Liguria's sights - 8 insider tips from Italians

Genoa is the capital of the Liguria region with 575.000 inhabitants, and sights can be found here on every corner. A visit to the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, inaugurated in 1118, is particularly worthwhile. At that time, however, it was still under construction. The cathedral was not completed until the 15th century. Due to this long construction period, the Cathedral of San Lorenzo has both Romanesque and Gothic elements. The basic structure of the church is Romanesque: the facade, on which a lot of sculptures are attached, and the galleries, are kept in this style. Additional altars and chapels were added in the 14th and 15th centuries. The stained glass windows and church paintings in the Cathedral of San Lorenzo are particularly pretty.

In addition to the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, Genoa has a lot more to offer: it is not without reason that the city, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006, is one of the most beautiful port cities in Europe. The first point of attraction is the Porto Antico, the port of the city. You can walk for several kilometers along the palm-fringed promenade. Just as the whole of Liguria is blessed with sights, Genoa is also bursting with sights. Stroll through the cobbled streets of the medieval old town, past baroque town houses and colorful houses where the simpler people resided, over to the symbol of the city, the lighthouse La Lanterna from 1128. If you think of Liguria and sights, you come too the numerous fortresses and castles that are distributed over the whole urban area of Genoa. In addition to the Castello d'Albertis, there are two other castles. There are as many as 15 forts. Forte Sperone is arguably the most impressive of the fortresses of Genoa. It is integrated into the city wall of Genoa and, according to its floor plan, resembles a ship's bow. The most impressive museum in the city is housed in the historic Palazzo Reale, with its brightly painted facade. In the art museum located here you can see paintings by Italian masters such as Tintoretto or Bassano.

In Liguria, sights of a very special kind are widespread: for example the Cristo degli abissi, a statue of Christ that stands on the seabed and under water. The Cristo degli abissi did not, as one might think, fall from one of the passing ships and then go down. No, it was positioned underwater on purpose. On August 22, 1954, the statue was erected in the Bay of Portofino to commemorate a diving accident in 1950. Now you can explore the sights of Cristo degli abissi and the adjoining underwater world with a dive in one of the most beautiful bays of Liguria.

The monastery complex of the Abbey of San Fruttuoso di Capodimonte is located in the bay of the same name in Liguria and is particularly easy to reach by boat. The starting point for such a boat tour is the village of Camogli. After you have passed the underwater statue of Christ, Cristo degli abissi, you land at the Benedictine monastery, which impresses with its simple but enchanting architecture. The flora around the abbey of San Fruttuoso di Capodimonte, which is located directly on the sea, is very rich. From here you can take a short hike up the mountain and enjoy the view of the Ligurian Sea and the Abbey of San Fruttuoso di Capodimonte.

Liguria is rich in sights: the Hanbury Botanical Garden is one of the very special ones. The British merchant Thomas Hanbury created this gem of garden art on an area of 18 hectares at Capo Mortola near Mortola Inferiore. He acquired the site in 1867. The mild Ligurian climate is very beneficial to the sensitive plant species in the Botanical Garden. In addition to a Japanese garden and a botanical zone, in which numerous species of aloe have made their home, the Hanbury Botanical Garden has olive and pine groves. Part of the Botanical Garden is based on the Australian model: Here you will find various types of eucalyptus that have become tourist attractions in Liguria. There is also a banana forest and Peruvian pepper trees.

Above the village of Toirano you will find the Grotte di Toirano, which is home to three of a total of 70 stalactite caves in the Liguria region. In one of the caves, the Grotta della Bàsura, you will see a multitude of stalactites and stalagmites. The Grotte di Toirano, in which cave bears once lived, was formerly used as a burial place by the Romans. The connected ethnographic museum provides you with all information about this period, including bear skeletons and excavation finds.

The Castello San Giorgio is a military fortification that is located on a hill near the city of La Spezia. The defense system was part of the former city wall of the small Ligurian town. The castle complex was built in 1262 and integrated an older weir system that was previously positioned at this point. In 1606 an upper castle was added to the complex. Now a complete garrison was stationed here, well sealed off, with a view of the surrounding area from the watchtower. From the Castello San Giorgio you have a wonderful view of the city of La Spezia, which is also worth a visit. In the Museo civico archeologico you can marvel at archaeological finds from the region from antiquity. The 13th century church of Santa Maria Assunta contains sculptures from different eras and a terracotta collection.

Liguria is indeed not poor in sights of all kinds. Regardless of whether you like to visit churches, go to the museum or appreciate historical monuments: a vacation trip is definitely not enough to get even a slight impression of the variety of art treasures and natural monuments of the Region of Liguria. So who doesn’t dream of owning a house in Liguria from which they can repeatedly explore the beauties of Liguria?