Sestri Levante

Sestri Levante is a beautiful little town found approximately halfway between Genoa and La Spezia . While Portofino and the Cinque Terre are probably the most well known tourist destinations on the Italian Riviera, Sestri Levante is becoming quite a favorite among Italians. In fact, in the past few years it has become almost impossible to walk in town on the weekends. The narrow streets are packed with people that come for a weekend stroll and stop leisurely check out the trendy shop windows or to get an ice cream or piece of focaccia. This once quiet fishing village is slowly turning into a tourist hotspot. The original part of Sestri Levante is actually on a peninsula, with the beautiful Baia del Silenzio (also known as "Portobello") on one side and Baia delle Favole on the other. “Baia delle Favole” or “Bay of Fairy Tales” was named in honor of Hans Christian Andersen, who lived in Sestri for a short time. Sourced with thanks from Www.world66.com An old village linked to the sea with all its traditions and legends.

Sestri Levante, like so many villages of the Ligurian Levant, is surrounded by an enchanting landscape of sea and mountains. An ancient merchant and maritime center, situated on the border of the Gulf of Tigullio, on the plane of the Gromolo Torrent, Sestri Levante has become an important tourist destination, with an old and a new town. There is much for the tourist to see: the Gualino castle, the Church of St Nicolò dellisola, the Rizzi Gallery, Palazzo Fascie, the Dolphin Nativity Scene, the Church of St Sabina in Trigoso, the Church of St Stefano del Ponte, the Church of St Maria of Nazareth, the Church and Convent of the Cappuccini order, the Convent of the Annunziata, Palazzo Negretto Cambiaso and the historic Villas. Among the events, the Hans Christian Andersen Prize. Sourced with thanks from Www.italytraveller.com