From our base in Nice we planned a day trip to Ventimiglia, 8 km across the border in western Liguria, Italy. We took the 10:36 train from Nice Ville station (single tickets €8 for the 55 minute journey). As with our visit the previous day to Antibes we opted to buy single tickets as these were the same price as returns and provided more flexibility as we didn’t need to decide on a return service in advance. Do try and sit on the right hand side of the train on the outbound journey to enjoy the dramatic coastal scenery along the way. In particular, look out for spectacular views towards the end of the journey between Menton-Garavan and Ventimiglia.
A practical alternative to taking the train would be to rent a car with Auto Europe as this would enable you to explore even more by stopping off on the way to get the most out of touring both the Riviera di Ponente and Provence.
Ventimiglia is comprised of two distinct parts with its historic old town perched high on a cliff top and its more recent town below, each part separated by the Roya river. From the station it was just a short walk into the newer part of town and the first point of interest we came to was the covered market so we decided to pop in there first whilst it was still open.
The market is open daily and well worth a visit with lots of typical Italian produce such as olive oil, salami and prosciutto ham. Whilst we were there it was a hive of activity with locals stocking up on local produce including fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers. A fish market is located to one side of the main hall where we inspected all manner of fresh fish kept cool on ice, some varieties familiar to us and others unknown.
In addition to the indoor produce market, a huge outdoor market takes place each Friday with stallholders offering many items that include clothes, bags and footwear. Each week many visitors flock across the border to seek out a bargain with the town being much busier then. Our visit hadn’t coincided with a Friday but if you enjoy bargain hunting then a Friday might be the best day to go.
On leaving the market area we followed the river down to the beach (Spiaggia delle Calandre) which is quite nondescript with a long straight section of shingle but from the promenade there are some good westward views in the direction of France. Facing the seafront there is a line of beach cafes and gift shops.
From there, we headed back inland and crossed the Roya river over the bridge to reach the old town. The views of the pastel coloured houses on the cliff top looked very Italian and we instantly knew that we would enjoy exploring the medieval part of town.
After crossing the river we entered the old town through one of the remaining gates. The old town is enclosed by walls and is mostly traffic free as many of the streets are too narrow for cars. It was a steep climb uphill and everywhere seemed very quiet but picturesque with its warren of winding lanes and cobbled squares lined with quaint old stone houses.
Having got our breath back on reaching the top we visited the town’s Romanesque Cathedral with its 11th century octagonal Romanesque baptistry housing a limestone font.
The cathedral was very elaborate and definitely worth the uphill hike to view it. Before leaving we noticed a sign leading down to the crypt which was also of interest as it had been built on the site of an older church.
Near to the cathedral we came to a viewpoint from where we had some fine views down to the harbour where we were heading next.
All this walking had made us feel quite peckish and there was no way we were leaving Italy without eating pizza. As luck would have it, we found the perfect spot at the foot of the old town along the seafront road Passeggiata G. Marconi. We were attracted to the Stella Marina Restaurant by its low blue building and sun drenched terrace with uninterrupted views of the Mediterranean.
Although it was quite busy there was one outdoor table still available and there we sat for quite sometime soaking up the sun’s rays and enjoying a leisurely meal. Eating authentic Italian pizza really made us feel that we were in a different country and we were so pleased that we’d made the effort to cross the border from France and spend the day in Ventimiglia.
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