There’s a Sunday when the sea isn’t enough. You want altitude, you want wind along the ridges, you want that sensation — rare in Genoa, a city squeezed between mountains and water — of seeing your city from above, all together, from the historic center to the port to the line where the gulf blends into the sky. No need to take the highway. Just a handful of minutes from Brignole or Castelletto and you’ll find yourself on a grassy ridge, among nineteenth-century bastions and crumbling guard towers, with Genoa spread beneath you like a living map.
These are the forts of the Ligurian Apennines: a system of fortifications built in the nineteenth century as a crown around the city’s heights, now transformed into one of Italy’s most surprising urban treks. You walk between stone walls carved into the rock, you pass from one fort to another like beads on a string, and you discover that Genoa — a city of caruggi alleys and palaces — also has a military face, severe and fascinating, that very few tourists know.
The fortresses overlooking the sea
The defensive system of Genoa’s heights was born to protect the city from threats that, in the first half of the nineteenth century, came mainly from the Austrian front: these were the years of wars that would lead to the Risorgimento, and Genoa — strategic port of the Kingdom of Sardinia — had to lock down its land approaches. The urban walls were no longer enough: it was necessary to control the ridges, from which an enemy army could have dominated the city with artillery.
Thus was born a chain of forts arranged along the crests that encircle Genoa to the north, built in local stone, designed to resist and to communicate with each other through optical signals. Today much of these structures is abandoned to neglect and vegetation, but it is precisely this abandonment that makes them evocative: they are not museums with ticket booths and explanatory panels, they are true ruins, silent, that the visitor crosses in an almost absolute silence, broken only by the wind and, on certain days, by the call of some bird of prey circling above the walls.
Forte Sperone: the heart of the system
Forte Sperone is probably the most imposing and most easily reached of the system. It is located on the summit of Monte Peralto, at 512 meters of altitude, at the intersection of the two branches of the Mura Nuove that separate the Polcevera valley from the Bisagno valley, and is connected to the ancient seventeenth-century walls that descend toward the historic center. Its walls are wide, the walkways passable, and from here the view opens onto all of Genoa: the historic center, the port, and on the clearest days even the coast stretching toward the east.
It is the most “urban” fort of the system, the one where the walking effort is minimal and where you are likely to encounter families, runners and other walkers on weekends. For those who want a first taste of fort trekking without committing to a full day’s walk, Forte Sperone alone is already a complete outing, with views and history in a couple of hours.
Forte Puin and Forte Fratello Minore: the silent ridge
Continuing along the ridge toward the west you encounter Forte Puin and, shortly beyond, Forte Fratello Minore: two smaller and more isolated outposts than Forte Sperone, surrounded by denser vegetation and an almost total silence. These are the points where urban trekking gives way to a more authentic mountain sensation: dirt trail, exposed rock, blooming broom in early summer, and the city receding visually as you climb higher.
Forte Puin in particular still preserves well-legible sections of the original structure, with perimeter walls and remains of what must have been the logistical setup of the outpost. Fratello Minore, more secluded, requires a less-travelled stretch of trail: it’s the destination that rewards those willing to truly venture off the more frequented routes, with the advantage of finding, almost always, that you encounter no one.
Forte Diamante: the summit and the broadest panorama
The highest and most challenging of the entire system is Forte Diamante, perched on a rocky spur that dominates the Val Polcevera on one side and the Gulf of Genoa on the other. Reaching it requires the longest and most demanding walk of the entire itinerary, but the reward is a 360-degree panorama that simultaneously encompasses the city, the open sea, and on the clearest days, the Alpi Marittime on the horizon.
The fort takes its name from the shape of its plan, which vaguely resembles a diamond seen from above. Its walls, partly collapsed today, remain impressive: climbing to the top of the surviving bastions—with due caution, given the non-museum state of preservation of the structure—offers one of the most spectacular views of Genoa that can be obtained without the aid of a helicopter.
“You will see a regal city, huddled against an Alpine hill, superb in men and walls, whose very appearance marks it as mistress of the sea.”
— Francesco Petrarca, Itinerarium ad Sepulchrum Domini Nostri Ihesu Christi, 1358
That description by Petrarch, written observing Genoa from the sea, can in a certain sense be reversed walking along these ridges: from here you don’t view the city from below, as the poet did arriving from the sea, but from above, grasping exactly that superb hill of which he spoke, stretching out toward the water.
How to get to the forts
The great advantage of this trek, compared to many other excursions outside Genoa, is that you start almost from home. Those staying in one of the genovabb.it residences in the Castelletto neighborhoods or in the upper area of the historic center can reach the trail entrance on foot or with a short bus ride, without needing a train or car.
The most convenient starting point for Forte Sperone is the Righi area, reachable by the historic Zecca-Righi funicular departing from Piazza Portello in the heart of the city, or by bus lines that climb toward the heights. From Righi, a trail extends connecting various forts along the ridge: first Forte Sperone, then, continuing westward, Forte Puin, Forte Fratello Minore, and finally, for the more experienced, Forte Diamante.
Those who prefer driving will find parking in the Righi area, from which you can access the hiking trails directly, avoiding downtown traffic on Sunday. In either case, it’s wise to bring a map of the Alta Via dei Forti trails—available at the city’s hiking information points—because signage, while present, is not always continuous in the more isolated sections.
The Day’s Itinerary
A typical day among the forts can begin early, around nine o’clock, with the climb to Righi by funicular: an evocative way in itself to leave the lower city and find yourself in just a few minutes at a different altitude, with fresher air and your first glimpse of the panorama. From here you take the trail toward Forte Sperone, the easiest and closest stop, which you can visit at leisure in about an hour considering photo breaks.
Those with strong legs and time can continue along the ridge toward Forte Puin and Forte Fratello Minore: the section requires attention to the trails, not marked everywhere with equal care, but the route essentially follows the ridge line and you’re unlikely to get seriously lost. For lunch, the most practical choice remains a picnic: few refreshment points exist along the route, and bringing sandwiches, plenty of water, and perhaps a thermos is the wisest solution, especially on summer days when the sun on the bare ridges beats down mercilessly.
Those wanting to include Forte Diamante should consider that the final climbing section is the most challenging of the day, both for the elevation gain and the rougher terrain: it’s better to plan the entire day, with an early morning departure and afternoon return, rather than trying to compress everything into a few hours. Alternatively, Forte Diamante can also be reached via a separate access from Val Polcevera, for those who want to dedicate a trip to it alone, perhaps to reschedule for another Sunday.
The return, in any case, retraces the same route: the descent toward Righi and the funicular that brings you back in just a few minutes to the heart of the city, with that feeling—typical of any good trekking—of tired legs and a head full of images.
The Detail Worth the Climb
What very few guides tell you is that this system of forts, in addition to being a natural viewpoint, is also one of the rare places from which you can truly understand Genoa’s geography: a city that doesn’t develop on flat terrain like most Italian centers, but that literally climbs the hills, compressing itself between the sea and mountains in a thin strip of houses, alleyways, and palaces. Seen from the heights of the ramparts of Forte Diamante or Forte Sperone, this unusual geography becomes evident at a glance, and it often happens that non-Genoese visitors fall silent for a few minutes, simply looking, before pulling out their phone for a photo.
When to Go
The best season for this trek is spring, when the ridges are green, temperatures mild, and clear air offers excellent visibility toward the sea and, on luckier days, toward the Alps. Summer is feasible but requires a very early start: the trails are almost completely exposed to the sun, without shade, and during midday hours the heat can make walking tiring, especially on the section toward Forte Diamante. Autumn, with the first rains that green the vegetation after summer, offers intense colors and already cooler air, ideal for those who prefer physical effort and clear views without summer heat. Winter, on sunny days with no strong wind, paradoxically offers some of the most spectacular visibility, though the cold on the exposed ridges should be accounted for with appropriate clothing.
Returning to Genoa, in the Evening
There’s something particularly satisfying about returning to the city after a day on the forts: the funicular descending toward Piazza Portello, the lights of the historic center turning on, the prospect of dinner in the caruggi after hours of wind and panorama. It’s the kind of day that gives meaning to a stay in Genoa: not just the museums and alleyways of the center, but also that less-traveled part of the city that you only see by climbing, on foot, to the ridges where these fortresses have watched over for nearly two centuries.
If the desire to walk among ancient stones and boundless panoramas is calling to you, our homes in the heart of Genoa are the ideal starting point for this and other excursions: you can book your stay and organize your Sunday among the forts knowing that in the evening, a real home awaits you, not a hotel room. For other ideas for excursions and itineraries in the Genoa area, our magazine column continues every Sunday with new suggestions.
