Zuccarello, Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena and Bardineto

The hinterland of Liguria is truly very beautiful and evocative; for all those who decide to spend a holiday period in our splendid region, I recommend a visit to these very ancient and beautiful villages: Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena, Zuccarello and Bardineto, in the province of Savona. The villages are easily reachable from Albenga. But let's go in order: visiting Zuccarello is like taking a dive into the Middle Ages, and indeed the village is truly well preserved; the vaults, the arches and the stone are the dominant elements of the whole settlement. During the week we ate at the restaurant il Torchio (fixed menu), spending a truly paltry sum; if you pass through those parts we recommend it for the kindness and excellent cooking.

Afterwards we went on to Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena, which like Zuccarello boasts the title of being counted among the most beautiful villages in Italy. Castelvecchio too has a very ancient historic centre and a nice children's playground where Matteo could finally let off steam. Access to the villages is possible for non-residents only on foot, but don't worry, because just outside the village you'll find large free car parks. If you're not tired yet, a few minutes by car from Castelvecchio there's another ancient village, Balestrino, which was also one of the locations of the well-known American film Inkheart; as you'll have gathered by now, this village too is dominated by an ancient castle, not visitable as it is a private residence.

The visit to the sanctuary of Monte Croce definitely deserves a small detour, where it is said that from the nineteen-forties there were several apparitions of the Virgin; the sanctuary is truly very beautiful and above all enjoys a splendid view of the gulf below. Continuing our itinerary we come across Bardineto, a very pretty village in the Val Bormida famous for its mushrooms, and indeed the 'National Golden Mushroom Festival' is held right here (2nd or 3rd Sunday of September). Not far from the village, taking a little road that leads to a wood of centuries-old chestnuts, beeches and birches, we come across the mushroom village!!! I assure you it is unreal to walk in the wood and find yourself in front of these unusual dwellings, which, I recall, are on private property, so to see them up close you need the owners' consent.

This itinerary can be extended with a visit to Toirano and its caves, a few km from Balestrino.