Val Nervia.
In the Nervia valley, there are particularly beautiful
Medieval hamlets built up high in concentric sections
according to the typical defensive structure of
the time. One example is Dolceaqua, where the narrow
lanes, which open onto picturesque vistas between
stone vaults and covered passageways, run all the
way to the great Doria castle. Below lies a gem
of Medieval architecture: the long, humpback bridge
that crosses the Nervia river.
The valley preserves prized pieces of art and splendid
rural churches that visitors can explore on excursions
that blend artistic beauty with fascinating corners
of nature. Deep caves, cascades, and gullies carved
by the water near Rocca Nervina, forests of chestnuts
and conifers along the road to the Gouta pass, or,
much farther down, almost to the sea, the faunal
preserve at Camporosso at the mouth of the Nervia,
where a good 140 species of birds migrate and settle
in intact vegetation.
