Finale Ligure
Although FINALE LIGURE is a commercial tourist destination with almost one hundred hotels in the vicinity of the city center, it continues to be attractive. There are three districts in the city. The seaside Finale Marina consists of a palm-lined seaside boulevard and narrow commercial streets adjoining it, Finale Pia is the farthest towards Genoa, and the Old Town - Finalborgo - is situated on a hill a few kilometers from the sea. Rugged rock walls, towering over the coast, they are especially well suited to mountaineers, and they are popular especially among amateurs, who during the weekends gather at Bar Gelateria Centrale in Piazza Garibaldi in Finalborgo. Information on climbing routes and basic equipment can be obtained from Sport Alp, Via Nicoletta 23 (•019/970549) or at Rockstore in FEGLINO, a little deeper into the valley (5 buses a day).
However, the city is not so famous for its cliffs, which are one of the most important in Europe, inhabited in prehistoric times, caves. The caves are closed due to excavations, but some of the finds were on display at the Museo Archeologico, in the cloisters of the Church of Santa Caterina in Finalborgo (Tue-Sat. 10.00-12.00 and 15.00-18.00, nd.9.00-12.00).
Most of all, however, Finale Ligure is a nice place to stay. Among the centrally located hotels, the nice one stands out, Cirio family run in Via Pertica in the old town (• 019/692310). A room with a bathroom and partial maintenance costs here at the peak of the season 30000 L, and in the addition there is also a small apartment (without kitchen). Another hotel with a similar character and price is the Ferrando, Via Barrili 31 (• 019/692355). The cheapest one, however, is located in the former castle, high above the train station, youth hostel (Via Generale Caviglia; • 019/690515; half of the IV-half of the 10th century; 9000 L). There are many other hotels, in which you have to order all meals outside the room, which costs approx. 35 000 L, but often you can get a discount for purchasing only certain meals. Office AAST, Vittorio Veneto square 29 (codz. in summer 9.00-12.00 and 15.30-19.00; in winter 9.00-12.00 and 15.00-17.00) has a full list of hotels with prices.
People who do not eat at the hotel can enjoy the very good Ligurian restaurant Da Giovanni, Via Roma 9 (•019/692245; closed. Sb. except VII and VIII; be sure to come early or reserve a table) or from the Au Quatre trattoria open to midnight, Via Fiume 38, in Finalborgo, with good food, good music and a relaxed atmosphere.
In the mountains
If only you can, it is worth looking for a means of transport and go to the nearby mountains. You can see the little ones there, hillside villages surrounded by forest, decaying farm buildings and terraced slopes, on which vines grow. Away from the main roads, you can still see oxen pulling hay carts, which gives a certain sense of distance from the world. The food is very good here: soft cheeses in olive oil, local wines and fruit are second to none. Bus connections are very rare, but there are a number of hiking trails, which lead deep into the provinces. One of them starts in VERZI, 5 kilometers after Finale Pia, and partly runs the former Via Aurelia, which passes by several Roman bridges in the Val Ponci valley. Walk back to Varigotti in half a day (AAST has maps), from where buses run every half hour to Finale Marina.
The most popular tour among tourists is the trip to the grottoes in TOIRANO (codz. 9.30-11.30 and 14.30-18.00; 50 Min. sightseeing; 5000 L), the entrance to which is located halfway up the rocky hill just behind the village. There is evidence of this, that in these caves already 12,5 Thousand. years ago, the bears that lived here were hunted. The ancient traces of a man in the mud that has frozen today are marked with chalk circles, and in Grotta della Basura there is a real underground bear cemetery. Second team of arrowheads, Grotto of Santa Lucia, contains spectacular stalactites and stalagmites.
Buses to Toirano depart from outside Finale Ligure station, and they deviate from the main road in BORGHETTO SAN SPIRITO. A few kilometers further, the route passes through BORGIO VEREZZI. In XIX century, w tutejszym Sanctuary of the Good Counsel, an artist named Brilla built an unusual rock cave. It opens every first Saturday of the month, Fr. 16.00 and 25 April for the Feast of Festa della Madonna.