Overview
Located in the northern-west part of Italy is Liguria, one of the
country's smallest regions. The capital of Liguria is Genoa, a large
and fascinating port that is known to be the birthplace of Christopher
Columbus.
Liguria is home to seaside resort towns, coves, beaches, forests,
flowers and beautiful hillsides, but is most famous for the Italian
Riviera, two boomerang-shaped coastlines that lie on each side of
its capital, Genoa.
The coastline between the French border and Genoa is called La Riviera
di Ponente, characterised by long sandy beaches and several interesting
and historical resorts. San Remo, one of Liguria's best-loved spots,
is famous for its Festival della Canzone, and towns that sit in the
valleys and have remained unchanged by time.
On the opposite side of Genoa, along the stretch that extends towards
Tuscany, is La Riviera di Levante. If Ponente has long beaches, Riviera
di Levante has picturesque mountains and cliffs, which hang over the
coastline giving way to spectacular coves. The Golfo dei Poeti an
area that was frequented by European aristocrats and literati in the
nineteenth century. Other places of interest in Liguria include Via
Garibaldi, an area known for its patrician palaces and herringbone
brick pavement, the Royal Palace, which houses an excellent collection
of European art; and the cloisters of Sant'Andrea which dates back
to the 12th Century.
Along the coast, one can sail, windsurf, kite surf, kayak, scuba dive
and even water ski. The coast and the inland area also offer excellent
conditions for other outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking
and horseback riding. Liguria is home to seventeen protected areas,
including the Promontory of Portofino, and the Alta Via dei Monti
Liguri, a 400 km long trail that can be done on foot, horseback or
mountain bike. Often described as traditionally
Mediterranean, the basis of Ligurian cuisine is olive oil, wine
and pesto -- the famous specialty sauce made from garlic, olive
oil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese and basil. Because of its ubiquitous
location, Liguria has a host of fantastic seafood dishes, where
anchovies, whitebait and sea bass commonly have a starring role.
Mushrooms, truffles, berries and other delectable forest produce
are also seen in this region's tasty recipes.
This small region is also a producer of some of
the best traditional Italian wines in the country, with a large
variety of high quality wines at superb value. Worth sampling are
Liguria's rare reds, such as the full-bodied Rossese Dolceacqua,
which was the first Ligurian red to receive the DOC.
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