On my bookshelf of travel literature, there is also a German book on the Italian Riviera, which is 400 pages strong and which describes every church, historical palazzo and – so it seems – every hamlet on the Ligurian coast with a Teutonic passion for detail.
But there is no mention of Bogliasco. Not a word!
Even more astonishing, a friend of ours who has lived in the area for roughly the same period as we, on being told that we had visited Bogliasco, informed us that, since there was no such thing, we must have visited Boccadasse instead and were simply not capable of spelling its name correctly. I am not making this up!
So there you have it: Bogliasco is that rare find in Liguria, a hidden gem, which is – despite its idyllic seaside location – not overrun by visitors.
Remember: you read about it – and saw it – …
… here first.
Bogliasco’s lack of a reputation is even more surprising as it is practically a suburb of Genoa and only a short train ride away from that city’s main stations.
Going there could not be simpler: just take one of the frequent commuter trains in the direction of Sestri Levante, descend at Bogliasco, cross the rails and walk down the slope in the direction of the sea.
Feel free to make little forays into the village proper of this rare find in Liguria …
… but other than that, keep on the scenic foot path by the coast …
… to round the bay which will soon open up in front of you.
There are many interesting things to see on the way: a trompe-l’oeil facade where not much seems to be real, with the exception of the laundry on the washing line, …
… two bridges – one old, one new – that invite comparisons (you decide: which of the two has solved its task more economically and elegantly?) …
… and several walls that bear witness to the creative instincts and artistic skills of the local population (whose ceramic plates beat most of the urban graffiti by a mile).
Once you have completed the semi-circle around Bogliasco Bay, you will be rewarded with a beautiful scenic view.
Instead of returning to Bogliasco train station from here, you can now continue on the street ahead (Via Giuseppe Mazzini) to the next stop on the railway line.
It’s roughly the same distance, but you will have the opportunity of sampling more interesting details …
… which also include a very fancy coffee-shop-cum-ice-cream-parlour (called Peruzzi) and its next-door neighbour, the idyllically located Santuario di Nostra Signora delle Grazie.
After a quarter mile, you will arrive at Pontetto station. Be aware, however, that not all trains from Sestri Levante stop here since Pontetto is a very small town with a very small station (which is not even equipped with an automatic ticket dispenser, so you must have your return ticket ready).
If you have just missed a train (there is not much to do to entertain you in Pontetto for an hour or two), you can also continue your walk alongside the coastal mainline until you arrive at the train station after that, which is called Pieve Ligure (this adds little more than 1 km to your journey)
But you will have to do so on a much busier road, the Via XXV Aprile (Via Mazzini leaves the coast and turns inland from here), on an occasionally rather narrow sidewalk.
This stretch of the walk is also a little dull by the high standards of the region, which means: there is not much variety on offer although you still get nice views over the Mediterranean towards the Portofino promontory.
All in all, there aren’t many better ways of spending an afternoon in deep midwinter!
