children, summer residents, and young people.
The center of Lerici is also very picturesque, there is where to walk, what to admire and what to eat.
- The second large Lerichian beach is located further from the center to the west, in the bay adjacent to Venere Azzurra, in the San Terenzo area. In terms of organization of recreation and beauty, the beach of San Terenzo is very similar to Venere Azzurra, only it has a slightly more compact size.
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- Even further west from Lerici is Baia Blu beach. Huddled in a picturesque rocky bay, it is also marked with a blue flag. During the day it is popular with children from summer camps, and in the evening with young people. Has great difficulty with private parking. The pluses are fine sand and stunning scenery.
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Where to eat: Michelin-rated restaurant I Doria on via Carpanini - terrace with stunning views of the Bay of Poets, the best seafood you will find in the south of Liguria, affordable prices; trattoria Al Cantiere on via Roma on the embankment - tasty, varied and not expensive, there is a tourist menu for 25-30 euros depending on the season - gives you the opportunity to try a little bit of everything from the local cuisine; The best pizza in town is I Gabbiani on Via Petriccioli.
What to do: take a walk along the sea from Castello di Lerici to Castello di San Terenzo - an excellent picturesque promenade of several kilometers, stop for a snack and take photos along the way; visit the castles just mentioned (in the Castello di Lerici there is a museum on weekdays; it is better to take the elevator to get there - this way you will see a picturesque tunnel in the rock, a garage for many boats and a mini art gallery); take a leisurely stroll through the streets of the city.
For dessert, city number 3 is in store - the most beachy of the five magnificent cities of the Cinque Terre natural national park.
Monterosso al mare.
The number of residents of Monterosso is only about one and a half thousand people. Due to tourists, the population of the town increases to three hundred thousand in the warm season. And it’s clear why - Monterosso has magnificent wildlife with exotic plants and animals, silence and beauty.
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And also a stunningly clear sea, beautiful beaches, promenades, magnificent bays, mountains, vineyards, wine, hiking and sea tourist routes, ancient buildings from the Roman Empire and much more.
The beaches in Monterosso are one more beautiful than the other, from huge boulders to small pebbles, the water is clean.
The embankment is stunning, with magnificent observation platforms from which you just want to shout “life is a success!”
It is better to get to the beaches of Monterosso by train or bus, it is cheaper and more convenient than by car.
If you decide to go by car, fill up the tank in advance, as there are no gas stations in the Cinque Terre. And keep your camera ready, the views from the road are simply belissimi!
Where to eat: in the Michelin-rated picturesque seaside restaurant on the cliff L’Ancora della Tortuga (via salita Cappuccini) - prices are moderate; La Cantina di Miky at lungomare Fegina in the historical center of the city - excellent local cuisine, local wines, don't be put off by the modern interior.
What to do: walk along Via Fegina along the sea from the new city to the old one through the tunnel (throw a coin to the musicians, they usually play well), Aurora Castle, the Giant statue, then if you have any strength left, climb up the mountain along the shady streets and alleys of the natural park and enjoy the coolness of the pine trees , beautiful views of fishing coves and ancient buildings; negotiate with the locals about fishing - not the result, but the process itself will please you; listen to the singing of rare birds after sunset and at dawn - you are still in a natural park of rare beauty; Buy yourself a couple of bottles of Cinque Terre wine at the local enotecas.
Enjoy your holiday! Ciao!