Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Liguria, Piedmont & the Italian Riviera
Why Go?
The beauty of northwestern Italy is its diversity. You only have to take a short train ride out
of Turin and everything changes: food, culture, scenery - even the language.
The seduction starts in Liguria, a thin, precipitous coastal strip famous for its food (pesto
and focaccia), swanky resorts and the once-powerful independent trading empire of Genoa.
Piedmont is a flat, fertile medallion of land trapped between the Alps and the Mediter-
ranean - an economic and political powerhouse that provided the nation with its first capit-
al (Turin), a popular car (Fiat) and, more recently, Slow Food and fine wine. Mountainous
Aosta, meanwhile, is a semi-autonomous Alpine region with a different history, its own
language, and ample skiing and hiking terrain, all guarded by Europe's highest mountains.
If the three regions have anything in common it's their House of Savoy connections and
proud sense of history. Italy, in the modern sense, was invented right here.
When to Go
Jan-Mar
Most reliable snow cover for skiing in the Alps.
Apr
Fewer crowds and better hiking on the Ligurian coast.
Sep & Oct
Late-season hiking in the Alps and autumn food festivals in Turin and Alba.
