It was 4-day trip in the spring of 2023. Unfortunately the weather was not so typical in this season (the middle of May) and it was raining a lot. I traveled by train to Genova (biggest city in Liguria) and also between the different towns, because it was the cheapest way. The accommodations was only 5 minutes walk to the Brignole Station in Genova [3 nights], because I have known , that I would like to go to other towns East of Genova. It was the even the edge of the city centre with many bars, restaurants and foccaceria, so I can recommend this area of the city to stay.
18.05.2023 – Genoa
The trip starts at Zurich Main Station early in the morning and you can arrive to Genoa around lunch time (with one change in Milan). Take a walk in the city: you can see a lot of steps and may stange situations, because Genoa is a city with many level difference: the city lives in more vertical levels and this makes Genoa special. There is also many different quarters: you can find middle age narrow steets almost without natural light, because the houses are high, and there are parts of the city with big palaces standing in beautiful gardens. Some places that I like: Scalinata delle Tre Caravelle, Carignano Quarter with the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta, Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, Piazza De Ferrari (photo) (here stands the famous Teatro Carlo Felice, which was reconstructed by Also Rossi), Galleria Giuseppe Mazzini, Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art (from the terrace there is a nice view to the city).
19.05.2023 – Between Sestri Levante and Portofino
After a good Italian foccacia let’s go to Sestri Levante by train (tip: choose the intercity and not the very cheap slow one). The most beautiful part of the town situated on a peninsula and on both side there are different beaches: the one is rather more open and the other one is like a bay – I had prefered the second one. Go to Santa Margherita Ligure by train: take a walk in the old town, it has baroque church with a wide fassade and to towers and there are many nice changing cabins on the beach (photo). Go by walk to Portofino (at least the one way is worth to do) and enjoy the view of the rocky beaches and the emerald coloured sea. A part of the route is a bit steep but I can go easily. In the village you will meet a lot of tourist – I think there are too much tourist there. Visit the Church of San Giorgio, the cemetery next to the church is calm and there is nice view to the sea. Go back to the train station of Santa Margherita by bus (the bus is too small for so many tourist, so it will not be a pleasure journey) and than you go back to Genoa by train.
20.05.2023 – Cinque Terre
Go to La Spezia by train. I would not recommend to take a long time in this town, but the promenade with the palm trees ist nice there. You can reach every villages of the Cinque Terre Region by train. There is almost the same things in every villages: colourful houses, heavy steep terrain, sea view, fish smell and a lot of tourists – but you should visit at least 2-3 of these villages. The most famous is Riomaggiore with its bay-like character, so I would start with that. I find Vernazza is special, because it has on old castle next to the sea and from there you can also see very good the mountains with the grape vine terraces. Monterosso al Mare (photo) is different from the other four villages because it has more open spaces – it has for example a beautiful beach with the emerald colour sea but you can walk up to the monestry and from there there is a beautiful view to the sea. From Monterosso you can go back to Genoa by train.
21.05.2023 – Genoa
On the last day go the harbour of Genoa. Unfortunately a very big part of the sea coast is cut from the city by a very busy motorway, so this is something, which should be changed in the future. But I have to say, that Porto Antico (photo) is very well done (many of the buildings was designed by the Studio of Renzo Piano). The piers go into the sea and big buildings are placed on these piers. In this way the urban space has a character and it has communication between the different functions. After this harbour joy you can go back to home, but Genoa has also much things things to see, but maybe next time.
ADAM BALOG 