Our visit to Castello di Monte Ursino started from Genoa. We decided to take the car to Noli (highway exit, Spotorno) to then walk to this imposing building. A hike for all levels with a breathtaking view of the coast.

IN BRIEF:

• Length: a good hour (excluding car travel).
• Cost (excluding food): highway toll.
• Period: autumn/spring/summer.

THE ITINERARY:

We decided to depart from Genoa and take the car to Spotorno: having left the highway we turned right and continued along the coast, going west.

We enjoyed the splendid landscape and magnificent beaches of the Riviera. The jagged coastline plummeting into the sea gives way to a gentle beach of white sand: the panorama is extremely different from the Eastern Riviera, but equally gorgeous. In a few short minutes, we reached Noli and, after having parked, our visit to the castle could begin. The medieval village, a well-known seafaring town, is one of the most beautiful in Italy and certainly deserves a visit. For practical reasons, we decided to go straight to the fort and visit Noli another time.

We left the boardwalk and then walked inland to reach the castle of Monte Ursino. The road is well marked and it is easy to follow the signs to reach your destination. We walked up a narrow staircase leading to the main road. It took about ten minutes and the view is incredible: admiring Noli from above is spectacular and just the view of the coast is payment enough for this excursion. It is March and spring has only just begun, but the landscape looks like it is getting ready for the warm season. The sun, the sea, the Medieval town and nature ready to bloom: magnificent sensations.

After about two-hundred steps we reached the path that leads to the Aurelia. A bit further on and we noticed a panoramic viewing area which we went to immediately to enjoy the view: to the left were the Medieval walls leading up to Castello di Monte Ursino. The view of the fort is awe-inspiring; it is truly an imposing building. We were about twenty-five minutes into our walk and then turned towards the fort, following the main road.

The mimosa trees accompanied us along our way and after a few curves, Castello di Monte Ursino got closer: not even ten minutes’ walk and we reached the entrance gate. Having reached the building, we could not enter, because in winter, the guided tours are only on weekends. We took our last few photographs and went back down to Noli, happy with our beautiful walk. Our excursion to Castello di Monte Ursino was finished: it had been a good hour since we left. We got back in the car and headed back to Genoa.

WHERE TO EAT

We decided to have a quick packed lunch before starting our hike up to the castle, but between Spotorno and Noli there are a number of bars, restaurants and pizzerias to enjoy a meal.

OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION

For further information, we suggest writing to the Castello di Monte Ursino Facebook page.

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