Soggiorna
Sanremo organises well into two days because its parts belong to different eras and do not blend. One day for each: the first in the late-nineteenth-century city, the one built for the Russians and the English, which sits on the sea and is flat; the second choosing between the Middle Ages above it and the coast running alongside.
The only thing to decide is day two, and below there are three answers.
Day 1 — The city of the empresses
Morning: Corso Imperatrice and the Russian church
Start with the seafront promenade, Corso Imperatrice, named after the Russian empress Maria Alexandrovna, who gave Sanremo its palms. It is flat and wide, and in the first hour of the day it is almost empty.
Halfway along, something you do not expect in Liguria rises above the roofs: five coloured domes, the church of Christ the Saviour, built at the wish of the empress mother Maria Feodorovna, mother of Nicholas II, and consecrated to Christ the Saviour, St Seraphim of Sarov and St Catherine the Martyr. It is there for the same reason the promenade is: this is where the Russian aristocracy came to winter.
Afternoon: the Casino and the centre
The Casino opened on 14 January 1905, to a design by the French architect Eugène Ferret. It is the oldest still operating in Italy, one of four in the country: white Liberty façade, Murano glass chandeliers. Even without going in to gamble, it is where you understand what kind of city this was meant to be.
A little further up, on via Matteotti, is the Teatro Ariston, home of the Festival since 1977. From outside it is a cinema: worth the two minutes it deserves, no more.
Evening: La Pigna at sunset
The medieval old quarter spirals up above the nineteenth-century city — hence the name, the pine cone, La Pigna — and the climb repays you at the top with the view over the sea, the roofs and the hinterland as far as Monte Bignone.
Go towards sunset rather than at midday: these are narrow lanes and staircases, and the low light is also the only hour when the photographs work.
The detail of what to see is in Sanremo beyond the Festival.
Day 2 — The three answers
A: the cycle path
The best choice in good weather. The path on the route of the railway taken out of service in 2001 runs for 24 kilometres between Ospedaletti and San Lorenzo al Mare: flat, car-free, above the beaches. You rent a bike and go, coming down wherever you like.
It is also the way of seeing this coast that no other resort offers — and it requires no driving: getting to Sanremo and around.
B: Bussana Vecchia
The village abandoned after an earthquake and later occupied by artists, above the city. It is the opposite of Corso Imperatrice: no Belle Époque, no palms, and it has its own guide.
The right choice if you liked La Pigna on day one, because it is the same Liguria — the stone one — taken to its extreme.
C: the sea
Perfectly legitimate, and in the heat often the real answer. In that case it is worth choosing the stretch deliberately rather than stopping at the first: the options are in beaches at Sanremo.
How to choose between the three
- Good weather, first visit: the cycle path.
- You liked La Pigna: Bussana Vecchia.
- Strong heat or small children: the sea — and with children the choice of beach matters more than the day, as Sanremo with children explains.
If you land in February
There is the Festival, and it should be said plainly: the city is full of people who are not there for the sea or for La Pigna, hotels cost double and tables need booking. If you are not coming for it, move your dates; if you are, know that the rest of this itinerary still works, but with a different city around it.
What to leave out
With two days you do not do the cycle path and Bussana Vecchia together, and you do not add Villa Nobel without dropping something. Anyone who tries goes home having seen three things in a hurry: the merit here is that the city's two parts are small and can be done at leisure, and giving up that pace is giving up the reason two days are enough.
The overall picture is in Sanremo: a guide to the city.
Frequently asked questions
Are two days enough to see Sanremo?
Yes, and they divide well: one day for the nineteenth-century city on the sea — Corso Imperatrice, the Russian church, the Casino — and La Pigna at sunset, and one day to choose between the cycle path, Bussana Vecchia and the sea.
What should you see in Sanremo on the first day?
Corso Imperatrice in the morning with the Russian church of Christ the Saviour, the 1905 Casino and via Matteotti with the Teatro Ariston in the afternoon, and La Pigna towards sunset.
What can you do on the second day at Sanremo?
Three possibilities: the 24-kilometre cycle path on the old railway, the artists' village of Bussana Vecchia, or a day at the sea. In good weather and on a first visit, the cycle path.
When is the best time to climb to La Pigna?
Towards sunset. These are lanes and staircases and the climb at midday in summer is avoidable effort; besides, the low light is the only hour when the view from the top really delivers.
Is it worth going to Sanremo during the Festival?
Only if you are coming for the Festival. In February the city is full, hotels cost much more and restaurants need booking. The rest of the itinerary still works, but with a different city around it.