Pesto alla Genovese basil, garlic, pine nuts, pecorino and oil pounded in a mortar
Basil, garlic, pine nuts, pecorino and oil, pounded in a marble mortar: the sauce that has had a written recipe since 1863, born in Genoa.
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© Pierre-Selim Huard · CC BY 4.0edited by BigItalia · Request removal
Liguria's borders almost coincide with those of the old Republic of Genoa, and until 1860 they also took in the county of Nice, ceded to France by the treaty of Turin. Common belief has it squeezed between mountains and sea, reduced to two strips of coast east and west of Genoa; but more than a quarter of the region's surface lies beyond the ridge and drains towards the Po basin. There are 234 comuni in four provinces, and the capital alone holds more than a third of the inhabitants.
On the coast the villages have learned to grow vertically: the Cinque Terre, a UNESCO site since 1997 with their terraces dropping sheer to the water, and Portofino are the celebrities. Genoa surprises anyone expecting only a port: the Rolli palaces, the noble residences listed by UNESCO in 2006, and the waterfront redesigned by Renzo Piano. And Liguria is eaten green — pesto, focaccia and farinata were born here — with the sea always alongside.
The best of Liguria
The places worth the trip on their own, picked by our editors.
The provinces of Liguria
Map and list are connected: hover one to light up the other, click to enter.
The top 20 places in Liguria
Our editors' ranking: the area's most important places, drawn from the individual town guides. See the national rankings →
1 🏛️ Squares & old towns Portofino Piazzetta 📍 Portofino Its real name is piazza Martiri dell'Olivetta: painted houses, moored boats, Castello Brown above. 
2 🏰 Castles & palaces Via Garibaldi e i Palazzi dei Rolli 📍 Genoa The palaces where the Republic drew lots to decide who would house kings and envoys. 
3 🎈 Unique experiences Acquario di Genova 📍 Genoa Designed by Renzo Piano in 1992, Italy's largest aquarium houses thousands of animals from ecosystems across the globe. - 4 San Fruttuoso Abbey Camogli · ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries
- 5 Via dell'Amore Riomaggiore · 🌋 Nature & views
- 6 Boccadasse Genoa · 🏛️ Squares & old towns
- 7 Lanterna di Genova Genoa · 🏖️ Beaches & sea
- 8 viadotto Polcevera Genoa · 🏛️ Squares & old towns
- 9 palazzo Ducale Genoa · 🏰 Castles & palaces
- 10 Museo di storia naturale Giacomo Doria Genoa · 🖼️ Museums
- 11 Palazzo Reale di Genova Genoa · 🏰 Castles & palaces
- 12 Opera Carlo Felice Genova Genoa · 🖼️ Museums
- 13 palazzo Doria-Tursi Genoa · 🏰 Castles & palaces
- 14 basilica di Santa Maria Assunta Genoa · ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries
- 15 cattedrale di San Lorenzo Genoa · ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries
- 16 chiesa di Santa Maria di Castello Genoa · ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries
- 17 Strade Nuove e complesso dei Palazzi dei Rolli di Genova Genoa · 🌋 Nature & views
- 18 Villa del Principe Genoa · 🏰 Castles & palaces
- 19 basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato Genoa · ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries
- 20 basilica di Santa Maria delle Vigne Genoa · ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries
Liguria and around, on the map
Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.
🍝 At the table: Liguria
✨ Liguria by theme
🏖️ Seaside 8 🏘️ Villages 3 🍷 Food & wine 1 🏛️ UNESCO heritage 1
Tours, tickets and experiences
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Saint Charles Borromeo, chosen as patron by the candle that stayed lit the longest
📅 Every year, on 4 November
Borghetto di Vara celebrates Saint Charles Borromeo on 4 November; in 1618, when the parish was founded, the patron was chosen by lighting one candle for each saint and awarding the title to whichever stayed lit the longest.
Saint Martin of Tours, patron of a town with feasts year-round, from fritters to codfish
📅 Every year, on 11 November
Follo celebrates Saint Martin of Tours on 11 November, with the church dedicated to him; in the hamlet of Carnea, overlooked by Monte Santa Croce, the codfish fritter feast is instead held on the second Sunday of September.
Feast of Saint Martin
📅 Every year, on 11 November
Bergeggi's patron is Saint Martin of Tours, on 11 November; off the village lies the island that for centuries was called after Saint Eugene.
Saint Martin, patron with a church and Carolingian tower in the hamlet of Costa
📅 Every year, on 11 November
Framura celebrates Saint Martin on 11 November; his 12th-century church in the hamlet of Costa has a 9th-century Carolingian tower as its bell tower, testimony to the Frankish rule that followed the fall of the Lombard kingdom.