Places & Culture

Pigna lies at the upper end of Val Nervia at around 280 m altitude, surrounded by the highest peaks of the Ligurian Pre-Alps — Monte Toraggio (1,973 m) and Monte Pietravecchia (2,040 m), locally called the "Little Dolomites". Around 800 inhabitants, Bandiera Arancione since 2009. The old town is a labyrinth of vaulted, dark lanes — locally called "chibi" — spiralling up the hillside. In the church of San Michele Arcangelo stands a monumental polyptych by Giovanni Canavesio (1500, four metres high), showing Saint Michael battling the devil — one of the most significant artworks in western Liguria. The Madonna Assunta spring with sulphurous water (31°C) has been known since the Middle Ages. The spa "Antiche Terme di Pigna" offers indoor pool, sauna and treatments.

Apricale perches on a hilltop in the Merdanzo valley, a side valley of the Nervia, about 15 km from Ventimiglia. The name comes from Latin "apricus" — sun-kissed. This medieval village from the 9th century belongs to the Borghi più belli d'Italia and holds the Bandiera Arancione from the Italian Touring Club. Around 600 inhabitants, many houses adorned with murals — about 50 today. The heart is Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, overlooked by the 12th-century Castello della Lucertola and the church Purificazione di Maria Vergine. Apricale has Liguria's oldest autonomous municipal charter: the Statutes of 1267, now displayed in the castle museum.

Rocchetta Nervina lies at the end of the valley where the Oggia and Barbaira streams meet — at around 225 m altitude, 13 km from the coast. The village has about 270 inhabitants and a distinctive Y-shape: two rows of houses on rock spurs above the two streams. The tall stone houses on the outer edge once formed the fortification wall. The real highlight are the "Laghetti" — a chain of natural rock pools in the crystal-clear water of the Rio Barbaira. The first pool, "Lago dei 7 Baci", is just steps from the village centre. A 15-minute climb on a Ligurian mule track leads to more pools and a small waterfall. The emerald-green water stays cool even in high summer.

Dolceacqua lies at the entrance to Val Nervia, just 7 km from Ventimiglia. The name traces back to the Roman landowner Dulcius. Around 2,000 inhabitants. The village has two parts: the medieval old town "Terra", climbing the hillside to the castle ruins, and the newer "Borgo" on the opposite riverbank. Connected by the Ponte Vecchio — a 15th-century arch bridge with a 33-metre span that Claude Monet painted several times in 1884, calling it a "jewel of lightness". Above the village stands the ruin of the Castello dei Doria, acquired in 1270 by Oberto Doria and expanded into a residence. The vaulted caruggi are built up to six storeys high in places. Between the lanes: wine cellars and the Rossese di Dolceacqua, Liguria's first DOC wine.

Airole sits on a rocky outcrop above the Roya river, where Liguria meets France. The village has kept its medieval fabric: narrow alleys (caruggi), stone arches, winding stairways. The houses are built from the grey stone of the mountains, and 371 people live here at 149 m elevation. Airole holds the Bandiera Arancione of the Touring Club Italiano. Airole is not a tourist spot and not a museum. It is a village where people actually live — where you buy olive oil from your neighbour and greet each other on the piazza. People gather on Piazza SS. Filippo e Giacomo: mornings for espresso, evenings for aperitivo. The hosts know their guests and the guests know their hosts. One pizzeria run by a German couple, two ristoranti serving Ligurian cuisine, one bar — the village needs nothing more.

Sospel lies in the Bévéra Valley at around 350 m altitude, about 20 km and 35 minutes from Airole, with around 3,800 inhabitants. Its landmark is the Pont Vieux — a fortified toll bridge with a central tower, first documented in 1217 and rebuilt in stone in 1522. One of the last surviving structures of its kind in Europe. The bridge was a station on the salt route between Nice and Piedmont. The old town stretches along both sides of the Bévéra with winding lanes, Gothic houses and trompe-l'œil facades along the riverbank. On Place Saint-Michel stands the baroque Cathedral Saint-Michel (1641–1762) with a 13th-century Romanesque bell tower — one of the largest churches in the Alpes-Maritimes. Sospel is no sleepy museum village but an active little town with shops, restaurants and a lively Thursday market. In World War II the bridge was destroyed in 1945 and faithfully rebuilt in 1952.

Breil-sur-Roya sits in a wide bend of the Roya river, surrounded by around 100,000 olive trees. With about 2,300 inhabitants, it is the largest village in the upper Roya Valley and an important stop on the Tenda Railway (Train des Merveilles). At around 300 m altitude, with Mercantour National Park in sight and the Mediterranean just 25 km away, the microclimate is milder than in the surrounding mountain villages. The river splits the village in two, connected by several bridges. In the centre lies an artificial Swan Lake (Lac aux Cygnes). The old town features vaulted arcades, narrow lanes and the baroque church Sancta Maria in Albis. The Saint-Jean bell tower with its Romanesque twin openings is the oldest Romanesque monument in the former County of Nice. Breil was for centuries a centre of olive oil production for the House of Savoy. Its turbulent history lives on in the festival "A Stacada": every four years, over 100 amateur actors re-enact the revolt against the "droit de cuissage" — one of the oldest traditions of the region.

Nice, with around 350,000 inhabitants, is France's fifth-largest city and the centre of the Côte d'Azur. The old town (Vieux Nice) wedges between the Castle Hill (Colline du Château) and the Promenade des Anglais — seven kilometres of waterfront along the Bay of Angels. Historically Sardinian-Piedmontese until 1860, when it became part of France — hence the Italian echoes in cuisine (Socca, Pissaladière, Pan bagnat, Salade Niçoise) and architecture. Museums: Matisse (in Cimiez), Musée Marc Chagall, MAMAC. Markets: Cours Saleya — flower and food market Tuesday to Sunday, antiques and brocante on Mondays. For a first visit, Vieux Nice, the Promenade, Cours Saleya and one museum are enough — the rest takes more days.

Menton is 20 km west of Airole, just across the Italian-French border. Around 30,000 inhabitants, the mildest climate on the French Riviera — frost is rare, and summer highs are lower than in Nice. The microclimate allows citrus cultivation, especially the Menton lemon, which has held a Protected Geographical Indication (IGP) since 2015. Every February the Fête du Citron takes place — gigantic sculptures of lemons and oranges fill the Jardins Biovès, with illuminated parades ("Corsos des Fruits d'Or") in the evening. The rest of the year the town is quieter. Jean Cocteau left his mark in Menton: the Musée Jean Cocteau with the Séverin Wunderman collection by the harbour, and the murals in the town hall wedding room that he painted in 1957.

Jazz Valley is an inter-community concert series in which several villages of the Val Nervia have joined forces to bring high-quality jazz music into their historic town centers. What began in 2024 as a pilot project by three municipalities quickly developed into a fixed date in the valley's cultural calendar. In 2025, already four communities are participating: Pigna, Rocchetta Nervina, Dolceacqua, and Camporosso. The organizers hope to further expand the festival. The special feature: Instead of a large stage with massive crowds, jazz is experienced here on village squares, in community gardens, and on panoramic terraces. The atmosphere is relaxed and convivial – locals and tourists sit together under the open sky and enjoy the music. The artistic direction is in the hands of Giuliano Raimondo, one of the most renowned jazz bassists of Ponente Ligure, who also plays at some concerts. He selects the artists and ensures a high-quality program beyond the mainstream.

Non-profit association dedicated to promoting tourism and preserving local traditions. Organizes events, festivals and operates the Adventure Park.