yorkshire

Hi Italy fans,
I'm not set on a flight to Genoa yet, but the deals are few and far between this year so it is a strong contender. I'd spend at the very least my last day there--I tend to like underrated cities, but I gravitate toward smaller places on most vacations. I would choose a town southeast of Genoa for part of my time, and there is a lot of info here on the forum about this area, so I am not too confounded there. (In my brief reading about the area to the west of Genoa, nothing has grabbed me, but if I am off-base there, I welcome input).
However, my question is related to choosing one or two other places to spend a few days, either a city or somewhere inland, maybe in the mountains. Can I get a few suggestions for places to pair with Genoa and the coast to give my trip variety? This would be a great help for getting my research underway, and I thank you in advance.
In addition to aiming for variety, my husband and I spend the majority of our vacation time walking--whether it be in a city, from village to village, or in nature. My only previous trip to Italy included Lerici, Barga, and Lucca, and it was just about perfect other than being somewhat let down by Lucca (which I can attribute to inflated expectations). I'll have 9 nights total in Italy (this omits my travel time), so I'm thinking 5-3-1 or 4-3-2 for my day allotment. Also, I will be using public transportation. I appreciate any suggestions!

zoecat

Sarzana might interest you. I liked the town and there are few tourists.

tarquin

I was in Genoa/Liguria in January and found Genoa fascinating and completely non-touristy. The Locanda di Palazzzo Cicala is a beautiful small hotel opposite the cathedral and I thoroughly recommend it. Eating out in Genoa is geared toward the home crowd, thus lots of interesting local dishes and reasonable prices.

The only inland town I saw was Sarzana, very pleasant and quite Tuscan.

tarquin

Posting same time as zoecat.

yorkshire

Thanks to you both--we actually spent a little time in Sarzana on our last trip en route to Lerici, but that is exactly the kind of thing I am looking for.

zoecat

Another thought (although it's not inland) would be to stay in or near Camogli and do some hiking. The town is lovely, nearby hiking is great, and there is a public boat to take you to some some hiking destinations or return you back to town from your hike. Plenty to enjoy for a couple of days.

yorkshire

Camogli is tops on my list--I'm considering 3-5 days there, so now I'm looking for that obscure little place to round out the trip. Glad we're on the same page though!

zoecat

I thought Ovada in Piedmont was a wonderful town. The surrounding vineyards and countryside were a bonus to visiting the town. There was a morning market the day I visited which was better than most markets I've seen in Italy. The town has a nice mix of everyday life, shopping, history and fantastic architecture. I think some of the special places to eat are in the nearby countryside, which would require a taxi. It's a town I plan to revisit the next time I'm in the area. I think I was the only tourist in town the day I visited (end of October).

Ovada is located about 50km NW of Genoa, just off of the A26. I'm not sure about using public transportation to get there. You'll need to research to see if it's possible. You could always hire someone to drive you there from Genoa.

ekscrunchy

Great thread..interesting ideas!

yorkshire

Thanks again--I'll look into that. I have a Piedmont book.
And ekscrunchy, your trip report is playing a big part in my planning (food is always paramount). Did you see any inland gems on your journey? (I don't think we'd want to venture to the lakes, but maybe you passed through somewhere?)

flirtinfilly

I spent sometime in Genoa last year, and went back again with a friend this year. She was curious about all my excitement over Genoa. We rented an apartment for a week and had a simply wonderful time - according to her, it was "too short"!

Genoa is a great base for taking day trips, too. When I was there last year, I took a day trip up to Alba (using the train). Lunch is a must at LaLibera http://www.lalibera.com/

If you stay in Genoa, make sure to have dinner at Lupo (Vico Monachette 20R; near Station Principe) Reservations suggested http://www.lupoanticatrattoria.com/ . You will be overwhelmed by their wonderful hospitality. Then head over to Byker Bar (Piazza Cavour) for a fun time with Italian Karaoke. You will make a ton of new friends! A great place for lunch is Taggiou http://taggiou.it/. Arrive early.

Enjoy your visit!

zeppole

Yorkshire,

Without a car, it is very difficult to get into the Ligurian entroterra, except for hiking. Plus, there really aren't many towns the size of Sarzana in the hills once you start to move north up the coast. So maybe you want go into Piemonte. I've never been to Ovada (and don't know if you can get there by train). Quite a few people have been to Acqui Terme, which you can get to by train, largely because of the efforts of a woman who opened a b&b just outside of town and has been a tireless promoter of the town on Slow Travel (so you can read a lot of trip reports over there about the place, discount for buddies-gush).

A place that I have a great yearning to go to is Vercelli, which is the center of rice growing in Italy but also a small art city. It is reachable by train, and from there you could also go take a look a Novara, another art city. In fact, if you were going to do this, you might think about flying out of Milan, not Genoa.

Vercelli and its surrounds are totally flat, so if you like to rent bikes, you might have fun doing that, as well exploring the tradition of risotto making, which would be my motive for going.

I would not do Alba as a daytrip from Genoa simply because the train connections are so unfavorable. Asti or even Torino would be easier.

Along the Riviera coastline, you might enjoy a visit to Chiavari immensely if you are staying in Camogli. It is a short train ride away and it really worth going for lunch or dinner to eat farinata at Luchin (closed Sunday).

You might also enjoy a hike very high in the hills by taking the cable car from Rapallo up to the Santaurio Monteallegro, but there are lovely hikes right around Camogli, and the boat rides are pleasant, even the boat ride in to Portofino (but the town is awful -- don't get off the boat!)

But sorry -- human settlement in Liguria is mainly coast-hugging. The mining towns in the hills emptied out drastically in the industrial revolution, with millions going to either California or Argentina. Not much left up there in the high hills and no easy way to get there. If I think of anything, I'll reappear.

zeppole

http://www.ciaodarling.com/italy/piemonte/vercelli.htm

http://www.visitporiver.it/l/ENG/Pie...-Romanico.html

http://www.lifeinitaly.com/tourism/piedmont/vercelli

http://www.lifeinitaly.com/tourism/piedmont/novara

zeppole

Also, when you stayed in Lerici, didn't you actually stay in Serra?

If so, you might like this place above Camogli. It is a great departure point for hiking but not a lot of daytripping. You can get by up there with a few (pricey) restaurants for dinner or a willingness to eat a big lunch elsewhere and picnic for dinner (there are stores). If you don't mind climbing a LOT of stairs, you can also eat by the seaside and walk back up -- but were are talking 30 minutes straight up.

http://www.larosabiancadiportofino.c...landscape.html

But if you are planning daytrips, its a 30 min. walk to the train station, or else you are limited to buses (pretty views though!)

(Or was that somebody else who stayed in Serra?)

ekscrunchy

We drove through the Val di Borbera area en route to Lake Como from SML. I thought the scenery was beautiful and the towns that we saw were filled with architectural interest. Rolling hills would allow good walking, and there were many bicyclists on the roads. You have to love an area where the billboards along the main roads exist to champion various local foods. I wrote a bit more about this area in that trip report from 2008.

This place had been recommended to me but it was closed on the day we drove through; 40 minutes by Genoa but I've no idea of public transport options. I would love to stay a few days myself someday.



http://www.ilfiorile.com/uk/index.html

zeppole

The train from Genova to Torino goes right up through most of the val Borbera, and I agree it is a lovely area. When I went up to Aosta from the Riviera on a sunny day, I was gazing out the window at the rolling green hills and thinking: "I wish I could ride a bicycle over those hills!" Shortly, we as we neared the town of Marengo, I reached for my guidebook to read about its Napoleonic (and culinary) history, but what the guidebook also revealed is that several of Italy's greatest bicyclists have come from the val Borbera, and it cycling is one of the biggest generators of tourism in the region.

So if you like to cycle, here is a whole list of day tours you can do in the lower Piemonte. Even if you don't cycle, you can get a sense of some of these towns, many of which are reachable by train:

http://www.piemonteciclabile.it/pagi...percorsi.lasso

zeppole

PS: Even if I didn't talk you into it, I talked myself into going to Vercelli at the end of May.

yorkshire

I've been away and just saw that this thread continued--thanks so much to flirtinfilly, ekscruncky, and zeppole for the added information. The Genoa fare was an illusion--Kayak has never let me down before, but this time the fare was wrong. I am still holding out for a fare sale, so I still may end up in this region (I check Milan as well). Regardless, I will certainly return to Italy one day, and I am most appreciative of the detailed suggestions provided here.
Yes, zeppole, I was in serra--but I think maybe there is more than one serra, because I recall some confusion. I believe I was in the small village of La Serra, just a 20 minute walk above Lercici, so I usually just say Lerici. I loved that area and wish I had more time to travel!

zeppole

Yes, La Serra, above Lerici.

I don't know where you are flying from to get to Italy, but in addition to Genoa's airport, but Torino has an airport that is convenient for trips that combine Genova and the Riviera -- at which point it becomes very tempting to include Aosta in the beautiful valle d'Aosta.

yorkshire

I did it! I managed to grab a fare to Milan that my husband and I can stomach. So, now comes the quickest trip planning exercise ever (I usually spend all winter planning). With 9 days in country in late May, my initial thought is to continue with our plan to stay somewhere south of Genoa (Camogli or Sestri, still waffling) for 3-4 nights and then head inland (or vice versa).
I plan to head out of Milan the morning we arrive and return for the final night, using public transportation. (I tend to like under-rated cities, but this is not a city trip.) So, I've got to next figure out the night allotment: 3-3-2-1 or 5-3-1 or 4-2-2-1 (less likely).
My first actual question pertains to season/weather. Is late May a good time for the valle d'Aosta? To sum up, we like architecture, archaeology, hiking, food!, and the sea (not necessarily beaches but coastal scenery). We are not very into religious art, and the lakes don't hold a lot of appeal thus far (partly out of ignorance I admit).
If you have any additional suggestions of lively towns to use as bases for these activities as well as holding interest themselves, I'd be most appreciative as I scramble to put this together in two weeks. We like small towns but not TOO quiet. I am researching the val di borbera (we love cycling) and everywhere in between Milan, Turin, and Genoa in addition to the valle d'Aosta. I have a good start with the suggestions of Ovada, Vercelli, and Aosta, but there is such as wealth of information here I am seeking more before I start reading this weekend.