San Colombano Certenoli: the peaceful rural hamlets, the mills and the churches (the toponym comes from the famous Irish monk who – in the early Middle Ages – founded the Bobbio monastery in Val Trebbia, still a coenoby of culture and faith).
Coreglia Ligure: the 16th century stateliness of the santuario di Montallegro and the raity odf ancient stone dwellings displaying supports for grapevines.
Favale di Malvaro: the monument dedicated to emigrants and the touching Museum of Ligurian Emigration (located in the hamlet of Cerreto, at the end of a mule track, in the Casa Giannini), telling the life of those who migrated from the Fontanabuona to the “Meriche” in search of a better future (Amedeo Pietro Giannini definitely found its corner of the sky and founded the Bank of America and Italy in California).
Lorsica: the famous silk factories (handicraft rules) and the church of Santa Maria Regina del Creato (in the hamlet of Barbagelata), a place of the spirit built in 1972 at 1,125 mts. a.s.l.
Lumarzo: the network of sanctuaries and chapels and the silent, ethereal hamlet of Boasi, a handful of houses in the style of the poem “Rio Bo” by Aldo Palazzeschi.
Moconesi: the centres of Gattorna and Ferrada, the slate quarries and the secluded chapel of San Rocco.
Neirone: the atmosphere of a rural area plenty of wood, olive trees and… farmers, the intriguing ascent (feet and mountain bike both do) to Monte Caucaso (1,245 mts. a.s.l.) and the traditional festa della patata quarantina (late August), a celebration of mountain potatoes.
Orero: the slate quarries, the sunny rural hamlet of Costa di Soglio (abandoned and evocative), and – most of all – the excursion to Monte Ramaceto (1,345 mts. a.s.l.), towering between the Riviera and the province of Piacenza.
Tribogna: the quarries, the churches, Passo Casetti and Passo Spinarola, and the interesting “itinerario colombiano” (set in 1991), 20 kms. and 7 hours of pleasnt hiking from the hamlet of Terrarossa to Quinto al Mare, a eastern suburb of Genoa.
Uscio: the renowned “Colonia Arnaldi”, founded by a chemist a century ago as a temple of health, detoxication and therapy (20 eccentric Art Nouveau pavilions still dot the chestnut forest), and the restored Tower Clocks Museum of the Trebino family, whose products are bought also by the Vatican.
As for gastronomy, the state of the art presents two scenarios. The first accounts for ancient produce and recipes, contemporary rarities (once upon a time eels were fished in the Sturla stream) such as “battolli” (short and stubby taglierini served with pesto or “prescinseua” curd cheese, a bygone joy for the palate), a hearty selection of soups and stews, and festive “pattunn-a” (castagnaccio, chestnut cake), served at the end of feast meals. The second, on the other hand, stands for evergreen popular dishes provided by every restaurant and sagra (fair): vegetables and herbs for fillings, potatoes (figuring in a thousand recipes), pansoti and ravioli, chickpea farinata, grilled meat, salumi and cheese, mushrooms and chestnuts.