• Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Italian Notes
  • HOME
  • PEOPLE & PLACES
    • Abruzzo
    • Basilicata
    • Calabria
    • Campania
    • Emilia-Romagna
    • Friuli-Venezia Giulia
    • Lazio
    • Liguria
    • Lombardia-Lombardy
    • Marche
    • Molise
    • Piemonte-Piedmont
    • Puglia – Apulia
    • Sicilia
    • Toscana-Tuscany
    • Trentino-Alto Adige – Trentino-South Tyrol
    • Umbria
    • Veneto
  • FOOD
    • Antipasti
    • Primi piatti
    • Secondi piatti
    • Dolci
  • PR/ADVERTISING
  • Search
  • Menu Menu

UNESCO World Heritage in Liguria

There are two sites of UNESCO World Heritage in Liguria waiting to be explored, even though the Riviera is the third smallest region in Italy. 



Booking.com


Regular readers of Italian Notes may have sensed a special affection for UNESCO’s World Heritage sites. In my opinion, these places that have been singled out for their outstanding cultural or natural importance never fail to give the visitor something to remember and with a total of 47 sites, Italy has more to offer on this account than any other country in the world.

I’ve just come back from Liguria, where the stunning coast is dotted with picturesque villages and electrifying cities. And among the numerous attractions there are also two UNESCO sites.

UNESCO World Heritage in Liguria

Pictures from the Cinque Terre hike.

Cute coloured villages on a rugged coast

The most famous UNESCO World Heritage in Liguria is undoubtedly the coastline between Cinque Terre and Portovenere. According to UNESCO these 15 km of jagged, steep coastline represent ‘the harmonious interaction between people and nature to produce a landscape of exceptional scenic quality that illustrates a traditional way of life that has existed for a thousand years and continues to play an important socio-economic role in the life of the community’.

Among the cliffs and terraces there are five Medieval towns with winding streets and pretty pastel coloured houses. Coming from the north you start in Monterosso al Mare. A walled town, that was originally only accessible by sea or mule paths. These paths are now used for hiking, and there are train services from Genoa and La Spezia. From Monterosso you hike or take the local train to Vernazza, Corniglia , Manarola and Portovenere. Part of the charm of Cinque Terre is the fact that the towns cannot be reached by car from the outside. Most visitors – and there are many – hike along the Sentiero Azzurro trail where you can enjoy fantastic panoramas. The total hiking time is about 5 hours, but it is natural to take a break in every village. Moreover, it is possible to move over the most difficult stretches by jumping on one of the trains. In fact, all five villages are connected by local trains that leave about every half hour.

UNESCO World Heritage in Liguria

Pictures of the palaces in Genova/Genoa

Mansions built to impress

The other site of UNESCO World Heritage in Liguria is Genoa’s Strade Nuove with the impressive Palazzi dei Rolli. My first reaction upon entering this narrow street in the centre of the historic city was surprise and disappointment. The facades are so grand and looming they seemed to fence me in, but then I started noticing the endless details in the architecture and decorations of these immense Renaissance and Baroque palaces.

The Palazzi dei Rolli were originally constructed in the 17th century as public lodging for visitors of state and homes to eminent families. They have recently been beautifully restored, so that it is possible to walk around and explore the architecture, courtyards, staircases and rich interior and exterior decorations. And it’s really enjoyable too.

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
23 replies
  1. Laurel
    Laurel says:
    November 27, 2012 at 4:12 pm

    I haven’t been to Liguria but it looks incredible – cliffs, 5 Medieval towns and UNESCO sites. What more could you ask for?

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      November 28, 2012 at 9:00 am

      Oh, there are scores of Medieval town but only 5 have UNESCO status. The others are absolutely worth a visit as well.

      Reply
  2. Arianna
    Arianna says:
    November 27, 2012 at 5:12 pm

    This is really cool! I still have to go to Liguria I hear, read and write many beautiful things about it.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      November 28, 2012 at 8:57 am

      It is highly recommendable. And the landscape and weather is so different from the surrounding regions.

      Reply
  3. Sophie
    Sophie says:
    November 27, 2012 at 9:19 pm

    Sometimes I think I’m the only one who hasn’t been to Cinque Terre. High on the list…How is that area in winter? Say January-February?

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      November 28, 2012 at 8:55 am

      Right now I’m waiting to hear what it’s like after the heavy rain of the last few days. Cinque Terra is vulnerable. especially after last year’s flooding, but otherwise – and if you hit a sunny week – I think January-February would be perfect for a visit. Just beware that the hiking trail can be closed for part of the year.

      Reply
  4. Cathy Sweeney
    Cathy Sweeney says:
    November 27, 2012 at 11:05 pm

    I think I’d fall in love with the Italian Riviera as soon as I’d see it in person. Love the colorful buildings of the villages. Sophie, you’re not the only one who hasn’t been to Cinque Terre — neither have I, but I’m looking forward to it sometime!

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      November 28, 2012 at 9:02 am

      Suppose Cinque Terra comes to everyone eventually;)

      Reply
  5. D.J. - The World of Deej
    D.J. - The World of Deej says:
    November 28, 2012 at 2:16 pm

    I would love to visit the Italian coast. The villages on the side of cliffs are just so beautiful

    Reply
  6. Natasha von Geldern
    Natasha von Geldern says:
    November 29, 2012 at 12:14 am

    I walked the Cinque Terre years ago, or most of it in a day but never stayed the night in any of the villages – I’d love to return and do that for those sunset and night shots :)

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      November 30, 2012 at 4:40 pm

      I’m sure it would be fantastic.

      Reply
  7. Leigh
    Leigh says:
    November 29, 2012 at 1:52 am

    Cinque Terra and a hike in the Dolomites are what I most want to see in Italy right now. Those villages look lovely and I like the fact – naturally – that you can walk between them.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      November 30, 2012 at 4:42 pm

      Understandably – just don’t expect to have the trails to yourself.

      Reply
  8. Michael Hodson
    Michael Hodson says:
    December 1, 2012 at 7:44 am

    I was asking for advice on different spots to hit in Italy over the summer on Twitter and wish I’d run into this place earlier. Uggggg. Looks fabulous.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      December 4, 2012 at 9:43 am

      It is a great place. And quite popular as part of the tourist circuit.

      Reply
  9. Turtle
    Turtle says:
    December 27, 2012 at 12:40 am

    They look like great sites! Personally, I think Italy has more UNESCO sites than it deserves. There’s a lot of similarity between some of the inclusions and many of them are not nearly as special as places which have not been included on the list from other continents.
    You’ve found a couple here that live up to the hype, though!

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      December 27, 2012 at 10:42 am

      Well. You have more authority on worldwide UNESCO sites than I, so I presume you are right. Italy definitely has more world heritage than they can afford to preserve and protect.

      Reply
  10. foodwanderings
    foodwanderings says:
    December 28, 2012 at 5:01 am

    What a lovely feast to the eyes. Thank you for taking us on a tour with you. I hope I someday would be fortunate totake the trip. It’s really interesting I recently learned that Accre in Israel is declared a world heritage city by UNESCO.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      December 28, 2012 at 1:21 pm

      I’d think Israel had lots of UNESCO sites, but I’ve never been there. Must remember to write it on my bucket list.

      Reply
  11. Laura @Travelocafe
    Laura @Travelocafe says:
    January 5, 2013 at 1:19 pm

    Until now I have enjoyed visiting most of the sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and I am sure that it is safe to say that a visit to Liguria just became a must for me. Thanks for the tip.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      January 6, 2013 at 5:22 pm

      I also think the World Heritage List is a wonderful invention. And I hope some day at least to have visited all the listed places in Italy.

      Reply
  12. Pointsandtravel
    Pointsandtravel says:
    February 17, 2013 at 9:46 pm

    I visited the cinque terre in Nov 2012 and I have to say I was disappointed. There has been so much hype over this region for a long time. Don’t get me wrong, I do love Italy and of course, loved these small towns, but since the flooding, they have had a real difficult time getting back on their feet. All over the place were the signs of water damage and repairs awaiting to be fixed. It was Nov, so maybe they are waiting for the Spring to have sunny days to work, but they are in need of many a repair. IMMO While in the region, I flew into Genova and of course, fell in love!!!

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      February 18, 2013 at 8:19 pm

      I agree. I’d choose Geneva over Cinque Terra anytime, but tastes differ and part of this area still look like a postcard.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Followon TwitterSubscribeto RSS Feed
Discover Rome - Italian Notes

Discover Rome

Discover Florence - Italian Notes

Discover Florence

Discover Venice - Italian Notes

Discover Venice

Discover Puglia - Italian Notes

Discover Puglia

Discover Sicily - Italian Notes

Discover Sicily

Discover Piedmont - Italian Notes

Discover Piedmont

Aubergine and onionsaubergine and onionCod recipe from Trieste - Italian NotesCod Recipe from Trieste
Scroll to top

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

Accept settingsHide notification onlySettings

Cookie and Privacy Settings



How we use cookies

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

Essential Website Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

Google Analytics Cookies

These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience.

If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here:

Other external services

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Google reCaptcha Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:

Other cookies

The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them:

Accept settingsHide notification only