The Italian – above all the ligurian - culture is characterized by several shaping factors. The hospitality and the warm-heartedness of the population is an important part of this. In the villages people meet in the evenings on the Piazza for a small chat - and one is bonded directly into the village life, in the coastal places one strolls along the promenade and meets in the restaurants to eat with friends and the family. Children are always welcome, even during late evening hours. In the summer months a baby dance is organized extra for them and the giant adventure playground Mondo Bimbo or the fairground Luna Park open their gates in several places along the coast.

The Italian style of building is also another interesting part. Most villages date from the Middle Ages and are still well maintained today. Characteristic of this places are the narrow lanes, also called Carruggi – which are found at the centre of the village. The center is mostly formed by the Piazza with the church. Many of the churches date from the baroque age and are still the gem of the village today.
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Apart from the architecture and the Italian way of living the landscape also contributes a large part to the ligurian culture. One can still tour the different grottos today. Particularly the grottos of Toirano, which house finds and portraits from the times of the Neanderthal man are worth a visit. However, you shouldn’t miss not only the grottos but also the small natural wonders, like the small mountain lakes near Rocchetta Nervina or also the waterfalls at Mendatica. On the artistically laid out olive terraces, one can also admire the numerous olive trees which reached Italy approximately in the year 600 B.C. and are still one of the main sources of income for the region even today. The Taggiasca olive in particular grows in the region around Imperia. It ranks among the most palatable and gives the olive oil a quite special mild taste! In case you are interested in the exact details about the history and the production methods of olive cultivation, we recommend that you visit the Museo dell'Olivo in Imperia.



One can marvelously combine the ligurian cuisine with sports by virtue of the interplay of mountains with the sea. In Liguria they have turned the old donkey paths which used to connect the mountain villages with each other into walkways. One of the largest walkways is the Via del Sale (salt way) which still stems from the Roman times and is at the same time part of the Alta Via del Monti Liguri (Ligurian high altitude walkway). You will get home-made specialties such as goat's milk cheese and other delicacies, in the mountain huts.



The Alta Via del Monti Liguri runs from southern France via the Ligurian sea Alps up to Tuscany. Besides walking, one can marvelously do mountain biking, paragliding (especially in the Arroscia valley and the area around Finale Ligure) as well as climbing in the mountains. The limestone mountains near Finale Ligure or also the area around Castelbianco are particularly worthwhile in this regard. On the other hand, one can enjoy the sea breeze at the sea while sailing, wind-surfing or kite-surfing. The endless coastal roads as well as mountain panorama streets are particularly suitable for racing cyclists. Whoever would like to do a cycle tour far from the usual traffic should use the Pista Ciclabile, which stretches at the Ponente from San Lorenzo al Mare to to San Remo. At this place the old railroad track was turned into a cycling/walking path.



What would be the ligurian culture without its cuisine? The ligurian cuisine is an a poor man's cuisine. This means that it is composed of mainly simple ingredients, especially local vegetable types like spinach beet, trombette (a kind of zucchini) etc., delicious spices (basil, oregano), freshly caught fish (anchovies, tunafish) or meat (wild boar, lamb, goat). The highlight of the ligurian cuisine is the combination of these ingredients which makes it so unique. Depending on the region and valley it is divided up into different cuisines. The Cucina Bianca which is prominently found in the Valle Argentina and Valle d'Arroscia has, as the name already suggests, mostly white ingredients like the indigenous basil potatoes, garlic, leek and beetroot. The Cucina Verde, on the other hand, contains the delicious and famous pesto Alla Genovese. The local basil - which incidentally is related to the mint - has smaller leaves than that of other regions and thrives particularly in Ort Prŕ near Genoa. Other local spices are oregano, mint, rosemary, thyme and chives. Almost in every place in Ligurien, you will find a specialty of its own You will find the best white beans in Conio and Pigna, the garlic in Vessalico or Borghetto d Arroscia and the artichokes thrive best in Riva Ligure and San Remo. You should absolutely not also miss the very good cheese types from the Arroscia valley like the Brusso Dell Alta Valle Arroscia e Alta Valle Argentina, the Caprino di malga, the Formaggetta del Ponente, the Pecorino ligure di malga, the Ricotta and the Torna di Mendatica. You can buy these from the local farmers or at the weekly markets.



Of course the ligurian wine is also part of the cuisine. The Rivera di Ponente ( west of Liguria) is home to the Pigato and Vermentino white wines (the region around Albenga). The Pigato and also the Vermentino are half dry to dry white wines and are usually served with fish and meat dishes. The Rossese is Liguria's only red wine and is grown in the region around Dolceacqua. The Rossese is a half dry to dry wine and is said to have been Napoleon's favorite wine already in those days. At the Rivera di Levant on the other hand, there is the Volastro and the Vernaccia. The most expensive and most valuable wine is the Sciacchetrŕ. In the past, it used to be pulled out for quite special occasions, however the "good one" is recognized today by the fact that it is not being drunk.



Lastly, we shouldn't of course forget the ligurian traditions. These have developed due to historical events in the past, such as the Battaglia dei Fiori in Ventimiglia, the Regatta dei Rioni in Noli or also the imitated pirate battle of San Benedetto in Arma di Taggia. Furthermore, there are the Sagras in Liguria from May to October. This are village festivals - during which the villagers together convert a special ingredient into different delicious dishes and in that way create a complete menu. You shouldn't for instance miss the truffle and sweet chestnut festival of Testico which takes place every year in September! After the meal there is music and dance up to the late hours of the evening. Apart from the festivals there are of course also the traditional skilled trades, like the olive cultivation, the wine cultivation, the weaving trade, shipbuilding, the production of Campanini (particularly light chairs) from Chiavari as well as the famous racing bike factory in Celle Ligure.

With its extensive culture, Liguria offers fun for the whole family, interesting places to tour and discover, various sports opportunities, a good balanced cuisine and relaxation pure.

Muzea

Abbazia di Staffarda Museo del tesoro delle cattedrale San Lorenzo, ... více

Albenga Museo Sommariva, ... více

Albisola Museo della Ceramica, ... více Raccolta Museale, ... více Villa Durrazzo Faraggiana, ... více

Altare Museo del Vetro e dell’Arte Vetraria, ... více

Bardino Nuovo Museo dell’Orologio da torre "S. Bergallo", ... více

Campomorone Museo delle Marionette, ... více

Cervo Museo Etnografico, ... více

Finale Ligure Museo Archeoligico del Finale, ... více

Fivizzano Museo della Stampa, ... více

Garlenda Museo Fiat 500, ... více

Genova (City) (Padiglione del Mare e della Navigazione, ... více Acquario di Genova, ... více Castello d'Albertis - Museo delle Culture del Mond, ... více Galleria di Palazzo Reale, ... více Galleria di Palazzo Rosso/Bianco, ... více Galleria Nazionale di Palazzo Spinola, ... více Museo dell'Accademia Ligustica di Belli Arti, ... více Museo Emanuele Luzzati, ... více Museo San'Agostino, ... více Museo Villa Croce - Il Museo d'Arte Contemporanea, ... více Padiglione del Mare e della Navigazione, ... více Palazzo Ducale, ... více Palazzo Tursi, ... více

Imperia (City) Museo dell'Olivo, ... více Museo Navale, ... více Villa Grock, ... více

La Spezia Museo Civico Amedeo Lia, ... více

Levanto Mostra Permanente della Cultura Materiale, ... více

Nervi GAM- Gallerie Modern Art, ... více Museo del Raccolte Frugone, ... více Museo Giannettino Luxoro, ... více

Rapallo Civico Museo del Pizzo, ... více

San Remo Museo Virtuale, ... více Pinacoteca Rambaldi - Museo de Villa Luca, ... více

Savona (City) Civico Museo Storico Archeologico, ... více

Triora Museo Regionale Etnografico e della Stregoneria, ... více

Val Graveglia Ecomusei - Ökomuseum, ... více

Vallecrosia Tempio museo della Canzone e della Riproduzione So, ... více

Kostely

Cervo San Giovanni Battista, ... více San Lorenzo, ... více San Nicola di Talento, ... více Santa Caterina, ... více

Diano Castello San Nicola da Bari, ... více Santa Maria Assunta, ... více

Diano Marina Chiesa delle Parrocchiale, ... více Santa Anna, ... více

Diano San Pietro San Michele, ... více Santa Lucia, ... více

Garessio Chiesa della Confraternita di S. Giovanni, ... více Chiesa Maria Vergine Assunta, ... více

Imperia (City) Basilica Concattedrale Collegiata Insigne di S. Ma, ... více Cappella di San Francesca da Paola, ... více Cappella di San Giuseppe, ... více Chiesa Ave Maris Stella, ... více Chiesa S. Leonardo, ... více Chiesa San Pietro, ... více Convento di Santa Chiara, ... více Duomo San Leonardo, ... více La Collegiata Insigne di San Giovanni Battista, ... více La Confraternita della SS. Trinitŕ, ... více Logge di Santa Chiara, ... více Ordine delle Suore Clarisse, ... více Ordine Francescana dei Cappuccini, ... více Santa Maria Maggiore, ... více

Pontedassio San Michele, ... více San Sebastiano, ... více

San Bartolomeo al Mare La Parrocchia di San Bartolomeo Apostolo, ... více

Savona (City) Cappella Sistina, ... více

Zoagli Parrochiale di S. Bartolomeo Aposido, ... více

Zuccarello Parrochiale di S. Bartolomeo Aposido, ... více