La Spezia
Held in a covered (but open-sided) square in the centre of town, this market is a lively place to browse for fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses, olives and other good picnic fare. On the first Sunday of the month except for August, you can catch the cercantico (flea market) with all manner of treasure/trash from the past.
If you're pinching pennies, look for the vendor selling €5 roast chicken and chips dinners in the southeast end.
3.87 MILES
At the end of the quay, a Cinque Terre panorama unfolds from the rocky terraces of a cave formerly known as Grotta Arpaia. Lord Byron once swam across the…
15.82 MILES
Head up the mountain to this dusty, truck-busy cava de marmo (marble quarry), through a dramatic series of tunnels used by trains to transport marble from…
4.03 MILES
This stunning wind- and wave-lashed church, built in 1198 in Gothic style, stands on the ruins of a 5th-century palaeo-Christian church, with its extant…
25.9 MILES
A couple of kilometres from the seafront is 'Carnival City', aka 16 gargantuan hangars that serve as workshops and garage space for the fantastic floats,…
11.23 MILES
One of the best beaches within easy reach of Cinque Terre, Levanto's seaside is long and wide, and flanked by green hills sloping down to the wave-kissed…
23.07 MILES
Next to Chiesa di Sant'Agostino, a steep path known as Via della Rocca leads up to the remnants of Pietrasanta's ancient fortifications. The crenellated…
3.94 MILES
This small pebbly beach is immediately southeast of Riomaggiore marina. Take the short trail that leads just past the harbour to get here. The shore is…
7.01 MILES
Cinque Terre’s only natural harbour has breathtaking views out over the water, and provides the best open-air amusement in Vernazza. Here you can bask on…
0.11 MILES
This fine-arts museum in a restored 17th-century friary is La Spezia's star cultural attraction. The collection spans from the 13th to 18th centuries and…
0.18 MILES
If you have limited time in La Spezia, make sure you prioritise a stroll along this picturesque pedestrian lane that winds through the historic centre…
0.2 MILES
An assortment of local archaeological artefacts from prehistoric to medieval times are displayed at the city's hilltop fortifications. You'll see finely…
4. Museo Tecnico Navale della Spezia
0.29 MILES
Maritime lovers shouldn't miss the world's oldest naval museum, which is reached via a narrow bridge a few blocks southwest of Parco Salvador Allende. The…
0.53 MILES
Opened to much fanfare in 2013, this photogenic cable-stayed pedestrian bridge connects the city with the port. Vaguely resembling a large double-masted…
0.65 MILES
It's worth taking a stroll down to the waterfront and across the scenic Ponte Thaon di Revel for a look at La Spezia's modern, expansive port. You'll see…
7. Oratorio di Santa Maria Assunta
3.83 MILES
Built by a Christian brotherhood in the 16th century, this simple stone church is home to the unusual 14th-century wooden statue Madonna delle catene …
3.85 MILES
No one knows when the original castle was built, though the current structure – a formidable example of Genoese military architecture – dates from the…