Alassio, in the Riviera di Ponente, in Liguria, overlooks the gulf with the same name and is a renowned tourist and seaside resort, which extends between the sea and Mount Bignone, rich in paths and nature trails.
The historic centre of the village retains its ancient charm, thanks to some noble palaces built between the 16th and 17th centuries, including Palazzo Ferrero de Gubernatis, which housed Napoleon Bonaparte, Palazzo Scofferi, which preserves the crucifix attributed to the Flemish Giambologna, Palazzo Brea. Unmissable is the so-called “Budello d’Alassio”, a characteristic “carrugio” today also a shopping street. There are also churches and sanctuaries, including the panoramic Cappelletta.
The watchtowers are also important, such as the sixteenth-century Torrione Saraceno and Torre di Vegliasco, built to defend the coast from pirate attacks. In Alassio, moreover, there is the Richard West Memorial Gallery, an exhibition dedicated to the works of the painter Rihard Whately West, while the paintings of the writer Carlo Levi are exhibited in the eighteenth-century Palazzo Morteo. Behind the town, along the hiking trails, you can see the so-called “casone”, characteristic stone buildings that were once used by shepherds as a shelter.
Alassio, the city of Muretto and kisses
A very famous attraction in Alassio is the “Muretto ” with Les amoreux , a work by Raymond Peynet dedicated to all lovers , and the mailbox in which to put love letters. Here, over 1000 ceramic tiles bear the autographs of numerous well-known personalities. The first was posed by the American writer Ernest Hemingway. The famous “wall” is also linked to “Miss Muretto”, a beauty contest that, until 2014, brought numerous girls to the fore.
Alassio and culinary delicacies
The gastronomic proposal of Alassio, linked to the sea and the Ligurian tradition, offers some delicacies such as the traditional “belly of tuna”, the stomach of dried red tuna, and “Brandacujun” , the stockfish cooked with potatoes, pine nuts and olives. Particularly rich is the choice of desserts, including the renowned “Baci di Alassio”, made with chocolate, the “biscette”, pancakes with fennel seeds, and the “Risiny“, a kind of pudding made with flour, butter, sugar, eggs and lemon peel.
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Alassio, not only romance but also sea and beach
Alassio is particularly equipped with lidos and bathing establishments, but also free beaches, some of which are equipped and also open to four-legged friends. The beaches, whose common feature is the presence of soft and extremely fine sand, are particularly suitable for children, and are always monitored by lifeguards.
A boat trip to Gallinara Island is also recommended , which is part of the regional nature reserve, where herring gulls nest. The Alassio accommodation proposal includes all types of accommodation, with a large offer of B&Bs, as well as hotels, holiday homes and apartments for tourists.
The Solleone Adventure Park
The Solleone Adventure Park, equipped with numerous attractions for adults and children, overlooks the Gulf of Alassio. Available to the public, the park offers equipped with Tibetan bridges, cableways, lianas, nets, artificial walls, divided into three acrobatic routes with different levels of difficulty: the green route, reserved for children, the blue route, suitable for everyone, and the red track, for the more experienced and trained. Furthermore, the park – also equipped with relaxation areas – is also an opportunity for excursions on foot or by mountain bike, thanks to the network of paths that lead into the hilly area.
The acrobatic routes at night and rock climbing are, of course, reserved for the most daring and prepared, but always under the supervision of the park instructors. Furthermore, visitors are given the opportunity to make excursions on professional quads in the nearby Val d’Arroscia and Val Lerrone, for a total immersion between sport and nature, and mountain bike excursions, to discover villages and nature in the Ligurian hinterland.
Nearby, in Toirano , to visit the Grotta della Bàsura and the Grotta di Santa Lucia inferior , connected to each other by an artificial tunnel. The first is internationally known for the “Bear Cemetery”, a deposit of bear bones created from 50 thousand years ago, and for the footprints of Homo Sapiens, the second for the so-called Sala del Pantheon.
