Visit La Spezia for a historical and cultural experience but head out of the town for the best of the area.
Although a hire car will help you to discover more about this rarely visited part of Italy, it’s the boat or train that will take you to the most spectacular scenery – that of the Cinque Terre National Park. There terraces have been carved into the cliffs to accommodate villages and farmland. The terrain is so unusual that there’s no access at all for cars. In any case the train and boat offer the best views.
La Spezia Mini Guide
Located in the north of Italy, La Spezia is a city in the Liguria region and it overlooks an impressive gulf of water.
Because of this advantageous setting it is actually the location of a major harbour in Italy which is used by both the local industries and the military.
La Spezia has been settled since prehistoric times with a major settlement being built there later by the Romans. It rose in importance but then declined again slightly due to the fall of the Republic of Genoa.
You can see all sorts of old architecture as the city was fashioned with what building materials were nearest to hand. Have a look at the Christ the King of Centuries cathedral, the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and the Abbey church of Santa Maria Assunta.
After World War II La Spezia became a major leaving port for Jews who had decided to leave Europe for Palestine.
There are also numerous museums including the Civic Museum in the Castle of San Giorgio and the Palazzina delle Arti and Museum of Seals.
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