Overview

Nature walks and early Neolithic settlements

Located in the centre of the Ligurian coast, 13 kilometres from Savona and 33 kilometres from Genoa, Varazze boasts a charming medieval town with fine buildings such as the parish Collegiate Church of Sant'Ambrogio, with its recognisable Baroque façade and bell tower with three orders of Romanesque-Gothic three-mullioned windows, the 12th-century Oratory of Our Lady of the Assumption and the Church of San Domenico with its Sienese school frescoes and 16th-century polyptych. A cannonball fired by the French fleet is still visible on the façade.

The area is rich in archaeological sites, such as the one on the summit of the Piani d'Invrea where a small menhir, a monolithic megalith from the Neolithic period, stands out, dominating the town and even the sea from its position. The remains of the ancient Roman-Byzantine castrum can be seen on the Parasio hill near the ancient church of San Donato. Among the natural beauties, the Europa, or Villa Araba, promenade is worth mentioning. About 4.5 kilometres long built on the old single-track of the Genoa-Ventimiglia railway, it links Varazze to Cogoleto.

There are several sandy beaches, from Bagni Mauro, the last bathing establishment in the Savona province, to the more western Bagni Pinuccia. If you are looking for a space dedicated entirely to your four-legged friends, you can turn to Nautilus Beach, the largest lido in the entire municipality.