easy hikes and city walks in Italy
One day late in the 19th century, Empress Elisabeth of Austria – on a visit to the Riviera di Levante – decided to go out for a walk. Elisabeth, the semi-estranged wife of Emperor Franz Joseph I, was famous for her eccentricities and, among other things, an avid walker. That afternoon, she took a ride…
Last week, we told you about hikes – easy ones and not so easy ones – in the rugged Regional Nature Reserve between Camogli and Portofino. Today, we will stay in the Riviera di Levante (the coast east of Genoa), but for a much more civilized contrast programme. You can bring your lazy old dog,…
It actually pains me to write it down, being a “local patriot” who considers the Italian Riviera west of Genoa as his playground and friendly neighbour. But here it goes: in the highlight reel of the Italian Riviera, the East End has all the good bits. A trip to the east of Genoa feels very…
It was Mrs. Easy Hiker who drew my attention to the site. I wonder what these ruins are, she mused: not once, not twice, but repeatedly, and in the end – when that had failed to stir me into action or at least a bout of in-depth research – almost every time we passed the…
If you have ever visited the Italian Riviera, aka Liguria, one of the things you will fondly remember is the train that connects the various small resort towns along the coast. This train is not one of those fancy high-speed bullet numbers that dash through the countryside. Instead, it takes its time – this is…
As those among you who are blessed with the gift of observation may have noticed, we are quickly approaching the climax of the festive season. And it was in the spirit of Christmas that I, on our last visit to Genoa, decided to fulfil myself a long-held wish, descending from the train in the suburb…
Hiking trails on the Riviera generally fall into one of two categories: mountain hikes and coastal walks. Today, we will be offering you an alternative in this fascinating hike in Sasso. The Sasso is a small river, but it nevertheless comes with its own valley and its own patch of wetland. The Sasso’s waters flow…
There are three things that we found out about Lake Garda on our recent short stopover.: One: the trains from Venice and Milan all stop on the lake’s southern shore. Two: all the interesting hiking routes are in the North. Three: it is mighty difficult to get from one to the other, because the distances…
Genoa is a city with many faces: you know that already since we told you that in our last post. Still, I defy anybody turning the corner behind the church of Sant’Antonio on Genoa’s Corso Italia not to be surprised. Boccadasse is a Cinque Terre idyll, neatly stacked boxes of pinks and bright yellows, transported…
The great thing about Genoa is that it keeps on giving. No matter how many times you have visited, there is always something new to discover. In the Old Town, you never know what you will find when you turn the next corner in its dark and narrow maze: there is the multicultural mix of the…