Digital detox holidays in Liguria
The urge to unplug, to get out of the digital box, is not merely a passing fad but often a real need. So, what better than a of digital detox holiday in Liguria?
Digital detox holidays high up in the Argentina Valley
From Taggia at zero altitude to the summit of Mount Saccarello, the elevation gain is 2,200 metres. In the middle of this wonderful valley bordering with France flows the Argentina River. Less than 30 kilometres long, this valley is a treasure trove of landscapes and beauty, art and culture, with plenty of gems to visit, such as Taggia, Badalucco, Montalto, Andagna, Molini di Triora, Corte, Creppo, Realdo and Verdeggia. For those seeking to detox from the digital world, a summer dive in the small lakes of Montalto is an absolute must. While a day is decidedly not enough to visit the historic centre of Taggia, climbing up and down little alleyways and elegant streets – such as Via Soleri, in the area known locally as “the swamp” – or scrambling under slate and stone arches. For those who love strong flavours, “stoccafisso au Baucugna” – or stockfish stew – is an ancient local recipe. Triora, known for its infamous witch trials, is another must see.
The upper Nervia Valley
France is practically round the corner, but here frontiers mean very little. We are in a corner of paradise, which spring adorns with a multitude of many-coloured flowers. At this time of year, the area’s age-old villages welcome tourists and hikers to enjoy their monumental beauty. The twenty-mile long Nervia Valley, one of the most beautiful of the entire western coast of Liguria, stretches from the sea to the tops of the Maritime Alps, site of a group of magnificent mountains justly known as Liguria’s “small” Dolomites, or Piccole Dolomiti. A stay at Rocchetta Nervina, an ancient town with typical piled up black houses, is ideal for shaking off the toxicity of our digital civilisation. The same can be said of Isolabona, perched on its strategic heights and formerly seat of the Doria family.
Calizzano and Bardineto, two ideal locations for a digital detox holiday
These localities, high up in the mountains behind the Western Ligurian Riviera, present a wealth of chestnut and oak groves, porcini mushrooms and wild berries. Here, the many pathways leading from Val Bormida to Val Tanaro offer a pleasant escape from the traffic and smog of daily life. Other musts are the Barbottina forest, the trip up to Monte Spinarda, and the stroll along the Rio Nero towards Bardineto. We also recommend the Forte Centrale del Melogno off-road trail, before heading down towards the sea at Finale and returning along the coast. Ideal for families with children are Calizzano and Bardineto, both offering an oasis of peace and tranquillity.
The Albert Einstein Way
In 1895, 16-year-old Albert Einstein left Munich, first for Pavia and then for Genoa, where an uncle of his lived. He travelled through the Trebbia Valley on foot, crossing the Fascia, Rondanina, Montebruno and Propata territories, a route now known as the “Albert Einstein Way“. Following this route, which takes in the Antola Park, lie towns offering digital detox retreats at their best. At Gorreto, for example, the last town on the way before reaching the Emilia border, is located the magnificent Palazzo Centurione. Here are situated the wonderful woods of Rovegno, such as the celebrated “Hannibal Woods” and the sacred area containing a dolmen – a megalithic tomb dating back to prehistoric times. While in the small location of Loco, in which lies the grave of the famous poet Giorgio Caproni, it is possible to recharge one’s batteries in the Giaia forest.
Tra le crose di Pentema
Pentema, a small 16th-century town about ten kilometres from Torriglia, lies at an altitude of 827 metres above sea level. From December to January, it attracts crowds to its famous nativity scene adorned with life-sized figures. Not far from here is Montebruno, home to the museum of Alta Val Trebbia peasant art, and to a beautiful sanctuary housing interesting 16th-century frescoes. While in the area, don’t miss out on the delights of the canestrelli, sweet specialities of Torriglia, Montebruno and the surrounding area.
La via del Sale e le vacanze digital detox a Portofino
Known indifferently as the Saline Way or the Marine Way, the result is the same: a network of paths leading from the Po Valley to the Portofino promontory, taking in two well-known parks, those of Antola and Portofino. This route, divided into 4 laps – one in Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont and two in Liguria – follows the old road used to transport salt. This walk involves 90 kilometres through four provinces – Pavia, Alessandria, Piacenza and Genoa – and permits a stroll among silent and uninhabited stretches, immersed in enchanting woods or on mountain heights, without ever however feeling solitary. Old rusty objects, ruins of old houses showing through the undergrowth of ferns, stones commemorating deeds of valour, post houses now functioning as shelters, all speak to those hikers who have ears to hear.
Five is a magic number
Cinque Terre: five villages, five sanctuaries, five routes. Five is a magic number representing the eastern Ligurian region, for the attentive visitor; for those, in short, who do not merely wish for a holiday, but desire to enter a world apart. The sanctuaries of the Cinque Terre constitute a true spiritual space in which to break free from the shackles of the digital world. The route which rises from Riomaggiore to the Sanctuary of Montenero coincides with the ancient pathway leading to the Telegraph Station and Porto Venere. From here, passing along ridges and valleys descending towards the sea is to be found the medieval hill town of Volastra and the Sanctuary of Nostra Signora della Salute.
From here, crossing the ridge above Corniglia, emerges the view over the Sanctuary of San Bernardino. A fine path halfway up the hill crosses the Rio di Vernazza and leads to the Sanctuary of Madonna di Reggio.
