Without a doubt, hiking is one of the best things to do in Liguria.
I love nature, and particularly now with the Covid 19 situation, I never miss an opportunity to go out and explore nature far from the crowds. Every time I do, this region has something new to offer: some coastal paths offer a breathtaking view of the Mediterranean sea, other paths penetrate between gorges and mountains bypassing lakes and offering glimpses of authentic rural life.
Hiking is therefore one of the most fascinating ways to explore Liguria, with its jagged territory nestled between sea and mountains, just imagine finding yourself immersed in the woods, but being able to hear the sound of the sea waves in the distance: what could be more magical than that?
On the footsteps of Napoleon
Hiking in Liguria is an unforgettable experience and, of course, one of the most authentic ways to discover its incredible natural heritage. In Liguria there is a huge network of paths: there are in fact more than 80 marked itineraries to do and hundreds of trails.
Legends and history say that the French and Austrians fought on the Beigua mountain for a week in the spring of 1800 and therefore the sacredness of the Great Mother Mountain was violated. During those times, these places became a theater of war and the poor houses scattered in the nearby valleys experienced despair. The testimony of these events, whose memory, after two hundred years, had been erased from the collective memory, is given to us today through the guided tours, the small local heritage museums and other heritage sites. We entrust its conservation, thanks to the extraordinary beauty of this landscape, to Beigua himself, electing the Mountain as an immense monument to the suffering of his people.
There are now dedicated so-called “paths of memory” or carefully traced hiking trails that propose a suggestive approach to regional history.
Some guided tours are offered on these trails and they are part of a series of events that fall during the ‘Napoleonic Week,’ organized under the European Bonesprit project, funded by the Italy-France Maritime Cross-border Cooperation Program, and aimed at activating a cultural network between the territories of Liguria, Tuscany, Sardinia and Corsica for the enhancement of the Napoleonic heritage.
The Province of Savona, together with the topics related to the Napoleonic period, promotes, among the battles that took place in the territory of the Bormida Valley, the re-enactment of the clashes around the castle of Cosseria.
The event usually takes place over two days which include the preparation of the military camp with the fighting troops and the visit of the camp organized for the visitors.
It is from this place, Bormida Valley, that one can take a path which brings you to the Apennine border between Liguria and Piedmont, discovering the places that were the scene of the war events of the first phase of the first campaign of Italy led by General Napoleon Bonaparte.
In these same very places, it is possible to have picnics and follow easy trails to “follow Napoleon’s footsteps” while discovering incredible landscapes and historical sites at the same time.
Cosseria Castle
