Rustic Retreat

Liguria, a crescent-shaped region in north-west Italy that arches from the French Riviera down to Tuscany, is undeniably beautiful - but often overlooked. This rugged, authentic corner of the country is readily associated with adjectives such as secret and superb, and after a visit, it's easy to understand why. Aside from Portofino, a fishing village-turned-exclusive resort destination and Cinque Terre, a collective term for five picturesque villages perched on cliffs above the Mediterranean, Liguria gets relatively short shrift compared to some Italian hotspots. It isn't Lake Como, Piedmont, Tuscany, Venice or the Amalfi Coast - but that's what makes it interesting.

It wasn't always an afterthought - just the opposite, in fact. Genoa, the capital of Liguria, boasts a sheltered bay and a history few port cities can match. For eight centuries, it was a great maritime republic, acquiring wealth and power by trading with the rest of the world and tussling with rival republics such as Venice for naval supremacy. After a visit in 1358, the Renaissance poet and scholar Petrarch dubbed Genoa La Superba. He wrote: "You'll see a royal city, superb in people and wills, leaning against an alpine hill. Its appearance indicates it is the queen of the sea."

Geography dictates that Genoa is compact and distinctly vertical, rising from the Porto Antico (Old Harbour) to the colourful homes stacked seemingly one on top of another and spread across the hills above the bay. In the late-15th century, local boy Cristoforo Colombo set sail from here en route to adventures in Spain and the New World. In the early 1990s, the port area was redesigned by architect and native son Renzo Piano and now features a maritime museum, an aquarium and even gourmet market Eataly. To get an elevated sense of the place, take advantage of the system of ancient lifts, funiculars and walking paths: from scenic viewpoints like Belvedere Montaldo (a small park), you will enjoy panoramas of the ocean, city and surrounding hills.