La Spezia, located on the shores of the bay of the same name, is the easternmost city of the Ligurian Riviera. The picturesque bay is often called the Bay of poets in memory of the great English romantic poets Byron and Shelley, who lived on its coast in the 20s of the XIX century. At various times, La Spezia's guests were also George Sand, David Herbert Lawrence, Alighieri Dante and other creative personalities.
The port city, due to its convenient location, at all times had both strategic military and commercial importance. During its existence, La Spezia had to endure a lot of devastating raids, she changed hands several times, managed to even be in the power of Napoleon, until she became part of Italy in 1861.
The picturesque bay of La Spezia is often called the Bay of poets
The name of the city changed several times - the article "La" appeared or disappeared again, and only in 1926 the city council finally fixed the official name - La Spezia.
Since the mid-19th century, the city began to actively develop as a resort, which was chosen as a resting place for both ordinary mortals and members of royal families. The historical and architectural sights of La Spezia were restored and restored, museums were opened, hotels, bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues were built to help attract tourists.
Climate
The climate in La Spezia, as in other resorts of the Ligurian Riviera, is typically Mediterranean - mild, damp winters and warm, but not too hot summers. The Ligurian mountains protect the coast from cold winds, so in winter the temperature here does not drop below 0C, and in summer it does not rise above + 37C.
The most comfortable weather in La Spezia from May to mid-October
From mid-March to mid-May, the rainy season lasts here - not a very attractive time, when most of the time is damp and cloudy, and the sun does not appear more often than once every five days. The period from mid-May to mid-October is considered the most comfortable for relaxation, when the weather in La Spezia favors long walks and sea bathing.
How to get to La Spezia
The closest airport to La Spezia, serving international and domestic flights, is located in Genoa. You can choose the most convenient and budget option for the flight using the service Aviasales.ru - a powerful search engine with a simple interface.
The hundred kilometers separating Genova and La Spezia are easy to overcome by train — they travel this route two to three times per hour. Travel time, depending on the type of train, ranges from 1.5 to 2.5 hours. The railway connects La Spezia with other cities that have airports - Milan, Rome, Pisa, Turin. Train tickets can be bought directly at the station or ordered in advance on the website.
Train station, La Spezia
If finances allow, you can take a taxi. To avoid unpleasant surprises associated with the behavior of local taxi drivers, it is better to book a car in advance via the Internet. You can calculate the cost of services from any of the airports in the vicinity here.
You can get to La Spezia with a rented car. In order to avoid overpayments when renting a car in Italy, it makes sense to book it in advance and through a specialized price comparison service. One of the most popular among European tourists - Rentalcars - the brainchild of a team that at one time had a hand in creating the famous hotel portal Booking.com.
By the way, in the summer between the ports of Genoa and La Spezia, sea communications are also carried out.
Hotels
Although La Spezia is very popular among travelers, it will not surprise you with an abundance of luxury hotels. Basically, the city offers mid-range offers from the category of 2 and 3 stars.
Mid-Range 2 and 3 Star Hotels in La Spezia
However, in the vicinity - closer to the most famous beaches - the range of housing is already much more diverse. In addition to family-type hotels, there are also very worthy "fours" and "fives".
The best selection of hotels in La Spezia and the surrounding area with photos, guest reviews and the possibility of instant booking is presented here.
What to see in and around the city
The main attraction of La Spezia is fortress of St. Georgestanding on top of the hill of Colle del Poggio. The castle, whose powerful walls defended the city for a long time, was built in the middle of the 13th century. Since the Middle Ages, it was rebuilt and restored many times, a new tier with battlements and loopholes was completed, and the fortress towers were updated.
You can get to the castle through one of two entrances - western or northern. The west gate is decorated with the coat of arms of Genoa, the north - the image of St. George, in whose honor the fortification is named.
Today, the Archaeological Museum is equipped in the fortress of St. George. His collection contains many relics and artifacts that tell about the history and cultural traditions of Liguria. The most interesting exhibits were found at the excavations of Luni, an ancient city located on the border of Liguria and Tuscany.
The main attraction of La Spezia - the fortress of St. George
Talking about the architectural sights of La Spezia, one cannot fail to mention the Catholic Cathedral Cristo re dei secoli. The Art Nouveau building, located in the city center, does not at all look like a traditional Catholic church; rather, to some kind of space object.
Only a thin cross on the facade recalls its religious purpose. The cathedral was built in 1975 under the guidance of the author of the project - architect Adalberto Liber. Not far from Cristo re is the chapel of Madonna Peligrina, considered the crypt of the cathedral.
No less interesting is the church of Santa Maria Assunta, famous for its interior decoration. The interiors of this temple are decorated with rare works of art: relief panels by Guillermo Carro, a tapestry of Kasoni, works by Luca del Robía, Angiolo del Santo and Luca Cambiazo.
Special attention of tourists of any age is enjoyed by the La Spezia Maritime Museum. Here you can see wooden figures that once adorned the bow of ships, copies of Roman and Venetian ships, tools of different times - from ancient mortars to guns of the Second World War, as well as torpedoes, gyroscopes, naval first-aid kits, anchors, lights and other ship equipment.
Wooden figures once adorned the bow of a ship
The Amadeo Lia Art Museum, located on Via Prione pedestrian street, is a rich collection of works of art from different eras. In the 14 halls of the museum, panel paintings of the 13th-15th centuries, ancient manuscripts, church art, porcelain, glass, ivory, silver, as well as excellent works of famous Renaissance painters Tintoretto and Titian are collected.
In small museums of local importance - Ethnographic and Episcopal, exhibits are collected testifying to the life and customs of the inhabitants of the region. Both museums are located in the building of the oratorio of San Bernardino in the old part of the city.
As in all coastal cities, La Spezia has a magnificent promenade with a length of about seven kilometers. Its main decoration are huge medieval cannons. Not far from the embankment is a city park.
From La Spezia you can go on an excursion to Genoa to see the famous Genoese lighthouse, Doge's Palace and the aquarium. A trip to Portofino or the Cinque Terre National Park will be interesting and exciting.
Lerici is famous for its well-maintained sandy beaches.
La Spezia Beaches
Despite the fact that the city is a port and is located on the sea coast, there are no private beaches here. The beaches closest to La Spezia are approximately 10 kilometers from Portovenere and Lerici. They are easily accessible by bus, which leaves in the summer every 10-15 minutes. Lerici is famous for its well-maintained sandy beaches, Portovenere - pebble and stone.
Useful articles:
- Genoa airport and how to get to the city
- Sights of Genoa: how to save and see everything
- Ligurian coast: the best beaches of the Italian Riviera
