Italyriviera Real Estate

The village of Bordighera was already founded in the 4th century BC  . From 1682 until the Napoleonic  period, Bordighera was the capital of a small republic  of  villages of the neighboring valleys.

Bordighera  is known as the City of Palms - a place with a climate so mild that winter just doesn’t exist. And the evidence of this is that not only do palms grow here
(an entire forest of them, not just the usual boulevard) but banana trees and lemon and orange orchards.

This seaside town with its own little fishing harbour offers a peaceful and restful holiday destination with hotels that seem to pride themselves on offering a warm welcome.

Bordighera on the Italian Riviera is  close to the border with France. This is a place surrounded by medieval villages that are so beautiful, Claude Monet  , the famous French painter , chose to paint them.

Despite being in Italy, the town of Bordighera is full of English charm probably because it was a popular resort for the English in the late 1800s, and was visited by Queen Victoria.

In the early 1900s there were more English living in the town than Italians though most left during wartime.

Now, as you walk around the town, the evidence of that English invasion is everywhere a beautiful old museum set up by philanthropist and naturalist Clarence Bricknell in 1888, an English church (now used as an exhibitions centre and concert venue) and much more.

In fact, Bordighera was the site of Italy’s first tennis club, set up in 1878 at the behest of the large British community.

Today, the town is full of stylish side streets, flanked by spectacular villas, mansions and comfortable hotels. Climb upwards from the sea and you can visit several incredible medieval villages.

One is Dolceacqua, a maze of steep, narrow little streets with houses many storeys high, all linked with arches. Painted by Monet, this is a village of outstanding beauty.

A 30-minute ride by car takes you to another fascinating place the medieval village of Apricale with its abundance of little taverns and eating places, which is well worth a visit.

Bordighera is very close to the border with France  indeed the best way to get there,  is with a flight to Nice followed by a 40-minute journey by motorway to the town, passing through many tunnels hewn through the mountain rock.

You can also take the more leisurely coastal road. From our hotel, a 20-minute drive takes you into the bustling French town of Menton with its huge market and sandy beaches (different to the pebble beaches of Bordighera). Another 10 minutes in the car from Menton and incredibly you are in Monaco with all its glitz and glamour. All these places are quickly reached by train as Bordighera has a good station and rail service. The nearest big Italian town is San Remo, which is little more than 20 minutes away by car.

And that’s the beauty of a visit to Bordighera there’s so much to do, so many places to see and all so different. Where else in Italy can you spend the morning by the seaside, visit a quaint medieval village for a spot of lunch, then in the afternoon pop into France to do a bit of shopping, and then gamble the night away in Monte Carlo?

The Scottish writer George MacDonald lived and worked for parts of the year in Bordhigera. His house was an important cultural centre for the British colony. He is buried at the churchyard of the former Anglican church.

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The Cinque Terre or region of the Five Lands, as it has been known since the 15th century, is a series of

five small villages sitting on the cliffs above the Mediterranean Sea. These tiny villages, which are accessible mainly by train or by foot using the paths that connect them with one another are brightly coloured and create a mountain cliff setting that is overwhelmingly beautiful.

The five small villages — Corniglia, Manarola, Monterosso al Mare, Riomaggiore, and Vernazza — are individually lovely and possess a personality all its own.

Corniglia is built in the higher part of the mountain, which allows it to offer magnificent views and an even more secluded beach. Manarola is a fishing village whose colourful houses are perched on a rock above the port. Monterosso al Mare was founded in 643 and boasts of the most famous beach in the region, a 16th century Capuchin monastery, and an ancient castle. Riomaggiore is a picturesque village with pastel coloured houses crawling down the cliff to the sea. Vernazza just out over the sea and houses a medieval tower.

Although the train only travels nine kilometers from the first village to the last, the most exhilarating and fulfilling way to visit these villages is to go by foot, following the paths that intertwine and connect the villages. The walk takes anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours. While it may seem overwhelming at first, those who have walked through these tiny villages speak only of having a lovely time.

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Regional cuisine in Liguria has long been considered second-rate because of its use of simple ingredients such as second cuts of meat or farmyard animals, wild herbs and produce from the vegetable garden. However, this diet has been ‘re-evaluated’ by nutritionists who are now praising the virtues of ‘the Mediterranean diet’. The Mediterranean diet is one that is low in animal fat, rich in vegetables, fish, and white meat: this is exactly the type of cuisine that exists in Liguria which has always favored extra-virgin olive oil, vegetables, fresh fish and rabbit.

Vittorio G. Rossi wrote in his book Wines and food from Liguria ‘Nowadays, the food that our grandmothers made is being recognized as good, healthy fare. Our wine made from the stones, the sun, and the breath of the sea, bearing the perfume of the dawn in the calm of July receives the recognition due to it.’ Even pesto, (itself a symbol of Genoese cooking) is an extremely simple sauce, both in terms of preparation and ingredients (basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic and olive oil): because of its simplicity it is imperative that the ingredients are of the highest quality (basil that doesn’t grow close to the sea has a totally different flavour!)

If you want to experience the delights of pesto first-hand, then Zeffirino may be the place to try: here you can try the specialties of Liguria NB: be prepared to spend a little bit more than you had budgeted for. If you prefer something a little more simple but would still like to try la torta Pasqualina (a savoury vegetable tart) as well as minestrone alla genovese a Struppa Geneose minestrone then you could try Piro and the historical Luchin in Chivari; here you can try a delicious farinata (traditional tart made with chick-pea flour) and stuffed vegetables.

The popular, tasty focaccia bread made with cheese deserves a mention, as does its birthplace of Recco (20km from Genoa), and the two popular restaurants where you can indulge in its flavour: Manuelina and Vittorio . Although fish may not be a primary ingredient in Ligurian cooking (as it tends to favour dishes from the ‘vegetable garden’ and the ‘farmyard’), a wide range of fish recipes can be tried at Rina and Da Vittorio in the center of the city. If you want to combine gastronomical delights with a trip to the Riviera, then try Polpo Mario in Sestri Levante or Puny in Portofino, you won’t regret the little bit extra you may find yourself paying.
Buon appetito!

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The Riviera di Levante is the coast east of Genoa. Despite their evident popularity it ensures pretty walking and dramatic scenery.

The green lands around Portofino, Italy’s wealthiest promontory 38km east of Genoa, are protected by the Parco Naturale Regionale di Portofino.

Wandering Camogli’s alleys and cobbled streets, 25km east of Genoa, it is hard not to be taken aback by the painstaking trompe l’oeil decoration. From here, boats nip across to Punta Chiappi, a rocky crop on the Portofino promontory.

San Fruttuoso is dominated by the Benedictine abbey Abbazia di San Fruttuoso di Capodimonte. San Fruttuoso is only accessibile on foot from Camogli or Portofino. Portofino is Liguria’s most chichi spot. The huddle of pastel-coloured houses around the portside square is a delight.

Heading north along the coastal road is the Abbazia della Cervara which is surrounded by monumental gardens.

Santa Margherita is known for its orange blossoms and lace. In a sheltered bay on the eastern side of Portofino promontory on the Golfo di Tigullio, its waterfront is a jumble of one-time fishing cottages, elegant hotels with Liberty facades and moored million-dollar yachts.

Sailing, waterskiing, scuba diving and walking opportunities abound. Rapallo, overlooking the Gulf of Tigullio, has an air of bustle independent of tourists that towns further down the promontory lack.

Bright blue changing cabins line its sandy beach and lend the palm-tree-studded waterfront an old-fashioned air. The stretch of coast between the Portofino promontory and the Cinque Terre has some of the Riviera di Levante’s best beaches, although the rash of resorts – Chiavari, Lavagna, Sestri Levante, Deiva Marina and Levanto. Chiavari, with an arcaded old town is the main access point inland.

La Spezia is a large naval base and a provincial capital. The city centre is sandwiched between the naval base and the commercial port.

Porto Venere is 12km south of La Spezia. At the end of the quay a Cinque Terre panorama unfolds from the rocky terraces of Grotta Arpaia. Just off the promontory lies the tiny islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto.

At the southeastern end of the Riviera di Levante, Lerici is an exclusive summer refuge for wealthy Italians.

From Lerici a scenic 3km coastal stroll leads north to San Terenzo, a seaside village with a sandy beach and Genoese castle.

Another coastal stroll, 4km south, takes you past magnificent little bays to Tellaro, a fishing hamlet.
Val di Magra forms the easternmost tongue of Ligurian territory. Nature walks abound in this region, much of which is protected by the Parco di Montemarcello-Magra which has an information centre in Sarzana.

Stretching southwest from Genoa to France, the Riviera di Ponente is more developed than the eastern side. Savona’s medieval centre is dominated by the baroque Cattedrale di Nostra Signora Assunta.

With a good beach and affordable accomodation, Finale Ligure is a handy base for exploring the Riviera di Ponente. Finale Marina, on the waterfront, is where most hotels and restaurants languish.

In addition to 3km of white beaches pretty Alassio boasts its own variety of baci, sugary concoctions comprising two biscuits whirls sandwiched together with chocolate cream.

Imperia is the main city of Liguria’s westernmost province, commonly known as the Riviera dei Fiori.

San Remo gained prominence as a resort for Europe’s social elite, in the mid to late 19th century. Today, although a few hotels thrive as luxury resorts, many from that period are long past their prime and are cut off from the beach by the railway line. In September is held the Rallye San Remo.

A few kilometres west of San Remo is built up Bordighera. Bordighera’s fame rests on a centuries-old monopoly of the Holy Week palm business. The Vatican selects its branches exclusively from the palms along the promenade, Lungomare Argentina.

Ventimiglia’s Roman ruins include an amphitheatre. Its medieval town squats on a hill on the western bank of the River Roia.

This beautiful sea view Villa above Lerici is for sale

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The Gulf of La Spezia is one of the most wide and deep inlets of the whole Tyrrhenian coast. It is encircled by two promontories and delimited by an amphitheater of hills and mountains. The coasts are mainly high and jagged, with imposing rocky spurs that separate the calm bays, well-protected from the wind.
For over 2,000 years, the beauty of these places has been sung by the words of poets and writers and has been portrayed by the works of painters and artists who were attracted by the nature which was wild but at the same time friendly to this gulf, impressed by the light sea breeze, by the winding hills or by the harsh rocks steeply overlooking the sea.

The name Golfo dei Poeti (Gulf of the Poets) was born in this way: thanks to the famous people that have lived the atmospheres of this landscape, silent and romantic atmospheres that blend with the most intimate feelings of the soul.

magnificent villa for sale overlooking the Gulf of the Poets

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As time passes towns and villages change a lot and after a century it is most interesting to compare well known places how they looked in past times and how they look today .

On Alassio´s ufficial website you can see many yesterday and today fotos - have a look , its very interesting !

Click on “scegli” and choose the place you would like to see …

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Getting There: The Cinque Terre region is approximately 150 miles south of Milan and 250 miles north of Rome. Depending on the U.S. departure city, flights are available to both cities on Alitalia, British Airways, Delta, KLM, Lufthansa, SAS, and TWA. Milan is also served by American, Continental, Swiss Air and United Airlines. Milan has two airports accessed through U.S. flights (MPX and LIN). The 1-800 phone numbers and Web links for these airlines are available at this magazine’s Airline page.

 

Train travel to the Cinque Terre region is recommended for its convenience. It is an arduous voyage by car, with no available parking in most of the villages. Similarly, the 50 mile trip north from the Cinque Terre to Santa Margherita/Portofino is easy and inexpensive via train.

If you are traveling elsewhere in Italy and/or Europe by train, you may want to consider a Eurail pass or an Italy-only regional train pass. These are availabe from Europe Through the Back Door, Inc., (206) 771-8303 and Europe by Eurail.

Staying There: Although the Cinque Terre region is still relatively unkown in relation to other sections of the Italian Riviera, it is popular with Italians. This fact, coupled with the small size of the villages, means that it is a good idea to have reservations at lodging establishments in the summer. Avoid weekends in August.

Our stay at Pension Sorisso’s, the only hotel in Vernazza, was very pleasant with good meals. The hotel is close (but not too close) to the train stop and only a few hundred feet from the harbor (Phone: 812224). Sorisso’s is a full-pension hotel, requiring that you have breakfast and dinner there. But the food is good and the price is reasonable.

A variety of lodging accommodations and eating establishments for the five Cinque Terre villages are described in detail in Rick Steves’ Italy. This and other good references for Italian travel, such as Fodor’s Italy, are also available via the amazon.com link below.

Accommodations in Portofino are limited to expensive three and four-star hotels in the hills above the harbor. There is a greater variety of lodging in Santa Margherita, and the access to Portofino during the day is convenient. Additionally, Santa Margartita has a much broader base of restaurants. Rick Steve’s Italy also suggests lodging in Santa Margherita.

Fast Facts:

Italy’s Cinque Terre region consists of five beautiful coastline villages along a 10-mile stretch just north of La Spezia. The main occupations of the villagers revolve around their vineyards and fishing, The population of each town is less than 1,000, except for Monterossa with 2,000 inhabitants. The train provides access between the villages at approximately 2 hour intervals. Hiking trails also connect the villages. Auto routes are very arduous.

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San Remo is a capital town of the Italian Riviera of Flowers. Its climate has been widely appreciated since the 1800’s, but its artistic heritage, permeated by that typically Ligurian shyness, which escapes from any focus of attention, is still largely unknown. As a matter of fact, its views are extremely suggestive and its architecture and landscape make of this strip of land expanding up to the French boundary a real pearl of Italy.

In the ancient eras it was called Matuzia, to remind one of Caio Matuzio’s patrician palaces, built on the westside of the city, or, as a popular legend tells, as a memorial to the Matuta Goddess, God of the Sea and Dawn. Famous princes, literates, and scientists came to San Remo to enjoy the deep blue sea and the intense scent of its flowers.

High-rise free, this part of the coastline seems to uphold the image being projected by the Riviera and its magnificent albeit hedonistic way of life. Luxury villas lined with palm trees, long expansive beaches with cabana filled beach clubs and a large walk along the Mediterranean.

Flowers abound in pretty San Remo, a friendly reminder that this is the source of all the flowers needed to manufacture special scents.

San Remo lies in a wide inlet between Capo Nero and Capo Verde. It is a place where ends meet. Its old town is called La Pigna and is characterized by perched houses, steep streets, covered alleys, and little squares - just a glimpse of the Medieval times ,where weekly flea markets are held every Saturday. There is also a huge indoor food market overflowing with local produce and wine.

In Pigna there is a hill that tourists climb just to get a breathtaking view of the Levante and the Ponente.

The modern town turned a village of fishermen into an elegant, world-wide famous seaside resort. Nowadays San Remo welcomes tourists and visitors all year round and entertains them with shows and numberless amusements. San Remo is famous for its Casino which was built in 1905 and is the undisputed realm of green cloth, roulette, and slot machines lovers. Just like in Monte Carlo, residents of San Remo are forbidden to play in the casino.

Several selected shows are held in San Remo every year. The Italian Song Festival is but a clear example.

The Russian Orthodox Church, which was built for visiting Russian aristocrats, was also constructed in San Remo as specifically requested by the aristocrats who were attracted to the mild weather in the region.

San Remo is the town of art, culture, and sports: fishing, diving, canoing, wind surfing, and motor boating - together with golfing, riding, swimming, baseball, and fitness facilities.
Bicycle Tour Packages - Order FREE Travel Brochure!

San Remo is also called the Town of Flowers - its flowers are well-known all over the world - and this can be clearly seen in its luxuriant gardens, its colorful flowerbeds, and in the town parks where tropical plants flourish.

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Liguria has a unique city, Genoa, called magnificent by Petrarch whose poems depicted it as regal, leaning against a steep hill, magnificent for its people and walls, whose sole aspect claims it Queen of the sea and of which Wagner stated “I have never seen anything like this Genoa. It’s something undescribably beautiful, majestic, characteristic: Paris and London in comparison to this divine city vanish like simple groups of houses and streets without any shape…”. Today, its historic center with noble palazzos, the Rolli, was declared World Heritage by Unesco.

Cladled between land and sea, living and working in the port, breathing its past in her patrician palaces, passionately fond of the terraced hills that embrace the city, Genova is a city of many different faces.
A modern metropolis and a severe costudian of artistic heritage, an industrious marketplace that also had shady, century-old parks to relax in.

Genoa hides her riches in an historical centre that looks traditionally seaward yet at the same time exhibits a new beauty achieved by restoring the splendour of ages past. Youthfulness springs from the new urban fabric that har restored works of ats and architecture.

Enticement abounds in the vistas between sea and sky, over the cliff rising sheer from the water, in the colours of the verdant hills.

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