Heading to northern Italy and Liguria for your next holiday? Here’s our guide to the best places to stay in La Spezia!
A small town in northern Italy with a population of 92,477, La Spezia is wrapped around the “Gulf of Poets” and is the largest city in southern Liguria. Embracing the Tyrrhenian Sea, with its eyes set on Tuscany, the city is home to an important merchant port and Italy’s largest naval base, as well as numerous shipyards. Thanks to its attractive coastline featuring white sandy beaches, the city draws its resources from tourism, shipbuilding, steel, oil and mechanical engineering. Ideally located between Genoa, Florence, and Pisa, it is also close to one of the exquisite gems of Liguria: the villages of Cinque Terre, which attract many visitors. As is often the case in Italy, accommodation in La Spezia will be expensive: accommodation rates are rather high despite the abundant supply of lodgings.
To make sure you can find a room to stay in La Spezia, we recommend that you book in advance as tourist numbers take over the hotel park in summer. Here are the places to stay in La Spezia.
The historic centre
Photo credit: Flickr – Richard, enjoy my life!
The Centro Storico is the city’s historic district. Located near the military base and the port, La Spezia’s historic center is a wandering pedestrian’s paradise, with its atmospheric network of winding cobbled streets. If you feel like window-shopping, walk down Prione street – via del Prione -, lined with an array of shops, large department stores, and boutiques of all kinds. In the parallel streets – such as Corso Cavour and via Cristoforo Colombo – you will find cinemas, numerous terraces, and restaurants where you can enjoy Italian cuisine at its finest.
In La Spezia, everything can be done on foot. Stroll towards the port and stop by the community garden. At the end of the district, on via XXVII Marzo (“March 27th street”), visit Castello di San Giorgio (Saint George’s Castle). A pleasant area, though definitely not the cheapest place to stay in La Spezia.
Umberto I neighbourhood
Photo credit: Wikimedia – Chiacalve
Perched to the north of the historic center, this district is not particularly exciting, other than the fact that it is situated close to La Spezia’s main railway station. If you have planned a trip to visit the Cinque Terre towards Riomaggiore, this area is a convenient place to stay in La Spezia. After visiting the city, take the opportunity to visit Pisa, situated only 80 km to the south.
Main photo credit : Flickr – roger kolly
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