Liguria Review
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  • Things to see in Liguria
    • Major Cities and Towns of Liguria >
      • Genoa
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      • Albenga
      • Ventimiglia
      • Chiavari
      • Sarzana
    • Cinque Terre >
      • Vernazza
      • Manarola
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      • Monterosso al Mare
      • Corniglia
    • Riviera di Levante >
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      • Camogli
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      • Portovenere
      • Lerici
      • Santa Margherita Ligure
      • Levanto
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      • Nervi
      • Bogliasco
      • Zoagli
    • Riviera di Ponente >
      • Finale Ligure
      • Laigueglia
      • Varazze
      • Alassio
      • Diano Marina
      • Bordighera
      • Celle Ligure
      • Arma di Taggia
      • Varigotti
      • San Lorenzo al Mare
    • Liguria's Borghi Piu Belli d'Italia >
      • Finalborgo
      • Varese Ligure
      • Tellaro
      • Brugnato
      • Noli
      • Triora
      • Apricale
      • Campo Ligure
      • Cervo
    • Orange Flag Towns of Liguria >
      • Dolceacqua
      • Pignone
      • Airole
      • Toirano
      • Castelnuovo Magra
      • Santo Stefano d'Aveto
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      • Sassello
    • Hill Towns of Liguria >
      • Vezzano Ligure
      • Borgio
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      • Castiglione Chiavarese
      • Campiglia
      • Castel Vittorio
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      • Genoa's Strade Nuove & Palazzi dei Rolli
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    • Genoa Christopher Columbus Airport
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    • Provinces of Liguria >
      • Metropolitan City of Genoa
      • Imperia Province
      • La Spezia Province
      • Savona Province

La  Spezia

La  Spezia


The city of La Spezia is the capital city of the Province of La Spezia with a population of 93,229 inhabitants.

Located on the shores of the Ligurian Sea, it covers a total area of 51 km² and lies 101 km south east of Genoa, the capital of Liguria.

Some of the main sights of La Spezia include ​the Museo Amedeo Lia and the harbour with its large promenade. La Spezia is blessed with one of the most important ports in Italy, both in terms of commerce and the military. ​
Napoleon Bonaparte built a substantial naval complex here during the 19th century but a negative consequence of that was that it marked the city out as a target for Allied bombing raids during World War Two. 

The damage caused by those bombing raids led to much of the city having to be rebuilt so while in some areas it trails behind other Ligurian cities in terms of old world charm, it does carry some interesting modern features. A stroll along Piazza Verdi for example will reward you with an open-air display of modern art by Daniel Buren while even more memorable is the eye-catching Cattedrale di Cristo Re, quite unlike any other cathedral in Italy or Christendom in general.

The cathedral is situated on Piazza Europa, just behind the main promenade of Viale Europa. Other busy areas of this sprawling city are Via Chiodo which flanks the public gardens and the market square of Piazza Cavour in the heart of the Centro Storico (old town). 

Aside from its own attractions, La Spezia draws a huge number of visitors due its close proximity to the Cinque Terre. Indeed, such is the scarcity of affordable accommodation in the Cinque Terre along with almost insurmountable challenge of driving in the area, that La Spezia becomes a very attractive option. The best way to visit Le Cinque Terre is by train and from La Spezia's train station it's just a 10 minute journey to the first stop, Riomaggiore. The trains run 3 or 4 times an hour and you can buy a ticket that covers a whole day of hopping from one village to the next. If you really want to you can see all 5 villages on the same day but it's better to spend at least two days there if time allows. 

Another way of reaching Le Cinque Terre from La Spezia is by sea. Tours are available from the main harbour with various prices and options including stops at the seaside towns of Portovenere and Rapallo.

​Category: Major Cities & Towns of Liguria

Administrative area: Capital of La Spezia Province

Population: 93,229

Highlights: Cattedrale di Cristo Re, Museo Amedeo Lia, Harbour

​Close by: Fezzano, Le Grazie, Portovenere, Lerici, Cinque Terre

Recommended accommodation: The Poet Hotel
Public transport: Central train station, ferries, local buses

By train: Riomaggiore - 10 min, Chiavari - 40 min, Genoa - 1 hr 20' 
By car: ​​​​​Genoa - 1 hr 22'  (102 km), Savona - 1 hr 58' (161 km)

By air: ​​​​​Genoa Christopher Columbus Airport - 1 hr 25' (115 km)


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  • Home
    • Contact
    • The Italy Review Network >
      • Italy Review
      • City Guides >
        • Florence Review
        • Milan Review
        • Naples Review
        • Pisa Review
        • Roma Review
        • Turin Review
        • Venice Review
        • Verona Review
      • Region Guides >
        • Northern Italy >
          • Emilia Romagna Review
          • Friuli Venezia Giulia Review
          • Lombardy Review
          • Piemonte Review
          • Trentino Review
          • Valle d'Aosta Review
          • Veneto Review
        • Central Italy >
          • Abruzzo Review
          • Lazio Review
          • Marche Review
          • Molise Review
          • Tuscany Review
          • Umbria Review
        • Southern Italy >
          • Amalfi Coast Review
          • Basilicata Review
          • Calabria Review
          • Campania Review
          • Puglia Review
          • Sorrento Review
      • Island Guides >
        • Capri Island Review
        • Elba Review
        • Ischia Review
        • Ponza Review
        • Procida Review
        • Sardinia Review
        • Sicily Review
  • Things to see in Liguria
    • Major Cities and Towns of Liguria >
      • Genoa
      • La Spezia
      • Savona
      • Imperia
      • Sanremo
      • Rapallo
      • Albenga
      • Ventimiglia
      • Chiavari
      • Sarzana
    • Cinque Terre >
      • Vernazza
      • Manarola
      • Riomaggiore
      • Monterosso al Mare
      • Corniglia
    • Riviera di Levante >
      • Sestri Levante
      • Camogli
      • Portofino
      • Portovenere
      • Lerici
      • Santa Margherita Ligure
      • Levanto
      • Moneglia
      • Nervi
      • Bogliasco
      • Zoagli
    • Riviera di Ponente >
      • Finale Ligure
      • Laigueglia
      • Varazze
      • Alassio
      • Diano Marina
      • Bordighera
      • Celle Ligure
      • Arma di Taggia
      • Varigotti
      • San Lorenzo al Mare
    • Liguria's Borghi Piu Belli d'Italia >
      • Finalborgo
      • Varese Ligure
      • Tellaro
      • Brugnato
      • Noli
      • Triora
      • Apricale
      • Campo Ligure
      • Cervo
    • Orange Flag Towns of Liguria >
      • Dolceacqua
      • Pignone
      • Airole
      • Toirano
      • Castelnuovo Magra
      • Santo Stefano d'Aveto
      • Perinaldo
      • Sassello
    • Hill Towns of Liguria >
      • Vezzano Ligure
      • Borgio
      • Isolabona
      • Castiglione Chiavarese
      • Campiglia
      • Castel Vittorio
    • Palmaria
    • Hanbury Botanical Gardens
    • UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Liguria >
      • Genoa's Strade Nuove & Palazzi dei Rolli
  • Travel
    • Genoa Christopher Columbus Airport
  • Liguria Hotels
  • Liguria
    • Provinces of Liguria >
      • Metropolitan City of Genoa
      • Imperia Province
      • La Spezia Province
      • Savona Province