Travel to Liguria and the Italian Riviera

Italy, the land of pasta, fashion, stunning coastlines, and of course... celebrities! It's long been a hotspot for the rich and famous, but let's be honest, not every celeb is blessed with good taste. Let's take a glimpse into the glittering lives of these A-listers on Italian soil.

Camogli whispers tales of the past with its colorful facades touching the sea. In the heart of the tourist season, it buzzes with life, but I seek tranquility and only visit when fall crashes waves against the old walls of Dragonara Castle. Then, when the beaches are nearly deserted and the air carries a salty scent, I feel the echo of 'the city of a thousand white sailing ships'. Nestled in the protective embrace of the vast Monte Portofino, the village offers a view of the magical Golfo Paradiso, a world away from the

Hey everybody! Can we talk about summer vacations for a moment? I mean, we just wrapped up "Ferragosto" the Italian equivalent of "Mid-August Holidays", so it's basically a countdown to the end of summer now. Vacationers are packing up their bags as we speak – I imagine them going, “Ciao!” and fading into the horizon. As much as I loved having everyone around, can't deny, I'm looking forward to having the house to myself again.

The Palazzo Durazzo-Pallavicini, a former palazzo in Genoa, has undergone a spectacular transformation and is now a sparkling 5-star hotel. From a stately noble residence, it has become a luxurious oasis for discerning travelers, with prices ranging between 400 and 1000 euros per night. And you know what they say: a good night's sleep is priceless, but staying in this palace comes pretty close!

Italy is increasingly becoming a destination for golf lovers, crowned in 2023 with the Ryder Cup. The country offers a combination of a favorite sport with a trip to stunning surroundings. With more than 400 facilities, 150 golf courses with at least 18 holes and golf resorts in super panoramic locations. We have selected the most scenic greens, perfect for a top golf vacation.

Here, where the sun always seems to shine and the sandy beach beckons, one can immerse yourself in a world of sun-drenched pleasures and culinary delights. Laigueglia, a name that resonates like a Mediterranean melody (lah-ee-GLYAH), invites me to visit the Agriturismo PEQ and the award-winning Michelin-starred restaurant Vignamare, nestled in the hinterland, a winding road uphill. But here in the hills, you'll find plenty of space for a tranquil and green holiday amidst olive groves and vineyards.

Monday evening I had the honor of dining at the palace of the Princes of Doria Pamphilj, with no fewer than 6 Michelin-starred chefs. The palace is one of the Doria family's most important treasures that has just undergone a multi-million dollar restoration. A family that's been tinkering around with the historical and artistic heritage of their dynasty over the centuries, and which still happens to be one of the most important and wealthy families in Italy. But fortunately, the latest dynasty also has the realization that they need to

Rome: the eternal city's hotel scene is set for a boost with a new branch of Nobu Hotels and Six Senses hotels, plus the boutique hotel ROMEO Roma, in a 16th-century palace by Zaha Hadid. But at the top of our must-visit list is the Bulgari Rome. This Italian brand owns hotels as far away as Shanghai and Bali, but is finally opening its flagship in its hometown coming this spring or summer. Housed in a 1930s modernist building composed mostly of travertine marble and red brick, it will surely be the

During a 50th birthday party (not mine) at a bar in the seaside village of Quarto south of Genova the traffic outside never really came to a halt, like constant buzzing even exceeding the sound of the waves which were over 7 feet this evening and crashed over the road at high tide bringing with it tons of grit and small pieces of wood which could easily damage the body of your car had you unfortunately parked on the wrong side of the street

Lerici is an easily accessible town just a stone’s throw from the Cinque Terre and La Spezia, the major hub for trains and boats of all kinds. You will often see mega-yachts parked in the tidy Bay of Poets, while cargo ships and ferries scuttle to and fro.

Lord Byron, a good swimmer had wound up on The Grand Tour, ultimately deciding to call Portovenerehome. It was a short boat ride from Cinque Terre, and just across the bay from La Spezia and Lerici, where his good friends, the Shelley's lived in an old boathouse, locally known as the Casa Bianca (the White House), although officially, its name was Casa Magni after the family who owned it. Byron would regularly swim across the bay to San Terenzo where he'd pay a visit to Mary and Percy Shelley. And while they might be some

Cinque Terre, with the villages of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, has become one of the busiest tourist attractions in recent years and is in great danger of being trampled by the mass of tourists. The damage done daily to this unique piece of land by the heavy human footprint is irreparable unless we treat it more carefully in the future. Our first and most important piece of advice is therefore: Don't visit Cinque Terre in

The Cinque Terre – or Five Lands – is home to one of Italy's most famous National Parks. It's one of the crown jewels of the Mediterranean, and anyone who hasn't been there should definitely plan a trip through the famed five fishing villages that make up the area. We decided to visit the Cinque Terre by car, instead of on foot or by boat or train, to bring you some of the best insider tips for foodies and wine lovers. The five fishing villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza,

The Cimetario Monumentale of Genoa: Staglieno should really be one of the top tourist art attractions in the region, about 330,000 square meters in size with an English cemetery (where the grave of Oscar Wilde's wife Constance Lloyd is located), a Protestant cemetery and a Jewish cemetery. 

Italy is actually a peninsula, peppered with stunning islands, islets and lagoons from the top of its bootstraps down around the heel and back up the other side, there are over 4000 miles of Italian beaches. You can visit islands in a day, such as Elba, Capri or Tropea, or hop the scattered islets of the Venetian lagoon. Further afield, Lampedusa or Sicily beckons and of course, ...

What draws us to cemeteries? Is it an intrigue with the end, or maybe the art and sentiment they convey? Unlike the austere gravestones in my homeland, places like Staglieno celebrate life's passing with beautiful sculptures. I hope when my time comes, I'd have something as artistic. In oter words, a simple stone won't do.

This dish is inspired upon a basil infused green risotto I once ate at a seaside restaurant in Genoa called Santa Monica. I had a bunch of fresh spinach and a few prawns left in the fridge plus a beautiful bunch of freshly picked basil from the nearby town of Pra.  I was afraid that the spinach may over power the basil, so I put some aside to decorate.  The combination of fresh sweet basil with fresh spinach was actually much better

On Saturday, more or less at the same time as the government announced new Covid-19 measures, I found myself on a ferryboat from Camogli to San Fruttuoso. The sea was pretty rough and the few passengers who used the FAI's Open Monument Day had to shield themselves from unexpected showers pouring down.

The fall is a good time to visit Dolceacqua. The water of the river Nervia babbles with a little more zest than in the high heat of summer. The woods around create a colourful contrast with the dark walls of the village called Dolceacqua Terre, the part on the other side of the Ponte Vecchio, the famous bridge painted by Monet.