Genoa is the capital of Italian Riviera and a glorious marine republic.  It is a city of contrasts where in only a few steps you pass from the relics of an ancient and glorious past to the bold symbols of a new city open to the future.

 

Set on the seaside, the city expands along the hills in a very unique fashion.  The port is the largest and most trafficked industrial port in Italy.  It competes with Marseille and Barcelona to be the most active and important port in all of Europe.

 

There are many tourist attractions in Genoa that are internationally recognized.  The Ancient Port has been redesigned by Renzo Piano to commemorate the Colombinae Celebrations with the Genoa Aquarium and the Galata Sea Museum.  The historical city center is revered by the great Genovese singers and authors.  The Ducal Palace hosts renowned art exhibits, and the Strada Nuova Museum and the Rolli Palaces are part of the UNESCO world heritage sites.

 

In Italian Riviera, the Western Italian Riviera is a classic destination for cultural and nature tourism.  It offers extraordinary natural parks and characteristic cities and villages.

 

The bay of Portofino, unique in the world, has a small village where the ancient fishermen’s houses color the protected inlet of the Monte di Portofino park.  You can visit the abbey of San Fruttuoso, reachable by a nice boat ride.  Santa Margherita is a lovely and elegant beach area that has maintained its Belle Epoque flavour intact.  The cosmopolitan Rapallo also deserves a visit, as well as Sestri Levante, a scenic narrow peninsula between to harbors.

 

Heading towards Tuscany, you will find 18 kilometers of coastline filled with bays, beaches and deep seas.  Above the coast there is a chain of mountains that run parallel to the waterfront: the Cinque Terre.  The terraces are dedicated to olive and grapevine cultivation, and they are secured by ancient dry walls.  There are breathtaking paths in this territory where the sea and the land meet to make for a unique and suggestive landscape.

 

The five small villages follow one after another to make up one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the world.  It’s no coincidence that this area was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.  The easternmost town is Riomaggiore, which is part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is built using steps like all villages on torrential valleys.  A little farther weat, you will find Manarola, which was named one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.  It is characterized by its tower-houses, and the Via dell’Amore starts at its train station.  In the heart of Cinque Terre, you will see Corniglia, which differentiates itself from the other villages by its high location above the sea.  It juts out on a cliff that drops off into the sea.  Vernazza is located around a small natural port.  Many consider it the most striking village.  It is dominated by a series of Medieval fortifications with a castle and a cylindrical tower.  The last village, and the westernmost one, is Monterosso al Mare.  It is also the largest and has two areas: the historical village, and Fegina, a more touristed region.

 

With their immense natural beauty, these locations have charm that few others can express.  Cinque Terre is one of the most attractive tourist attractions in Italy and an ideal destination for your group travel.