From Bardineto to Calizzano
Palm Riviera
A stone's throw from the sea, from the crowded summer beaches, there is an oasis of tranquillity waiting to be discovered. This is the area that crowns the Melogno hill, in the hinterland of the western Savona Riviera.
Melogno and Bardineto Road
Leaving the A10 motorway at the Finale Ligure exit, take the Melogno provincial road 459. In a few kilometres, the landscape changes and in twenty minutes you will arrive in Bardineto. Surrounding the village is an underground labyrinth with the 'Buranco di Bardineto', a five-minute walk from the road: two kilometres of tunnels and galleries on several levels above an underground stream.
The village and the plateau
Bardineto stands on a wooded plateau formed by pine, fir, beech and birch trees. Before leaving, it is worth visiting the parish church dedicated to St John the Baptist, in Piedmontese Baroque style;but above all the church of San Nicolò in Romanesque style, with 15th-century frescoes. A stone's throw away are the remains of the ancient Longobard castrum and the feudal castle of the Del Carretto family. If you come in mid-September, you will be immersed in the atmosphere of the 'Fungo d'oro' Golden Mushroom) festival, a reminder of how this area is devoted to mushroom growers.
Towards Calizzano
We drive up and proceed along Provincial Road 52 through the famous Barbottina forest. Once in the village, you will find shops selling local porcini mushrooms or butchers with their own farms selling exCelle townnt meat and cold cuts. Four fountains - all considered beneficial to health - explain why Calizzano is associated with water: the 'Da Mora' fountain, the 'Da Madunena' fountain, and the 'Bricten' fountain, considered the oldest and most classic fountain by the inhabitants of the Caragna hamlet. Finally, the famous 'Cruvoyra' fountain. Other attractions include the old Napoleonic forts and the Witches' forest, with play areas.
