rickmav

Hello. Has anyone stayed in this area, or visited? We are looking to add something different to our Italy itinerary for April 2013. We found a lovely place on the Internet to stay just outside Ameglia and know nothing of the area. I did a search on this site for the town and came up with nothing, although there was some information about Lerici. We are thinking of staying a week, we will be in Lucca the week before. Thank you.

yorkshire

I don't know Ameglia proper, but the area is lovely and can be very quiet and convenient for exploring if you will have a car. In addition to Lerici, I liked Tellaro. Sarzana gets good reviews, but I was not there long enough to give opinion.
If you would also like to do some hikes where you may encounter few others (Montemarcello National Park), then I highly recommend the area.
If food is a factor, then I would consult David Downie's Food and Wine of the Italian Riviera--I think I recall Ameglia being mentioned.

pizzocchieri

I agree with yorkshire and will only add that there are outstanding restaurants in that area. Also of great interest nearby is Castenuovo Magra, Sarzana and Luna. It is also easy from there to venture in Pontremoli (in Tuscany) and several other small but extraordinary lovely small villages and towns.

There is a website called A Path to Lunch that has a lot of information about Ameglia and its nearby towns and walks:

http://www.apathtolunch.com/

pizzocchieri

Sorry for my bad typing: It's Castelnuovo Magra.

It occurs to me to add that the internet blogger James Martin lives not very far from Ameglia, and he often writes about the unique treasures of the area, especially regarding food

http://wanderingitaly.com/blog/

and this is his wife, who also writes extensively about the region on the internet

http://goitaly.about.com/bio/Martha-Bakerjian-17070.htm

pizzocchieri

Ameglia itself is a very pretty hilltown, situation with views of the Carrara marble mountains, the sea, and the great Versilian plain

http://www.google.it/search?q=amegli...og&sa=N&tab=wi

rickmav

Thanks so much. Very helpful information.

bilboburgler

Do you mean "Area" in Trieste or Piacenza?