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There’s a Sunday morning that smells of chestnuts and mist rising from the streams. The February sun lights up the still snow-covered peaks of the Apennines, while in Genoa the sea shimmers peacefully. It’s that feeling known to those who live between sea and mountains: the call of the mountains, the draw of a territory that begins just beyond the Righi hill.
Fifty minutes by car from Genoa is all it takes to find yourself in another world. The Ligurian-Piedmontese Apennines are that border land where Liguria becomes mountainous, where the caruggi narrow alleyways become mountain paths and the scent of basil gives way to that of porcini mushrooms and alpine cheeses.
Here every village tells a story of borders, ancient trade, of monasteries that were beacons of culture when Europe was still taking shape. It’s a territory that lives time at different rhythms, where a day trip becomes a journey into authentic medieval times, not the version reconstructed for tourists.
Val Trebbia: the most beautiful river in Italy according to Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway called it “the most beautiful valley in the world,” and when you drive up the highway from Genoa toward Bobbio, you understand why. Val Trebbia is water flowing between white pebbles, beech forests that explode into a thousand shades in autumn, medieval castles rising from the hills like illustrations from a fairy tale book.
The heart of this valley is Bobbio, a medieval village reflected in the waters of the Trebbia. The Ponte Gobbo, with its eleven irregular arches, is the image that best represents this corner of mountainous Liguria. But Bobbio is more than just a postcard: it’s living history, written in the stones of the Abbey of San Colombano.
“The Trebbia is the most beautiful river I have ever seen in Italy”
— Ernest Hemingway
The abbey, founded in 614 by the Irish monk San Colombano, was one of the most important cultural centers in Europe. Here classical texts were preserved and copied during the dark centuries of the Middle Ages. The abbey library held over 700 manuscripts, many of which are now in the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan. Walking through the cloister means touching fifteen centuries of European history with your own hands.
The village develops around the cathedral square, with the municipal palace from the 13th century and medieval houses that seem to have stepped out of a story. The streets climb toward the Malaspina-Dal Verme castle, from which your gaze embraces the entire valley all the way to the first foothills of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines.
Val d’Aveto: the little Tibetan region of Liguria
Further east, Val d’Aveto is the realm of high-altitude meadows and glacial lakes. Santo Stefano d’Aveto, at 1,200 meters altitude, is the heart of this valley that transforms into a ski resort in winter and becomes a paradise for hikers and cyclists in summer.
What strikes you most about Val d’Aveto is the landscape: vast expanses of grassland dotted with centuries-old beech trees, which remind you more of the Scottish highlands than of Liguria as typically imagined. It’s an unexpected Liguria, one of mountain pastures and grazing lands, where San Stè cheese is still produced according to recipes passed down through generations.
Lago delle Lame, reachable by an hour’s walk from Santo Stefano, is a crystal-clear body of water set among the peaks. In winter it freezes completely; in summer it reflects the clouds that race swiftly driven by mountain winds. Around the lake, a network of trails branches out toward huts and peaks, some of which extend into Emilian territory.
Santo Stefano itself still preserves the atmosphere of an authentic mountain village. Houses built with local stone overlook the main road, interspersed with small shops selling cheeses, cured meats, and local beekeeping products. On Saturday mornings, the weekly market brings color and voices to what can seem a sleepy place in winter.
Rezzoaglio: the kingdom of porcini mushrooms
If there’s a place where the Apennine autumn shows its best side, it’s Rezzoaglio. This small municipality in the upper Val d’Aveto is famous throughout Liguria for its porcini mushrooms, which grow abundantly in the beech and chestnut forests that surround the town.
From September to November, Rezzoaglio transforms into the capital of Ligurian mycology. The town’s restaurants offer menus entirely dedicated to porcini: from creamy risottos to mushroom tagliatelle, from mixed grills to steaming soups that warm the cooler days of the year.
“In the forests of Rezzoaglio grow the most flavorful porcini of the Apennines, those that taste of earth and dead leaves”
— An old saying of Val d’Aveto
But Rezzoaglio is more than just mushrooms. The village, crossed by the Aveto stream, preserves a historic center gathered around the parish church and local stone houses that tell centuries of mountain life. From the forests surrounding the town, trails depart toward huts and alpine pastures, some still active, where in summer you can watch milk processing and cattle grazing.
The road from Rezzoaglio climbing toward the Bocco pass offers breathtaking views of the Apennine chain. On the clearest days, your gaze reaches all the way to the Ligurian Sea, creating that contrast between mountains and sea that is the deepest essence of Liguria.
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How to reach Genoa’s hinterland
A car is the most practical way to explore the Ligurian-Piedmont Apennines. From Genoa, take the A7 motorway toward Milan until the Busalla exit, then continue on the state road 35 dei Giovi. For Val Trebbia, follow the state road to Torriglia and then the provincial road toward Bobbio. The journey takes about an hour and a half.
For Val d’Aveto, from Busalla continue on the state road until the junction for Santo Stefano d’Aveto, then follow state road 586. In this case too, allow about an hour and a half from Genoa center. For Rezzoaglio, follow the same road to Santo Stefano and then the provincial road for another fifteen minutes.
Public transport in these areas is limited. Some bus routes connect Genoa with the main towns, but schedules aren’t always compatible with a day trip. A car remains the most flexible choice, also allowing you to explore small villages and less-traveled trails.
In winter, always check road conditions: above 1000 meters, chains can be mandatory, and some passes may be temporarily closed due to snow.
An itinerary to savor the Apennines
For a full day between sea and mountains, leave Genoa around 8:30 AM. First stop at Torriglia, the “balcony of the Apennines”: have a coffee in the square and take a walk up to the castle to admire the views over Val Trebbia.
Continue on to Bobbio, where you’ll spend the morning visiting the abbey and historic center. Lunch at one of the village’s trattorias: look for testaroli with pesto (a Ligurian-Lunigiana specialty) or maccheroni alla bobbiese, topped with mushrooms and local pancetta.
In the afternoon, head toward Santo Stefano d’Aveto for a taste of high-altitude Liguria. If you’re up for it, a walk to Lago delle Lame will reward you with unforgettable views. Otherwise, settle for a stroll through the village and a visit to a cheese dairy to pick up fresh cheeses.
If it’s mushroom season (September-November), stop in Rezzoaglio for a snack: sautéed porcini mushrooms with a glass of Dolcetto will perfectly accompany the Apennine sunset.
The return to Genoa is planned for 6:30-7:00 PM, just in time for an aperitivo at the port and to recount your mountain day with the sea as your backdrop.
The secret of the Ligurian Apennines: refuges that never close
Here’s the detail that makes the trip worthwhile: in the Ligurian-Piedmont Apennines, there are still mountain refuges that uphold ancient hospitality traditions. They’re not hotels disguised as chalets, but real refuges run by families that have lived at altitude for generations.
At Rifugio Prato della Cipolla, above Santo Stefano d’Aveto, Mario still prepares polenta over a wood fire and tells stories of winters that completely isolated the valley. His chestnut and bean soup, served steaming on autumn evenings, has a flavor from the past that’s hard to find elsewhere.
These refuges are open year-round, but the most magical period is during the autumn mists, when they seem like islands suspended between the clouds. Always book ahead before heading up: they’re often run by a single family and hours follow mountain rhythms, not city time.
Returning to Genoa after a day in this timeless Apennine means taking with you the scent of forests, the taste of mountain cheeses, and that peace that only the mountains can give. The historic center residences will welcome you like an urban refuge, where you can relive the day between sea and mountains that makes Genoa’s location so unique.
If the Ligurian Apennines are calling to you with their medieval villages and authentic flavors, let yourself be tempted. Book your stay and discover how rewarding a day trip can be—one that starts at the sea and reaches the peaks, all within the span of one perfect day.
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