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Traversa Via XXV Aprile, 14, Leivi, Genova, Genoa, 16040, Italy
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of people enjoy staying here
4 Opinions
Lobster, shrimp etc.
Piazza de Ferrari
Dockyards and Porto Antico
Genua - Boccadasse
I'd like to hear suggestions on how to spend 5 weeks in Northern Italy?
I'm flying into Milan just before X-mas, and leaving (from Milan again) in late January. I can't do all of Northern Italy, but I'd like to focus on natural places like Como lake, the Dolomites (but I'm not into skiing so I'm not sure how worthwhile this region is in winter). I know the coast of Liguria is warmer, and i like that, so I will see Cinque Terre for sure, but what else in Northwestern/Northern Italy can you recommend?
I like:
-memorable/dramatic scenery, landscape photography. Where to find the best (viewpoints, vistas, city views, natural views, panoramas, skylines, sunsets, etc..)?
-the unique outdoors, hikes/hilltops/lookouts, and amazing, breathtaking views?
-lovely/charming streets, cute villages, hidden nooks/places, and magnificent/attractive architecture?
-authentic/unforgettable "local" travel experiences or
-non-typical, interesting/special experiences (full of original character), and unique only to the local area.
-the best freebies (museums, galleries excluded)
-specialty/unique regional cuisine/gastronomy (or the BEST places to eat (w/ local's prices, food made with love/regional favorites, and not too many tourists eating there)),
-anything else off-the beaten path.
Thanks
Five weeks in Northern Italy. Lucky you. Here are my personal suggestions keeping in mind that I have not actually been to any of these places during winter although I have travelled previously in mid November. The Cinque Terre was surprisingly mild during my stay but everywhere else was cool to cold.
The Cinque Terre will satisfy all your requirements. It has everything, sunsets, dramatic coastline, lookouts, views. Allow yourself a few days to do all the walks and soak up the wonderful village life especially in Vernazza. Other parts of the Ligurian coast are also very picturesque. You might like to spend some time in Rapallo or Portofino.
Lake Como is stunning. If you base yourself in Bellagio you can visit other towns around the lake by boat. Colico and Lecco are nice.
If you love magnificent architecture combined with fine food then you must visit Tuscany. Florence is a must see but Siena and Lucca would also interest you.
And dont discount Milan for a two to 3 day stay. I find it a very interesting city, stylish and not over run with tourists.
Lucca is wonderful and the mountains north of Lucca are stunning.
If it comes to food made with love, then northern Italy is surely the best, as it is the birthplace of the Slow Food movement:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_Food
http://www.slowfood.com/
Mainly in Piemonte you will be able to eat heavenly :-) I remember that Bra for example has excellent restaurants (I've read it in the countless pages of VTer JLBG). My own experience of Slow Food is from Umbria only, but I can say that it was as if I have never actually "ate" before :-)
End of December/January is maybe not the best time to suggest the outskirts of Val Grande for hiking, as there will surely be snow. But the fist hike I did there was stunning with clear views of Monte Rosa in dawn and dusk. Val Grande is northwest of Lago Maggiore, that green patch you see when you look at google maps. The access I did was via Malesco, at the road between Locarno and Domodossola. If you look at google maps, there is only one road leading southwest from Malesco, it ends at Le Fornaci, which is a kind of agriturismo in summer. That's the place to park the car and from there it is approx. 2-3 hours uphill to reach Alpe Scaredi.
To give you an idea, look here, it is in German, but you can dowload a map into word (it is the first map below the 2 rows of 3 map/covers, the one with headline "Selbst überarbeitete Karten" and below that, click on "bitte klicken":
http://www.reliefs.ch/valgrande/karten.htm
the map downloads into 2 pages of word, in the faded part on the first page at the right you see Le Fornaci with the red hiking trail to Alpe Scaredi (marked with a tiny circle: A.Scaredi).
But you can hike up there only if you are used to hike in winter!! Or you come back in spring or summer :-)
Via Garibaldi, street of pride and luxury.
Prominent rich families had to have their homes located here. It was the mater of prestige.
Today most of those lavish houses are still homes to Genovese families, many have opened the ground floor levels and atriums for visitors to admire.
We met this couple glowing with happiness just after their wedding, walking through the streets and posing to their photographer. Congratulations!
In the evening we had a mini VT meeting in a little but great restaurant called Vico Palla. Me, Åke, Chiara and Paolo had dinner here together and it was a great evening. Hahaha, one of the problems here though is the menu list! It's only on the blackboard and it is all in Italian, and to make it more complicated, it contained all typical dishes of Genoa which made it hard to understand. Luckely Chiara came to the rescue and explained to me the different dishes..... hahaha... twice! Hahaha, it was all too much to remember in one go, lol :-) But it all worked out perfectly and the food tasted really great! I had (thanks again to Chiara to remember this for me!)
- mandilli de saea (fresh pasta with pesto)
- pescatrice con porcini, patate, pinoli (pescatrice fish with porcini mushrooms, potatoes and pine tree nuts)
- budino cioccolato amaretti
and I also tried some of Chiara's latte dolce fritto.
Mmmm, it all tasted delicious!
Here in Genova we really like football (soccer for Americans!), and here in Genova some English gentlemen founded the first Italian football team, CFC Genoa 1893. Genoa 1893, or simply "Genoa" won 9 Italian leagues before WWII, then a long period with no wins started, and still now Genoa is in 2nd division, trying to get back to the old glory days, but with no success.
In 1946 a second football team was founded in Genova, and it's called UC Sampdoria. Since it was founded Sampdoria is usually the strongest team in Genova, they won the Italian league (Serie A) in '91, as well as 4 Italian Cups and a Cup Winner's Cup in 1990 (defeating Anderlecht in Goteborg), loosing the Champions League final match against Barcelona in '92 at Wembley stadium.
Going to the stadium to see a Serie A (Sampdoria) or Serie B (Genoa) match is not so cheap; tickets cost from about 15/20 euros to 60 and more euros; you can buy them directly at the stadium.
Serie A matches are usually played on Sunday, while Serie B ones should be on Saturday, but they change it every year!
P.S. Go to see Sampdoria, it's the best! ;-)))
Caffé Mangini.
If u miss to drink a special italina Cappuccino u must enter this café. It's very confortable and clean and service is fast.Furthermore this café is one of the oldest café in Genova.
landing in Genoa can be really breathtaking: both for the view (sit on the right side) and for the wind!
Usually you'll land coming from the east and you'll have all the eastern riviera and the genoa itself on your right.
Even though landing in genoa means the end of the trip, it's definetly my 'preferred landing'!
second place to madrid - it seems to fly over a model
third place: cuzco - it's rather strange to see lamas very near and at your same altitude when you're still flying!
http://www.airport.genova.it
in the historical centre you can only walk, the rest is a traffic jam.... I really don't know if rent a car could be a good idea.... I'm used to it, but I think it's very easy to get lost driving in genoa.
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Q: Genoa (Airport) to Rapallo by train "Family of 7 (4 adults, 3 children @13/8/6months)going to a wedding in Rapallo in Sept, staying 7 nights. Is there a train station..."
A: "you can get a shuttle http://www.airport.genova.it/v2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67&Itemid=136"
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