La Spezia is a typical port city. Life goes on here in charming taverns and restaurants by the port, tourists walk along the seaside promenades, which are surrounded by a park. There is one of the most important Italian military ports, a large marina and a passenger ferry port. The port area is surrounded by elegant, busy streets and squares with plenty of shops, bars and restaurants. La Spezia is also an important railway junction. The old town is an ideal attraction to explore and stretches from around the main train station to the port. Due to the fact that La Spezia is a rich city, living from industry and port life, the local tenement houses, promenades and squares are usually well-kept. In the center, on streets closed to traffic, there are many company stores and bars. In turn, near the port there are the most famous restaurants in the city, where fresh seafood, fish and other local delicacies are delivered every day.
The city is worth devoting a few hours to visiting the monuments and port area. However, there is no beach of any kind here. Lovers of swimming in the sea are forced to travel at least a dozen or so kilometers outside the city to relax on the beaches. Neighboring beaches are Tellaro and Marina di Massa.
La Spezia is a city with approximately 100,000 inhabitants, located in southern Liguria, on the Italian Riviera. The city is located several kilometers from the border of Liguria and Tuscany. Located closest to the Cinque Terre National Park.
Cinque Terre National Park
The Cinque Terre National Park was established in 1999 as the first Italian national park. However, today it is the smallest national park with an area of 3,800 ha. It is located in the province of La Spezia. The five medieval cliff towns in the Cinque Terre are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare and were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997.
Technical Naval Museum of Spezia
This is a the most important naval museum in Italy. The museum’s roots go back to 1430, and many artifacts are from well before the 1861 Unification of Italy. Yes, it’s an old fashioned museum, but it’s the good kind of old fashioned. There are figureheads from real ships you can walk right up to, glass cases with delicate model ships, and great big cannons.
Porto Mirabello, La Spezia
Porto Mirabello is ideal place for superyachts and is located inside the Gulf of La Spezia. The natural shape of the gulf, the depth of the bay and the breakwater offering protection against adverse weather conditions make this one of the Med’s safest marinas. There is a helipad inside the marina which is free for owners to use. The extensive facilities include 10 cafés, bar and restaurants, several shops, swimming pool, gym, basketbal court, crew lounge and 100MB wired internet access, unlimited shore power and two fuel stations with high-flow pumps.
Port of La Spezia, La Spezia
Over recent years the port authorities have invested millions of euros into upgrading the port and terminal to accommodate the cruise ships and passengers. It’s been a great success, and La Spezia has become a busy cruise stop-over port for tourists on Mediterranean cruises. This is a working cargo port, so unfortunately pedestrian access isn’t an option. We often walk along the harbor front and can see the cruise ships at a distance but never up close. If you disembark at La Spezia, you will be greeted by free shuttle buses that transport cruise passengers to the La Spezia Cruise Terminal. The trip between the port and the terminal takes only a few minutes. The La Spezia Cruise Terminal is situated on the harbor and is close to the city and marina.
La Spezia Cathedral
The Cathedral of Christ the King in La Spezia is a modern distinctive looking circular building constructed predominantly of concrete. The roof is supported by twelve columns signifying the twelve Apostles. In the centre of the roof is large cupola with a diameter of 50 metres.
Museo civico Amedeo Lia, La Spezia
At the center of La Spezia stands the Civic Art Museum, a treasure trove housing a of artworks that span across centuries. In this builinds boasts approximately 1000 masterpieces, dating from the Middle Ages to the 18th century, comprising an array of sculptures, ceramics, bronze pieces, and delicate glassware. However, the true essence of this collection emanates from its extensive compilation of paintings. Among these illustrious artworks, luminaries such as Titian, Tintoretto, Sebastiano, Bellini, Raphael, and Canaletto.
Castello di San Giorgio
The San Giorgio Castle is, by far, the most important historical attraction in the city. The castle was built in the 13th century, when a certain Nicolo Fieschi commissioned the construction of a palatial residence in 1262, a building able to mark out the owner’s power in the region. The structure of the present San Giorgio Castle dates back to the 14th century, when the Genovese rebuilt the former edifice and incorporated it in the wider fortification system of La Spezia (in 1371). Nowadays, the castle is home to the Museum of the San Giorgio Castle, a museum which showcases one of the most valuable archeological collections in Cinque Terre.
Palazzo Comunale
Il Palazzo Comunale, also known as the town hall, is a symbol of the city, a public building and the seat of local government authorities. In earlier years, local government meetings were held in cathedrals, squares or in halls rented by bishops. Since the creation of the first Italian palazzi comunali, local authorities have already had their own place where they organize meetings and meetings.
