Stunning beauty! Monterosso al Mare is the largest of the five coastal villages known as the Cinque Terre. It is characterized by typical narrow medieval streets, carruggi, with multi-coloured terraced houses. The beach is the only sand beach in the Cinque Terre so you can't miss it! What to see: the statue of San Benedetto d' Assisi, located on the "colle dei capuccini" on the old town side. There is a wide range of hotels near the sea. The easiest way to get there is by train, thanks to the local train Cinque Terre Express from La Spezia or Levanto. Is Monterosso in your travel bucket list already? #italy #liguria #cinqueterre #sealovers #culturalattractions#loveflowers#naturalwonders#beaches

Genoa is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of Genoa, which in 2015 became the Metropolitan City of Genoa, had 855,834 resident persons. Over 1.5 million people live in the wider metropolitan area stretching along the Italian Riviera. On the Gulf of Genoa in the Ligurian Sea, Genoa has historically been one of the most important ports on the Mediterranean: it is currently the busiest in Italy and in the Mediterranean Sea and twelfth-busiest in the European Union. Genoa was the capital of one of the most powerful maritime republics for over seven centuries, from the 11th century to 1797. #holidayvacation#wintergetaway#staycation#tripinspired#happynewyear

#holidayvacation The salt roads between Piedmont and Liguria were lands of passage for shepherds, pilgrims, muleteers, traders and travelers who, from western Liguria and nearby Provence, reached Piedmont and northern Europe via the Alpine passes, creating dense networks of exchanges. These were places of transit guarded by many watchtowers scattered throughout the territory. The territory between the Alps and the Ligurian Sea is characterized by a rich cultural system consisting of churches, monuments, castles, historic centers and buildings, "hospitali" i.e. places of rest and prayer, as well as paths, mule tracks, passages. Most of the routes called "Salt roads” starting from Nice and Porto Maurizio (in Liguria), converged into “Colle del Cornio” (nowadays known as “Colle di Tenda”) from where they continued northwards. Also known as "Via Marenga". (i.e. "that leads to the sea"), the Salt route that passed through Limone was a characteristic mule track that, although it exceeded very high altitudes, did not present annoying up and downs. Nowadays, the "Salt Routes" have lost their commercial connotation and have taken on an important role in outdoor tourism: hikes, trekking and mountain bike destinations, which allow to explore territories that are still uncontaminated and rich in flora and fauna varieties. The Salt road which goes along the former military road Limone - Monesi is a route of medium difficulty, which reaches, as its highest point, 2,239 m. above sea level. Starting points can be the railway station of Limone P.te, with a route of 53 km, or the “Colle di Tenda” with 39 km. The arrival is in Monesi di Triora at 1378 m. above sea level; with a ring route, you can return passing through the French territory. #staycation #merryxmas #holidayvacation#staycation#merryxmas

#mynovgetaway Genoa's main square, a meeting and gathering place for important city events, is dedicated to Raffaele De Ferrari, the Duke of Galliera, a generous benefactor who donated a considerable sum of money in 1875 towards projects to expand the port. In the centre is a monumental bronze fountain, crafted by the architect Cesare Crosa of Vergagni in 1936. The Teatro Carlo Felice and the building of the Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti (Ligurian Academy of Fine Arts) that look onto the square were both designed by Carlo Barabino. Piazza De Ferrari is also bordered by the side façade of Palazzo Ducale (the main entrance of which is on the adjacent Piazza Matteotti), Palazzo della Regione Liguria (the offices of the Liguria region, built in 1920), and Palazzo della Nuova Borsa (the new stock exchange), one of the finest examples of Genoese Art Nouveau (1912).

#mynovgetaway FOR DECADES, INTERNATIONAL CELEBRITIES AND ordinary tourists alike have traveled in pursuit of the glitz of Sanremo, famous for its music festival and the wealth of world-class villas that loom over its teal waters. But how many of these visitors know that lurking just beyond the glamour is a rogue art community rebuilt from its own ruins? In medieval times, what is now prime real estate was exposed to all kinds of raiders and conquerers. In order to survive, individual homes and entire communities had to be built directly into the jagged hills that dotted the valleys between mountain and sea. Homes and buildings hung in precarious clusters in the rock, often supported by a single narrow, winding road both in and out. Serving as their own fortresses, these towns boasted engineering so advanced as to have held off the advances not only of their enemies, but of time itself. Of course, no design is without flaws. When the Mediterranean was rocked by an earthquake on the morning of February 23, 1887, damage was suffered from Genoa all the way into France. Around 2,000 people lost their lives, including hundreds in the small town of Bussana Vecchia alone. Even the church, where hopeful citizens sought shelter, fell was destroyed. Surveyors of the damage deemed Bussana, already aged and perilous, uninhabitable beyond repair, and abandoned it for a “New Bussana” in the valley below. “Old” Bussana, founded way back in 1050, was left to rot. Sixty years later, right as World War II was ending, Southern Italian migrants sought shelter in the North, and many saw potential in the tiny abandoned ghost town, although this ended up proving nearly impossible. But the spirit of the town was not dead just yet. By the 1960s, a community of rebel artists led by the Sicilian Vanni Giuffrè settled on “Old Bussana” and rebuilt the ruins by hand, without electricity or running water.

Portovenere is a medieval fishing village situated in north Italy, just south of the Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera. This charming village is well worth the visit and can be reached from the Cinque Terre by boat or from La Spezia by boat or by bus from the train station. Portovenere, on the Gulf of Poets, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its picturesque harbor is lined with brightly colored houses while narrow medieval streets lined with shops lead up the hill from the ancient city gate to the castle. Stroll around the old town and don't miss the small shop Bajeicò, a pesto shop selling delicious freshly made basil-based sauce and related products like fresh pasta. The tip of the promontory holds a picturesque church. Byron's Cave is a rocky area leading to the sea where the poet Byron used to swim. Ferries cruise along the coast each day, offering passengers a chance to have a view of one of the most evocative landscapes of the Mediterranean. It is possible to visit the three nearby islands by boat; Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto. If you want to do some hiking in the Cinque Terre, take the ferry from Portovenere to Vernazza and hike from there to Monterosso, where you can catch the ferry back to Portovenere. There is also a trail to the Cinque Terre from Portovenere and the walk takes about 5 hours. #mynovgetaway #mynovgetaway

Imperia is a lovely coastal city on the Liguria coast between the French border and Genoa. The city was formed by grouping Porto Maurizio, Oneglio and some surrounding villages in 1923 at the decree of Mussolini. The pretty, touristic side of the city is based around Porto Maurizio whilst Oneglio is more devoted to the production of olives and flowers. Between the two centres is the river Imperia after which the city was named. As you aproach Imperia from the west the coastal road suddenly opens up to a beautiful vista with a large bay of sparkling blue water surrounded by hills covered in the colourful orange buildings of the city. The bay includes a large harbour full of small and large yachts and above the city the turrets of the San Maurizio cathedral can be seen dominating the sky line. In the Porto Maurizio quarter the pretty narrow streets form an attractive old centre called Parasio. The roads lead up to the San Maurizio cathedral with its attractive classical facade. It is the largest cathedral in Liguria and was built in the late 18th- early 19th century. It is a bit of a hike up to Piazza Duoma where the cathedral is found but there are a couple of funiculars up to it if you can find them. (Though on the day we visited the one we found was closed!) The cathedral lies behind Imperia's imposing theatre and another building to look out for is the Convent of Santa Chiara, built in the 14th century though the current building is 18th century. #mynovgetaway #thanksgiving #mynovgetaway#thanksgiving

Located on the coast of the Riviera di Ponente, Noli is a typical seaside village whose historic center is a treasure chest full of treasures that, enclosed in the medieval walls, tell its past as a strong and proud Fifth Maritime Republic, always allied with nearby Genoa. Today it shows its tourists the beautiful towers, the castle overlooking the city, the cathedral and all the palaces and monuments of great historical and artistic value from 1192 to 1797, the village of Noli was the capital of the homonymous republic that, albeit tied to the fate of the Republic of Genoa and other centers of local power, enjoyed to sections of a certain formal independence. It is situated on the coast of the Riviera di Ponente, in a cove closed east from Bergeggi Island and south-west from the homonymous cape on the mouth of the river Luminella. Note seaside resort of the Riviera di Ponente, Noli is distinguished by the evocative Antico Borgo Marinaro, characterized by narrow alleyways (carüggi), many of which are surmounted by small arches carriers. The town has remained one of the few coastal villages to still have fishermen of the place that every night, come out at sea with their small motor boats and return in the morning with the little fish that offers the gulf. The agricultural activity is mainly based on the production of wine and olive oil. Among the most precious wines the Lumassina, produced in the valleys between freight rates and Finale Ligure. It should also be noted the production of Cicciarelli, dish fish which has obtained the recognition of "a Slow Food". The ancient center of the Liguri, was town hall in Roman times. His name, mentioned in some documents of 1004 and 1005 with the name of Naboli, probably derives from Neapolis, derivation greek and latin for "new town". #mynovgetaway #thanksgiving #mynovgetaway#thanksgiving

Dolceacqua is a typical medieval village of Val Nervia, along the homonymous torrent. The oldest part of the village, located at the foot of Monte Rebuffao, is dominated by the Doria Castle and is called by the inhabitants Earth (Tera in local dialect). The more modern, called Borgo, stretches on the opposite shore, at the sides of the road that climbs up the valley. II toponym Dolceacqua derives from the presence of a Roman town in called Dulcius, which became later in Dulciàca, Dusàiga and Dulcisaqua. Other historical testimonies are represented by the archaeological finds of the castellari of the Iron Age, rozze fortifications in dry stone found on the tops of the aurin and Tramontina - in the area to the west of the surrounding territory to Dolceacqua - or even the presence of a tower in the area of the Alpicella east which would confirm the presidium in these areas of the Liguri Intemeli from IV century B.C. to the IV century in the Roman Age, a protection of the villages, pastures and fields. Were the counts of Ventimiglia in the XII century to build the first nucleus of the local castle - at this period is attested to the first official mention of the village in a document of 1151 - a garrison built at the top of the cliff that from the orographic left of the torrent Nervia it strategically controls still the bifurcation of the valley itself and the streets that there converge. Between 1270 and 1276 dates from the purchase of the village of Dolceacqua from part of the Doria family, village under the rocca who knew in the decades successive enlargements to concentric circles until the configuration currently visible. After a phase of fierce rivalry with the Grimaldi of Monaco in the sixteenth century, the feud doriesco dolceacquino underwent a period of good governance, of peace and prosperity. #mynovgetaway #thanksgiving #mynovgetaway#thanksgiving