San Remo is a picturesque city in north-western Italy, on the Mediterranean coast, and a well-known tourist destination famous for its tropical parks and gardens, palaces, casinos, boutiques and its never-ending festive atmosphere.
It hosts numerous events, such as the San Remo Music Festival, the Milan–San Remo cycling race, the biggest annual flower fair in Italy, many contests, performances, car races, tennis tournaments, rowing competitions, a sailing regatta, and a variety of fashion shows.
If you have just a few hours at your disposal to visit it, I suggest, as always, my itinerary, that will enable you to see its most interesting sites in the shortest period of time.
- The Lungomare dell’Imperatrice
- The Russian Orthodox Church
- The Villa Angerer
- The Casino of San Remo
- Corso Matteotti
- The Convent of the Capuchin Friars
- The Cathedral of San Siro
- La Pigna
- The Sanctuary of the Madonna Della Costa
- The Statue of Mike Bongiorno
- The Museum of Palazzo Borea d’Olmo
- The Ariston Theater
- The Monumento ai caduti
- The Forte Santa Tecla
- The Anima in Quartetto
- The Villa Ormond
- The Villa of Alfred Nobel
We will start our tour from the Lungomare dell’Imperatrice, and the Lolli Palace.
It is a long, seafront street, with palms and a cozy pedestrian area of a white and reddish checkerboard floor, and with a white marble statue called “Venere dei Fiori” or “Primavera”, representing young, barefoot lady with raising arms full of flowers.
Next to the Lolli Palace there is the Russian Orthodox Church, a legacy of the Russian Empress Maria Alexandrovna, an amazing structure built in 1913 resembling a classic Russian cathedral from the 17th century, with a beautiful stone carving, and a sophisticated interior design, and with an inestimable collection of Russian icons.
Just before the Casino of San Remo there is a hidden sleeping beauty, the Villa Angerer, a beautiful Art Nouveau masterpiece, unfortunately left to oblivion by its present owner. It was built in the early 1900’s by the Austrian lawyer Angerer, with beautiful flower motives on the walls and the windows and sculptures of dragons below. There are so many other beautiful details which can’t be seen as the house is totally closed.
The Casino is a magnificent building and a must-see in San Remo. Although it looks absolutely amazing on the outside, it is a bit dull inside. It was opened in 1905 and has operated continuously since then with the only exception of the years of World War II. It is right in the heart of the town, connected to Piazza Colombo via the pedestrian street Via Matteotti, which is an ideal street for shopping, culture and entertainment.
The Convent of the Capuchin Friars, was consecrated in 1668, and dedicated to Saints Bernard and Francis of Assisi and to the Immaculate Conception. The facade is quite simple, with a statue of a friar in the churchyard. The interior has a single nave while, on the walls of the right and left, there are numerous and valuable wooden altars, preciously carved, and dedicated to Saints Capuchins.
In Via Matteotti we will also find the Ariston Theatre and Palazzo Borea d’Olmo, but we will leave it for a moment, taking the Via Francesco Corradi to get to the Cathedral of San Siro.
It is the oldest religious structure in the city, built in the 12th century. The last major reconstruction of the temple took place in the 18th century. It is not an astonishing cathedral, but yet worth visiting.
If you have more time to spend visiting this beautiful town, you can choose the option to explore the Pigna, the medieval quarter and the ancient heart of San Remo. A few steps from its market square you will find a continuous sequence of ancient houses, alleys, silent little squares, covered passageways, and arches. At the top of the hill, there is the Sanctuary of the Madonna Della Costa from the 17th-century with a beautiful interior worth climbing and an amazing terrace with a fantastic view all around.
We will go back to Corso Matteotti to enjoy its shops, bakeries, restaurants and beautiful buildings. One of things that you can see there and that will probably make you smile, is The Statue of Mike Bongiorno, one of the most famous and loved Italian TV presenters, who conducted many shows including the “San Remo Festival” of Italian music. He is waving and every time you see him, you will want to wave back or at least, to have a selfie with him!
Very close to it, we will find the beautiful Civic Museum of Palazzo Borea d’Olmo and the famous Ariston Theater.
It is a legendary movie theater, and a tourist attraction of national importance, opened more than a hundred years ago, that has become a permanent venue for various cultural events including the annual San Remo Music Festival Competitions, since 1977.
Following Corso Augusto Mombello, we will pass the Monumento ai caduti, a beautiful bronze statue in memory of the fallen of the First World War, representing a woman on horseback with a sword, and then we will come to the Forte Santa Tecla.
It is located next to San Remo’s port and is one of its main attractions. Built in the 18th century, it was used as a prison until 2002. Now, it has been transformed into a museum and is also used as a place for cultural events.
There is an interesting art structure in the park in front of it, created by the artist Enrico Benetta, and called the Anima in Quartetto.
These, very original and unusual giant metal chairs, are so appealing and ideal for taking photos…
There is another statue in this area, put in honor of Italian resistance as well as a small piece of ancient ruins.
Our visit finishes here, but for those ones who have more time to spend, there are two other beautiful villas to visit. One is Villa Ormond, an extraordinary architectural monument, built in the 19th century and located on the territory of one of the largest and most beautiful parks in the city. The other is the Villa of Alfred Nobel, the great chemist, where he spent the last years of his life. Today it is a museum with the exposition devoted to his life and achievements.
Those would be the top things to see in San Remo during a short visit. If you find this useful, please leave me a comment. Keep sending me your suggestions regarding my next choice of the city to write about.