The Italian Riviera is a stretch of croissant-shaped coastline wedged

between the south of France and Tuscany.

The Riviera's centre is Genoa, which divides the coast into two halves:
- the - “the coast of the rising sun”, between Genoa and Capo Corvo;

- the - “the coast of the setting sun”, extending

westwards from Genoa to the French border. The part of the
Riviera di Ponente centred on Savona, is called the Riviera delle
Palme (the Riviera of palms); the part centred on Sanremo, is
the Riviera dei Fiori, so called for the flower growing industry of
the area.
On this coast the town of Sanremo is famous, where the most
important festival of Italian music is celebrated every year in
February: “the Sanremo Festival”. This small town is also famous
for its casino, one of the only 4 casinos in Italy, dating to 1904.
Among the most beautiful villages in Italy there is Finale Ligure and Finale Marina, with its splendid
promenades and its "carruggi", elegant shops and welcoming cafes; in addition to seaside tourism, it attracts
mountain bikers from all over the world.
Alassio is known for the "wall", where many famous people have left
their signature and for the beauty contest that takes place in the summer.
Ventimiglia is a city rich in history and culture, it is a monument to the
Middle Ages and offers hidden corners of unspoiled nature, such as the
famous Hanbury gardens.
 The Italian Riviera contains the following UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

• Genoa: Le Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli
• Portovenere, Cinque Terre, and the Islands (Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto)

Genoa is the center of the Ligurian Riviera and although it is

known above all for its Aquarium, the ancient maritime republic
encloses within its walls wonderful testimonies of its glorious
past but also daring and modern works that have made it a sort
of capital of the modern Italian architecture.
The jewel of the Italian Riviera is the sumptuous fishing village of Portofino. This picturesque village with its pink and
orange colored houses is located on a rocky promontory, surrounded by hills covered with pines, palm trees, azaleas
and cypresses. The marina features elegant yachts and typical fishing boats; the square is full of cafes and restaurants.
The Punta del Capo lighthouse built in the early 1900s is still used today and is a marine reserve for dolphins.

On the coast between Levanto and La Spezia there is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which includes "five
lands" ... five ancient fishing villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and
Riomaggiore. Connected by pleasant paths, these picturesque villages form the graceful backbone of a
typically Mediterranean national park.

With Porto Venere and Lerici, on the other hand, you enter the splendid Gulf of La Spezia, named
“The Gulf of Poets” in honour of the Romantic poets Byron and Shelley , who lived there.

With its wall of tall, multicoloured houses, Porto Venere stood as the stronghold of the Republic
of Genoa in the Middle Ages, against the invading forces from the Republic of Pisa.