Soggiorna
Guides recommend the Cinque Terre villages to parents. Then you arrive there with a stroller and discover they are built on cliffs, the streets are stairs, trains in August are packed, and the nearest supermarket is two towns away.
La Spezia solves all of this for one reason alone, which is usually why it gets snubbed: it’s not a village, it’s a normal city.
What This Means in Practice
The center is flat and grid-like, built quickly in the 19th century for people coming to work. There are no staircases, no uphill alleys (carrugi), and the main street — via del Prione — is pedestrianized from end to end.
Then there are the things that matter when you have kids but aren’t mentioned in guides: pharmacies, supermarkets, an emergency room, shops open even in September. In a village of three hundred inhabitants, these don’t exist, and when you need them, you really do.
The Museum That Works: The Naval One
The Museo Tecnico Navale (Naval Technical Museum), next to the arsenal, is the first thing to visit.
Children don’t need an explanation: there are ships, ship models, and instruments used to make ships go. And there’s a real story underneath, which can be told to older kids in one sentence — this city exists because in 1869 they placed the Navy arsenal here, and over eighty years the population grew from fifteen thousand to one hundred twenty-three thousand.
A city that multiplied eightfold because the fleet arrived is an idea understood at any age.
The Castle: A Climb, But It’s a Castle
Castello San Giorgio sits on Poggio hill and requires an uphill walk — the only real climb of the day. In exchange, it’s a 13th-century castle housing the Archaeological Museum, and from the top, you see the entire gulf.
The best way to pitch it: it’s the oldest thing in the city, six hundred years older than everything below it.
The Sea: Here It’s an Excursion, Not a Beach
It needs to be said clearly because it’s the typical cause of a ruined day: there are no beaches in La Spezia city. The waterfront is port and arsenal.
With children, this means swimming is a trip: you take a ferry or a bus to Lerici or across the gulf. It’s not a problem — the ferry ride itself is often the most fun part of the day — but plan for it rather than discovering it in the morning. The full picture is in beaches and sea in La Spezia.
The Cinque Terre with Kids: An Honest Word
La Spezia is the best base for the Cinque Terre, and precisely for this reason, we must say what guides don’t: with small children, the Cinque Terre in high season are exhausting. Packed trains, narrow platforms, vertical villages, queues.
Staying in La Spezia makes it manageable because you can decide in the morning, return whenever you want, and have a base with services. How the trains work is explained in Cinque Terre by train.
If your kids are young, the calmer alternative is on the other side: Lerici has a beach and no stairs.
How to Fit the Day Together
- Morning: Museo Tecnico Navale, while attention spans are fresh.
- Midday: Walk via del Prione, which is pedestrianized and traffic-free, and optionally climb to the castle.
- Afternoon: The ferry, which moves you and entertains you at the same time.
The rest of the city is covered in what to see in La Spezia, and how to get there in how to reach La Spezia.
What Is NOT There
- There is no beach in the city. This is what surprises those who haven’t read about it beforehand.
- There is no aquarium or theme park. The naval museum is a museum, not an attraction.
- The castle involves a climb. You can do it with a stroller, but it’s the only real slope in the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is La Spezia suitable for children?
Yes, and for a practical reason: it’s a flat, grid-like city with a pedestrianized main street and with pharmacies, supermarkets, and services that villages lack. It’s the opposite of the Cinque Terre towns, which are vertical.
What can you do in La Spezia with children?
The Museo Tecnico Navale next to the arsenal, Castello San Giorgio from the 13th century with the Archaeological Museum, and the pedestrian walk along via del Prione. For the sea, you need a ferry or a bus.
Can you navigate La Spezia with a stroller?
Yes: the center is flat and regular, and via del Prione is pedestrianized. The only real climb is up to the castle, on Poggio hill.
Is it worth staying in La Spezia with children to visit the Cinque Terre?
Yes, and it’s the best reason to choose it: you depart by train from the station in the city, return whenever you want, and have a base with all services. With small children, in high season, the Cinque Terre are tiring, and being able to return early matters.
Are there child-friendly beaches in La Spezia?
Not in the city: the waterfront is port and arsenal. The gulf’s beaches are reachable by ferry or bus, and with young children, the Lerici shore is the simplest option.