The naval city at the head of the gulf, where most visitors only change trains. Stay an afternoon for a remarkable private art collection, a castle on the hill, chickpea farinata from an oven lit since 1887 and the cheapest beds on the coast.
La Spezia grew in the 19th century around Italy's great naval arsenal. It is a busy, ordinary city, which is exactly why it is a useful base.
On Via del Prione, the old main street, the Museo Amedeo Lia holds a private collector's gift to the city: paintings from the 13th to the 18th century, from Pontormo to Titian, with medieval ivories, enamels and glass, in a converted convent. Entry is about €8, or €14 for a 72-hour ticket to the city's museums. It is closed on Mondays.
The naval museum by the arsenal gate tells the city's story, and Castello San Giorgio, begun in 1262, looks down from the hill and houses the archaeological collections. For lunch, La Pia has baked farinata, the thin chickpea pancake of the Ligurian coast, since 1887.
The beds here are the cheapest on the coast, and Riomaggiore is eight minutes away by train.
A compact walk from the station, ending by the gulf.
Walk downhill from La Spezia Centrale into the old centre.
Spend an hour or two with the paintings and medieval treasures.
A slice of hot chickpea farinata from the wood oven.
Climb to Castello San Giorgio for its collections and view over the gulf.
Walk the palm-lined seafront by the harbour before the train back.
Fast trains from Genoa, Pisa and Florence; regional trains into the Cinque Terre every 15 to 30 minutes.
The cheapest beds near the villages, with many guesthouses near the station.
Hop-on boats to Portovenere and the villages leave from the city's harbour in season.
Cinque Terre practical notes →Photographs from Wikimedia Commons and Pexels under their licences.
