We are in Val di Vara, a cool hilly area in the hinterland of La Spezia, just a few kilometers from the sea of the Cinque Terre and the Gulf of Poets.
The Cinque Terre is a rugged stretch of coastline on the Ligurian Riviera di Levante, located in the territory of the Province of La Spezia, between Punta Mesco and Punta di Montenero, where the five villages are now known worldwide: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso.
Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, the Cinque Terre represent one of Liguria's main tourist attractions, thanks to the geographical and anthropomorphic characteristics of this hilly, rugged terrain, softened by the work of man who has created terraces sloping towards the sea for the cultivation of vines, olives, and other horticultural species.
The Gulf of La Spezia, also known as the Golfo dei Poeti due to the frequent visits of poets and writers such as Shelley, Byron, Petrarch, and Montale, is a wide and deep inlet on the eastern coastline of the Ligurian Sea. The gulf takes its name from the city of La Spezia, located centrally at the bottom of the gulf itself, where an important commercial port is situated; it houses one of the main arsenals of the Italian Navy.
Extensive green area in the hinterland of the Province of La Spezia, the Val di Vara is characterized by a remarkable variety of natural environments whose particular physiognomy has been shaped by the millennia-old shaping action of the river of the same name that crosses it
The Alta Via dei Monti Liguri, an important and ancient communication route with France, is a long pedestrian path, obtained by connecting ancient ridge paths, which winds for 440 km along the high ridge of the mountain watershed, from Ceparana (Province of La Spezia) to Ventimiglia.
To discover the city of Genova, the best way is to explore its "carruggi". Arriving at the Genova Piazza Principe station, you can walk along Via Balbi, characterized by ancient university buildings, and visit Palazzo Reale, now a museum. From Piazza della Nunziata, continuing towards the old port, you will find the Acquario di Genova, famous for its 28 tanks that host a variety of marine creatures.
Lunigiana, which owes its name to the ancient Roman colony of Luni, founded by the Romans in 177 BC, is today identified with the valley of the Magra and its tributaries, reflecting the most significant characteristics of the landscape and culture of two regions, Toscana and Liguria.