Cinque Terre
To describe the "5 terre", for the people living there, is not an easy task. It's impossible for foreigners not to fall in love with them, by just looking at their marvellous panorama. It's not easy to spot them at first, because your eyes are captured by the vastity of the sea. The Cinque Terre are a timeless place, where the seawaves beat the time, and the scents of wine makes you feel at ease in this fantastic scenario. 5 terre are the ideal place for a nice holiday, to find yourselves and your inner rhythm, without missing the city comforts. Just reducing to the essential.
So, switch off your mobile phone for a while and breathe deeply: you'll be seduced by Riomaggiore and its "Via dell'Amore" which leads to Manarola, then let yourselves be enchanted by the splendid Vernazza; then, enter a winemakers' club in Corniglia and finally visit the house of Italian poet Eugenio Montale in Monterosso. The five woderful ligurian locations are waiting for you with all their charm.
Val di Vara
Val di Vara is the biggest valley in Liguria (it's extended for 2/3 of the territory of La Spezia). It has a rich landscape and presents a great diversity of woods. All the valley is composed of historical villages in suggestive positions (Corvara, Borghetto Vara and so on) overlooking the river. Splendid mountains enchant the tourists.
A chain of hills, the Val di Vara landscape is different from every angle. Many rivers cross the valley, and the 15 small villages breathe life into the people visiting this marvellous place. Light enhances different sides of the valley depending on the moment of the day. Val di Vara also maintains its medieval core in its architectural structure. Agricolture is still the first men of support for the inhabitants of these wonderful places, and traditions are mainly transmitted orally. People of Val di Vara are also very attached to their roots: many cultural associations have been founded here to promote the history of the place.
Lerici
La Spezia should thank Lerici everyday because it's for its presence that the gulf is called "Poets' Gulf". Here, Byron and Shelley found the inspiration to write their most famous poems, choosing to spend their life in this fishermen's village, depicting the beauty of this place with their immortal verses.
Starting from the San Terenzo Castle you'll arrive to Lerici one by walking on a suggestive promenade. In the village, then, you'll be able to do some shopping in some exclusive boutiques of the coolest brands.
Porto Venere
The growing fame of Portovenere, from a national and international point of view, augmented exponentially the number of visitors year after year, but left untouched the original charm of the village and its panorama.
After diving into the clear waters of the "Arenella" beach, the "Ulivo" or the "Byron's Grotto", in the evening you'll be given the chance to see the wonderful San Pietro Church (built in VI siecle and rebuilt again in 1200), right by the sea: moonlit, it will leave you speechless.
Another fantastic place to go is the Palmaria Island which is only a few hundreds of meters from the village, and is mainly still wild.
La Spezia
San Giorgio Castle
San Giorgio Castle takes place on the Poggio hill, and was built for defense reasons by the old inhabitants of the city. Today, it hosts public conferences, events and manifestations of the bourgeoises of La Spezia, and the entrance is free.
The "Amedeo Lia" Museum
The "Amedeo Lia" museum is located in the old convent of the minimites of St. Francis of Paola, who settled in the town of la Spezia circa in 1620. The museum is a gift to the city by Amedeo Lia, a naturalised La Spezia citizen of Apulian origins, who began to acquire paintings and art objects after the Second World War. The building is divided into thirteen rooms, containing litugical objects, paintings, portraits, marvellous sculptures up to the heart of the museum, the unique "Chamber of Marvels".
The Naval Museum
The real boast of La Spezia, strongly wanted by Cavour, is certainly the Naval Museum, one the richest of Italian Navy. There you'll have the pleasure to see many naval antiques, from geographical maps to underwater weapons, and an incredible collection of more than 150 ship models, among which the Amerigo Vespucci School Ship, built in the laboratory of the museum itself.
Versilia
Even though techically speaking Versilia is part of Tuscany, La Spezia is not very far from it. This means that during the night Versilia is the place in which young people of different regions meet, and can choose among the large variety of attractions there: pubs, discos and much more.
Between Marina di Massa and Forte dei Marmi you'll be able to discover many nightclubs managed by, among others, Formula One's well-known manager Briatore or other local VIPs, and where you'll find beach parties, karaoke and many other events.
Pisa
At less than one hour drive from La Spezia (about 80 km), you'll find the wordly famous leaning tower of Pisa. But not only is there the "Piazza dei Miracoli": the university town is also rich in youth activities with its pubs and dance clubs.
In the evening, walking along the Arno river with its many bridges will be another highlight of your visit to the town of Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Florence
Capital of culture and cradle of the Italian Renaissance, the main town of Tuscany is a destination which attracts tourists from all over the world.
There are a lot of places to visit: the "Galleria degli Uffizi" with its huge cultural patrimony, the wonderful piazzas, the "Ponte Vecchio" and its famous jewellery. By night, Florence and its lights will fascinate you. Florence is less than 200 km from your Oasi 5 Terre room.
